Phil Fearon facts for kids

Phillip Joseph Fearon (born on July 30, 1956) is a talented record producer from Jamaica and Britain. He was the main singer, songwriter, and played many instruments for the 1980s music group called Galaxy.

Phil Fearon's Music Journey

Phil Fearon was born in Jamaica in 1956. When he was six years old, in 1962, he moved to London with his parents. He started his music career by running a reggae sound system. Later, he joined a band called Hott Wax. This band eventually became the famous group Hi-Tension.

In the late 1970s, Phil was a key member of the hit group Kandidate. They had a big hit song in 1979 called "I Don't Wanna Lose You." It reached number 11 on the music charts. Phil then set up his own music studio at his home in north London. He first recorded music with a group called Proton.

How Galaxy Began

Phil Fearon first thought of Galaxy as a group of "four or five white guys." He planned to create their music and produce it from behind the scenes. However, a record company was very impressed with his singing on his demo tapes. They encouraged him to be the lead singer for the group instead.

Phil's first song with Galaxy was "Head Over Heels" in 1982. He had help from singers Julie and Dorothy. This song became very popular in clubs.

Galaxy's Big Hits

Galaxy's first major success was the song "Dancing Tight" in 1983. It reached the top 5 on the music charts. Over the next 15 months, they had four more songs in the UK top 40. These included "What Do I Do" and "Everybody's Laughing," which both made it into the top 10.

Their first album, Phil Fearon and Galaxy, was released in 1984. It also reached the top 10. After a short break, Phil Fearon returned to the top 10 one last time in 1986. This was with a new version of Tony Etoria's song "I Can Prove It."

Working with Other Producers

Phil's record company suggested that famous producers Stock Aitken Waterman help with "I Can Prove It." Phil completely re-recorded his singing for this version.

Another song, "Ain't Nothin' But a Houseparty," was also produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. Phil said he was "a bit like a passenger" on that song. He just came in to sing, and the producers had the main vision for the track. He wasn't sure if the new sound would work for him.

After working with Stock Aitken Waterman, Phil Fearon continued to run his own production company. He made commercial dance records from his home.

The Galaxy Sound

Galaxy was not a typical band with many musicians. It was mostly Phil Fearon creating all the music in his studio. He had two female backing singers, Dorothy Galdes and Julie Gore, to help with the sound.

Galaxy's most famous songs are "Dancing Tight," "What Do I Do?", "Everybody's Laughing," and "I Can Prove It." These were all upbeat pop songs that reached the top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. They also had a song called "You Don't Need a Reason" that almost made the top 40 in 1985. Galaxy's music had a distinct early 1980s style, using a lot of synthesizers.

Later Years and Return to Performing

Galaxy's popularity slowed down in the late 1980s. Music trends were changing towards acid house. However, a later song, a cover version of "Ain't Nothin' But a Houseparty," was an early example of this new style. In 1987, Phil Fearon started and managed a successful record label called Production House Records.

Phil Fearon returned to performing in May 2010. He was a special guest at the Caister Soul Weekender event. Since then, Phil has continued to perform at 1980s soul nights and various festivals across the UK and other countries.

Working with Other Artists

The group Galaxy also provided backing music for T. C. Curtis on his 1986 dance hit song "You Should Have Known Better."

Phil Fearon's Family Life

Phil Fearon is married to Dee Fearon. Dee was the lead singer of the 1990s dance group Baby D. Their daughter, Stephanie, is an actress and singer. She appeared on the CITV show My Parents Are Aliens. Stephanie was also a semi-finalist on the 2010 BBC talent show Over the Rainbow. Phil and Dee have four children and five grandchildren.

Music Releases

Albums

Singles