“I’m telling you this for real!”: Jimmy Page once gave a “terribly insecure” Steve Lukather career advice
After speaking out about how session work was making him feel insecure, a meeting with Jimmy Page was an eye-opener for the Toto guitarist.
![[L-R] Jimmy Page and Steve Lukather](https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jimmy-Page-Steve-Lukather@2000x1500.jpg)
Credit: Getty Images
Toto guitarist Steve Lukather has shared past insecurities about his career, and revealed that a meeting with Jimmy Page helped him to work through them.
In a recent interview, he explained that he was “terribly insecure” during a time period when his session work was doing well, but he was concerned that he was losing his credibility as a rock guitarist by playing with so many artists across various genres.
And it was none other than Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page who helped him overcome his worries. He explains: [via Killer Guitar Rigs], “We went to this thing at Guitar Center honouring Jimmy Page. And I went with Eddie Van Halen and somebody else, because Ed and I were dear friends. It was a private event that Marshall was putting on.”
At the event, Lukather found himself having a chat with Page himself. Shortly before the event, Lukather had spoken publicly about his insecurities, and this prompted Page to set him straight.
Lukather continues: “He goes, ‘No, I just want to say something to you. I read an article where you said that being a studio musician may have hurt your career in some way and the fact that people don’t take you seriously as a musician. That’s not true. I was a studio musician. All those guys in there, they don’t know what that is.’
“And I was like, ‘Are you serious? Are you telling me this for real?’ ‘Yeah, I’m telling you this for real.’ I gave him a big hug.”
The Toto guitarist goes on to describe it as a “terribly insecure” time in his life, but looks back, saying, “I was a working musician. How lucky was I?”
Lukather’s comments come a few weeks after he praised the increasing number of women playing guitar, saying, “Some of the best guitar players in the world today are women,” and, “There are so many incredible young players out there now, male and female.”
You can check out Lukather’s interview below: