Greg Phillinganes

Who is Greg Phillinganes?

Gregory Arthur "Greg" Phillinganes is an American session keyboardist, based in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit. Phillinganes was discovered by Stevie Wonder, who heard a cassette of instrumental renditions of his own songs done by Phillinganes. 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, a cover of Yellow Magic Orchestra's song "Behind the Mask". This single was much more successful on the dance music charts. When he later joined Eric Clapton's backing band, Phillinganes introduced the tune to Clapton, who covered it on his 1986 August album. Amidst his solo recordings and touring with Clapton throughout the 1980s and the early 1990s, he became well known as a prominent session musician for a multitude of different artists, performing on many hit albums of the time.