Greg Phillinganes

Greg Phillinganes in 2007

Greg Phillinganes (born Gregory Arthur Phillinganes on May 12, 1956 in Detroit, Michigan) is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Tech.^{[citation needed]}

Phillinganes was discovered by Stevie Wonder who heard a cassette of instrumental renditions of his own songs done by Phillinganes.^{[citation needed]} Wonder recruited Phillinganes for his Wonderlove band, where Phillinganes stayed from 1976 to 1981.

In 1981, he released his first solo album, Significant Gains. While the album itself was not very successful, he did manage to score a minor R&B hit with "Baby, I Do Love You." Three years later, he released his follow-up album Pulse, which featured another minor hit (and perhaps his best-known solo hit), a cover of Yellow Magic Orchestra's song "Behind the Mask" (with additional lyrics written by Michael Jackson). This single was much more successful on the Dance music charts. When he later joined Eric Clapton's backing band, Phillinganes would introduce the tune to Clapton, who covered it on his 1986 August album. Amidst his solo recordings and touring with Clapton throughout the 1980s, he became well-known as a prominent session musician for a multitude of different artists, performing on many hit albums of the time. His session work has continued into the present.

In addition to Stevie Wonder, Greg Phillinganes has worked and toured with other notable musicians such as the Bee Gees, Anita Baker, Eric Clapton, Donald Fagen, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Richard Marx, Paul McCartney and Stevie Nicks among others, He was also the musical director for Michael Jackson's Bad & Dangerous concert tours. During 2004, Phillinganes acted as a replacement for David Paich on tour with the band Toto. In 2005, he joined the band and set to helping Toto with their new album. He continued to tour as member of Toto until the band broke up in 2008.

Greg Phillinganes was also tapped to be Michael Jackson's musical director for the This is It concerts in London, reuniting him once again with band members & backup singers from the Dangerous Tour, but because of Jackson's sudden death the reunion was cut short.

Discography

Solo

• 1981 Significant Gains
• 1984 Pulse

Session work

(Partial List)

• 1976 Songs in the Key of Life (Stevie Wonder)
• 1979 Off the Wall (Michael Jackson)
• 1981 The Nightfly (Donald Fagen)
• 1982 Thriller (Michael Jackson)
• 1986 August (Eric Clapton)
• 1987 Bad (Michael Jackson)
• 1991 Dangerous (Michael Jackson)

• 2006 Falling In Between (Toto)
• 2007 Falling In Between Live (Toto)
• 2009 More to Say (Terri Lyne Carrington)

External links

• Official TOTO website
• SOUL WALKING - Greg Phillinganes

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