Greg Phillinganes
| Greg Phillinganes | |
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Greg Phillinganes performing with Herbie Hancock in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gregory Arthur Phillinganes |
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May 12, 1956 Detroit, Michigan |
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Gregory Arthur "Greg" Phillinganes (born May 12, 1956) is an American keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and musical director based in Los Angeles, California. A prolific session musician, Phillinganes has contributed keyboard tracks to numerous albums representing a broad array of artists and genres. He has toured with notable artists such as Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, and Toto, served as musical director for Michael Jackson, and has released two solo albums.
Gregory Arthur Phillinganes was born on May 12, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan. He began playing a neighbor's piano by ear at the age of two, beginning lessons a few years later after his mother purchased a piano for him. He took lessons from two different instructors before his mother brought him to Misha Kotler, a Detroit Symphony Orchestra pianist who introduced the discipline and technique Phillinganes required to excel. Phillinganes credits Kotler with showing him proper hand posture and for influencing him to play with "a sense of dexterity and definition".
Phillinganes was discovered by Stevie Wonder after drummer Ricky Lawson gave him a cassette of instrumental renditions of his own songs done by Phillinganes. Phillinganes auditioned for Wonder's band, Wonderlove, and subsequently played with them from 1976 to 1981.
1978 began a three-decade-long involvement with Michael Jackson and The Jacksons for Phillinganes. He arranged The Jacksons' 1978 album Destiny and played keyboard on the 1980s Triumph album. In the process, he became close with the Jackson family, accompanying them to Walt Disney World and referring to Katherine Jackson as "mom". He contributed to every one of Michael Jackson's solo albums, and cites the title track from 1982's Thriller as a seminal example of his work. In an interview with Atlanta, Phillinganes recalled, "I did the synth bass part, those high-pitched synth parts, I did the Rhodes [keyboard] part and even did the pipe organ that Vincent Price does his rap over. It was crazy! When I listen to it now, I just think about all the fun we had creating all those layers in the studio." Although paid as a session musician for his contributions to Thriller, the best-selling album of all time, Phillinganes noted that he and the other participating musicians do not receive royalties. He was the musical director for Michael Jackson's Bad and Dangerous concert tours, as well as the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special. He describes his involvement with the 30th Anniversary Special as particularly emotional considering his long history with the family. Phillinganes has spoken at length about how much of his life he had spent with the Jacksons, and Michael in particular.
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