Steve Lukather
Lukather in 2014, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Steven Lee Lukather
Place of Birth: San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: October 21, 1957
Ethnicity:
*50% Jewish [Ashkenazi, Sephardi]
*18.75% Irish
*12.5% Swedish
*12.5% English
*6.25% Scottish
Steve Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, record producer, and session musician. He is the sole continuous founding member of rock band Toto. The band’s members also include/have included Bobby Kimball, David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, Mike Porcaro, Steve Porcaro, and Joseph Williams. He has also been a member of supergroup Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Ringo Starr, as well as Colin Hay and Joe Walsh, are among the members of the band.
Steve is the son of Kathleen (Johnson) and William Lukather. Steve’s father is three quarters Ashkenazi Jewish and one quarter Sephardi Jewish descent. Steve’s mother is of approximately three eighths Irish, one quarter Swedish, one quarter English, and one eighth Scottish, ancestry.
Steve’s paternal grandfather was William Lee Lukather (the son of Max Lukaczer and Rose Fraad). William was born in Pennsylvania. Max was an Austrian Jewish immigrant, the son of Samuel Lukaczer and Mollie Ausschmitt. Rose was a Russian Jewish immigrant, the daughter of David Fraad and Hannah Arenstamm. Some of William’s family was Latvian Jewish.
Steve’s paternal grandmother was Phyllis/Phyliss Pinto (the daughter of Samuel Pinto and Pauline “Polly” Rose). Phyllis was born in Massachusetts. Samuel was a Sephardi Jew, who was born in Spain, the son of Jacob and Mary, with his own father having been born in Morocco. Pauline was born in New York, to Jewish parents, Samuel and Dora. Her parents’ birthplaces are listed as “Austria” on the 1910 U.S. Census and as “Germany” on the 1920 U.S. Census.
Steve’s maternal grandfather was William Elof Johnson (the son of Elof/Elaf H. Johnson and Bessie P. Dolan). William was born in New York, to a Swedish father and an Irish mother.
Steve’s maternal grandmother was Jean Schrom Myles (the daughter of Charles Richard Myles and Celia Jane McGraw). Jean was born in Pennsylvania. Charles was born in Pennsylvania, to English parents, David C. Myles and Sarah Lane. Steve’s great-grandmother Celia was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Peter McGraw, who was Scottish, and of Mary Jane Dailey, who was born in Pennsylvania, to Irish parents.
Sources: Marriage record of Steve’s parents – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Steve Lukather (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Steve’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of Steve’s paternal great-grandparents, Max Lukaczer and Rose Fraad – https://familysearch.org
Steve’s paternal grandmother, Phyllis/Phyliss Pinto, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Phyllis/Phyliss Pinto on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of Steve’s paternal great-grandparents, Samuel Pinto and Pauline “Polly” Rose – https://familysearch.org
Steve’s maternal grandfather, William Elof Johnson, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
William Elof Johnson on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Steve’s maternal grandmother, Jean Schrom Myles, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Was Steve’s father Jewish? “Lukather” seemes like an unusual German name, as does “Rose”.
Yes.
Is there any way to verify who his maternal grandmother was? “Schrom” made me think of a Jewish background for her as well.
Nah, Jean Myles wasn’t Jewish. She just didn’t dig on swine, that’s all.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPVM-NT5