Phil Chess
| Phil Chess | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Fiszel Czyż |
| Born |
March 27, 1921 Motal, Poland (now Belarus) |
| Died | October 18, 2016 (aged 95) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
| Genres | Chicago blues, electric blues, blues, rock and roll, R&B, soul music |
| Occupation(s) | Record company executive |
| Years active | 1950–1972 |
| Labels | Chess |
Philip "Phil" Chess (born Fiszel Czyż; March 27, 1921 – October 18, 2016) was an American record producer and company executive, the co-founder with his brother of Chess Records.
Chess was born in the village of Motal, located in present-day Belarus. He and his brother Lejzor, sister Malka and mother followed their father to Chicago in 1928. The family name was changed to Chess, with Lejzor becoming Leonard and Fiszel becoming Philip.
Chess served in the army during World War II. In 1946, after leaving the Army, Phil joined Leonard in running a popular club, the Macomba Lounge. Two years later, Leonard became a partner in , a local company that recorded a wide range of music, and Phil joined in 1950. The company then changed its name to Chess Records, and began concentrating on R&B music, signing and recording artists such as Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, "Sonny Boy Williamson" (Rice Miller), Robert Lockwood Jr., Etta James, Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf and Chuck Berry. Phil Chess was actively involved in producing many of their blues and rock and roll recordings. The company expanded successfully through the 1950s and early 1960s, until it was sold to GRT in 1968.
Chess was also a co-founder with his brother of L & P Broadcasting, which operated radio station WSDM.
Phil Chess retired to Arizona in 1972. Phil and Leonard Chess were both inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame as non-performers in 1995. In February 2013, Phil Chess attended the ceremony to receive one of The Recording Academy's Trustees Awards for non-performers presented to him and his brother.
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