Greg Phillinganes

Gregory Arthur Phillinganes (born May 12, 1956) is an American keyboardist, vocalist, and arranger. A session musician, Phillinganes has contributed to numerous albums over a broad array of artists and genres. He has toured with artists including Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Toto and The Pussycat Dolls, was musical director for Michael Jackson, and has released two solo studio albums.

Gregory Arthur Phillinganes was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 12, 1956 to Elaine and Ardick Phillinganes. 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, then from Misha Kotler, a Detroit Symphony Orchestra pianist who introduced the discipline and technique Phillinganes required. He credits Kotler with showing him proper hand posture and for influencing him to play with "a sense of dexterity and definition".

After drummer Ricky Lawson gave Stevie Wonder a cassette of Phillinganes' instrumental renditions of his own songs, Phillinganes auditioned for Wonder's band, Wonderlove, and played with them from 1976 to 1981. The year 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 their follow-up album Triumph. He accompanied the Jackson family to Walt Disney World and referred to Katherine Jackson as "Mom".

Phillinganes contributed to Michael's solo albums. He was hired as a session musician for his contributions to Jackson's best-selling Thriller, but did not receive royalties.

He served as the musical director for Jackson's Bad and Dangerous concert tours, and the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special. In 2022, Phillinganes was mentioned in several episodes of the podcast series Stories in the Room: Michael Jackson's Thriller Album Podcast.

In 1981, Phillinganes released his first solo album, Significant Gains. The Boston Globe reviewer Richard Cromonic noted Wonder's influence on the album and praised the creativity of the compositions. He criticized the lyrics as being less creative, and said that Significant Gains might be too close to Wonder's sound, calling it "blatant emulation". The album was not successful, but the song "Baby, I Do Love You" was a minor R&B hit. Three years later, Phillinganes released his follow-up album Pulse, with another minor hit, a cover of Yellow Magic Orchestra's song "Behind the Mask", with additional lyrics by Michael Jackson. This single was 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. Throughout the 1980s and the early 1990s he made solo recordings and toured with Clapton and worked as a session musician for several artists. He continued session work in later years.

Phillinganes has worked and toured with musicians including Stevie Wonder, George Harrison, the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Anita Baker, George Benson, Karen Carpenter, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Donald Fagen, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Michael Jackson, Richard Marx, Paul McCartney, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones, and Stevie Nicks. In 1982, he played on the Paul Simon album Hearts and Bones and in 1995, he played on the Joan Armatrading album What's Inside.

Starting in 2003, Phillinganes filled in for the semi-retired David Paich on tour with the band Toto. He became a full-time member of the band by 2005, and contributed to their album Falling in Between. He continued to tour as a member of Toto until the band became inactive in 2008, and did not rejoin when Toto re-formed in 2010. In 2022, Phillinganes filled in for Toto's Dominique Xavier Taplin during the 'Dogz of Oz' tour during the Norwegian shows. Toto announced in 2024 on Facebook that he and drummer Shannon Forrest were returning to the touring lineup.