Glenn Phillips at 30a Songwriters Festival
Born in 1950, his musical career began in 1967, as a founding member and songwriter of the legendary Hampton Grease Band. The group released a double LP on Columbia and played with countless classic bands of the era, including Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac and The Allman Brothers. Frank Zappa was a fan of the band, and one of their many historic shows was at the Fillmore East with Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. Phillips jammed with Zappa that evening, as did John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Sony recently re-released the Hampton Grease Band, which included an extensive history of the group written by Phillips. It received a 9 out of 10, “near perfect” rating in Spin Magazine.
In 1973 Phillips began his solo career. Lowell George, the leader of Little Feat, called him “the most amazing guitarist I’ve ever seen,” and Phillips frequently sat in with the band. In 1975, he released his first album, Lost at Sea. Recorded at home and self-released, it predated, as well as influenced, the entire do-it-yourself movement that overtook rock music several years later. It was championed by influential British DJ John Peel, who played it regularly on the BBC, and London’s leading music magazine, Melody Maker, held a reader’s poll, where it came in 2nd. That was followed by a call from famed entrepreneur Richard Branson, who was then head of Virgin Records. They signed Phillips and brought him overseas to tour extensively, including a concert at London’s famed Rainbow Theater.
