Phillips , who was friends with Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro , gave him a Frederiksen demo . Toto , who had fired lead singer Bobby Kimball in the midst of recording their fifth album '' Isolation '' , invited Frederiksen to come audition for his spot . After edging out Eric Martin , he got the job , and the band finished recording '' Isolation '' , which was released in October 1984 . It included the hit song " Stranger in Town " and went Gold . The music video for " Stranger in Town " , which featured Fergie as the murder victim , was nominated at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Direction . After touring with Toto through 1985 , Frederiksen was fired from the band during the initial recording sessions for '' Fahrenheit '' , mainly due to his difficulties with performing in the studio . He has repeatedly cited his brief tenure with Toto as the highlight of his career
1985 MTV Video Music Awards
1985 MTV Video Music Awards
Dennis Frederiksen