Phil Keaggy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phil Keaggy
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Keaggy performing in 2019
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| Birth name | Philip Tyler Keaggy |
| Born | March 23, 1951 Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1966–present |
| Associated acts | Glass Harp, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Love Song, Paul Clark, Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child |
Philip Tyler Keaggy (born March 23, 1951) is an American guitarist and singer. He plays both acoustic and electric guitar. Phil has released over 55 albums and played on many other recordings. He is known in both Christian music and mainstream music. He has won the GMA Dove Award for Instrumental Album of the Year seven times. He was also nominated for a Grammy Award twice for Best Rock Gospel Album. People often say he is one of the best "finger-style" guitarists in the world. His playing is amazing and skillful, making him one of the greatest guitarists ever.
Contents
Phil Keaggy's Life Story
Growing Up and Early Music
Phil Keaggy grew up in a farmhouse in Hubbard, Ohio. He had nine brothers and sisters. He went to Austintown Fitch High School and finished in 1970. When he was four, he had an accident with a water pump. This accident caused him to lose half of the middle finger on his right hand.
Phil remembers the accident clearly:
We lived on a farm in Hubbard, Ohio. There was a big water pump. I was climbing on it. The platform broke, and the faucets fell on my finger and cut it off. I remember it very well. My dad ran to help me and took me to the hospital. They tried to sew it back on, but it didn't work. So, I grew up with nine fingers. As a young kid, I felt shy about it, especially when I started playing guitar.
At first, Phil wanted to play drums for his tenth birthday. But his dad brought home a Sears Silvertone guitar instead.
Starting Bands in the 1960s
In the mid-1960s, Phil was in a rock band called the Squires. He helped write one of their songs, "Batmobile." In 1966, he joined a band called Volume IV, which later became New Hudson Exit in 1967. This band played often in Youngstown clubs. They also released a song Phil wrote called "Come With Me."
In 1968, Phil and his friend, drummer John Sferra, formed the band Glass Harp with bassist Steve Markulin. They played at school dances and clubs around Youngstown, Ohio. They recorded some demo songs and released a single called "Where Did My World Come From?"
Steve Markulin left the band. Phil and John then asked Daniel Pecchio to join as the bass player. Daniel also played the flute, which was featured in some of Glass Harp's songs. After recording new demos, the band worked on their live shows and looked for a record deal.
A big moment for the band was winning an "Ohio Battle of the Bands." One of the judges told producer Lewis Merenstein about them. Merenstein came from New York to hear Glass Harp play. He was very impressed, and Decca Records signed Glass Harp to a multi-album deal.
Changes in the 1970s
In 1970, Phil's mother was badly hurt in a car accident. She passed away a week later. Inspired by his sister, Phil became a Christian.
In September 1970, Glass Harp recorded their first album, Glass Harp, in New York. They recorded at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios. Phil and John were both nineteen years old. All three band members wrote songs. Phil sang most of them. One of Phil's songs, "Can You See Me," showed his new Christian faith.
As artists for Decca Records, Glass Harp opened for famous bands like The Kinks, Iron Butterfly, Yes, and Chicago. Their live shows were known for long, expanded songs. They were one of the first bands to play what is now called jam rock. Their songs often lasted over 30 minutes with long solos.
In 1971, Glass Harp released their second album, Synergy. Phil's Christian faith was again clear in some of the lyrics. He said that "The Answer" was a song he wrote right after becoming a Christian.
The band released their third album, It Makes Me Glad, in 1972. It included a version of the old spiritual song "Do Lord." Phil left the band on August 8, 1972. He said, "We enjoyed playing together, and we were very good musically. But spiritually, we were going in different directions."
After leaving Glass Harp, Phil released his first solo album, What a Day, in 1973. He wrote the songs while still with Glass Harp. He played all the instruments on the album. The song "What a Day" is still a favorite at his concerts.
Phil married his wife, Bernadette, in the summer of 1973. He took a short break from recording his own music. He toured with other artists like Love Song and 2nd Chapter of Acts. Later, guitarist Ted Nugent said, "I don't know what happened to that Phil Keaggy. He could have saved the world with his guitar."
Phil and Bernadette moved to Freeville, New York. Phil later returned to recording music. In late 1974, Phil played guitar on Joe Vitale's first solo album, Roller Coaster Weekend. This album also featured guitarists Joe Walsh and Rick Derringer.
Phil returned to the studio in 1976 with Love Broke Thru. This album included his version of "Your Love Broke Through," a classic Christian song. It was written by Keith Green, Todd Fishkind, and Randy Stonehill. Phil also included a song based on a poem by C. S. Lewis called "As the Ruin Falls." The seven-minute song "Time" is seen by some as an early long-length song in Christian music. It featured Phil's unique guitar technique that sounded like a violin. His album was listed as No. 64 in the 2001 book, CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.
In the summer of 1977, Phil toured the western United States with 2nd Chapter of Acts. The tour was filmed for a live album called How the West Was One. It included live versions of "What a Day" and "Your Love Broke Through." In the same year, the Phil Keaggy Band was formed. They released their only album, Emerging, in 1977.
In 1978, Phil released his first instrumental album, The Master and the Musician. It became his best-selling album. A new song, "Epilogue: Amazing Grace," was added to a later version of the album in 1989.
The 1980s: Family and Awards
The Keaggy family moved to Leawood, Kansas in 1979. Their first daughter, Alicia, was born there in 1980. They moved to Costa Mesa, California in 1983. Their second daughter, Olivia, was born in 1984, and their son, Ian, was born in 1987.
Phil's record label in the early 1980s was Sparrow Records. His 1980 album, Ph'lip Side, included "Sunday School" and "Little Ones." In 1981, Town to Town was released. It featured "Let Everything Else Go," a song often played at his concerts. Phil often included a hymn on his albums. In 1982, Phil released Play Thru Me, known for "Morning Light" and the guitar song "Happy."
In 1984, Phil and Randy Stonehill wrote and sang "Who Will Save the Children?" for Stonehill's album. This song became a theme for Compassion International, a Christian child support group. Both artists still support this group. The next year, Phil released Getting Closer. He later re-recorded two songs from this album: "I Will Be There" and "Passport."
Way Back Home was released in 1986. It had quieter acoustic songs like a new version of "Let Everything Else Go" and "Maker of the Universe," a song about Christ. The album also focused on family, a common theme in Phil's music. The next year, Phil released his second instrumental album, The Wind and the Wheat. This album had a "new-age" instrumental sound. The Wind and the Wheat won Phil his first Dove Award in 1988. Also in 1988, Phil and Randy Stonehill joined other musicians to form the Compassion All Star Band. They released a live album called One by One.
In 1988, Phil worked with Randy Stonehill, Russ Taff, Rick Cua, and others to create Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child. The album's title song sounded like music from the 1960s. The album cover looked like The Beatles' With The Beatles album. Phil said the producer chose the cover. He had wanted a photo of his daughter Olivia on a guitar case. He even had 500 copies made with his preferred cover to sell to fans.
Phil said about the music on Sunday's Child:
I feel the album, as a good collection of songs, is really listenable... I feel that folk who want to listen to an album are more interested in good songs than merely the guitar player. For Sunday's Child, not only did we resort to using vintage guitars and amps, but I resorted back to old ways of playing. The rock leads are shorter and more precise. More to the point, feisty, and a little bit more dangerous. What you get is more incisive work. It's something that fits the song rather than trying to create a song around a riff or guitar figure... What I think comes through this album is that sense of longing, of love, of suffering and in all of this there can be hope. Everyone has to find their way to God and I hope people will see Jesus in my life and this album as a guide along the way.
One song, "I've Just Begun (Again)," was first written when Phil was 17. He updated it for the album. He also recorded two Mark Heard songs for the album: "I Always Do" and "Everything is Alright." These recordings also appeared on tribute albums for Mark Heard. One tribute album, Orphans of God, was listed at No. 25 in the book, CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.
In 1989, Phil toured with Randy Stonehill as The Keaggy/Stonehill Band. In the fall of 1989, the Keaggys moved from California to Nashville.
A few years later, Phil played at Paul McCartney's sister-in-law's wedding. Phil had met Laura Eastman, Linda McCartney's sister, at Christian Broadcasting Network. After the wedding, Phil got to jam with Paul McCartney in a bedroom at the Eastman family home. This was a dream come true for Phil.
The 1990s: New Sounds and More Awards
In 1990, Phil released a rock album called Find Me in These Fields. This album was nominated for a Grammy award. In 1992, Phil released an important acoustic instrumental album, Beyond Nature. This was his third instrumental project and had a Celtic influence. It won him his second Dove Award for "Instrumental Record." The album's title came from a quote in C. S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity. Phil also named several songs after Lewis or places related to him.
In 1993, Phil worked with talented musicians on a new project. He reunited with his former Glass Harp bandmate John Sferra on drums. Phil said, "I started Crimson & Blue with two goals: To record something more aggressive and to work with John again. We recorded all the basic tracks together, and most of the lead parts were recorded live. It's just your basic four-piece group." The band also included Phil Madeira, Rick Cua, and Jimmy Abegg.
Other guest musicians included Sam Bush on mandolin and Ashley Cleveland on backing vocals. Charlie Peacock and Steve Taylor also helped a lot. The sessions resulted in Crimson and Blue, a bluesy rock album for the Christian market. It included a cover of Van Morrison's "When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God." Songs like "Love Divine" and "Everywhere I Look" were played often on the radio. The album was also released in the mainstream market as Blue. This version had a different song list and some changed songs. It included a cover of Badfinger's "Baby Blue" and a song called "All Our Wishes." The song "All Our Wishes" is about Phil and Bernadette Keaggy losing a baby.
In June 1994, Phil released a new version of his 1986 album Way Back Home. The 1994 version had new recordings of ten of the original songs. It also included four new songs: "It Could Have Been Me," "She's a Dancer," "Father Daughter Harmony," and "The 50th." "Father Daughter Harmony" was a duet with his daughter Alicia. "The 50th" featured Phil's guitar playing over recordings from his grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary in 1948.
In 1995, a two-volume collection called Time: 1970-1995 was released. It had songs from Phil's whole career, including instrumental classics. It also featured some unreleased songs, like a live version of "Do Lord" with Glass Harp. In 1995, Guitar Player Magazine readers voted him the No. 2 Best Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitarist.
That same year, Phil released True Believer, one of his best-selling albums. The title song was written by producer Alan Shacklock and became a number one hit on Christian radio. Phil later said that True Believer was "the most unlike me of any album I've ever done."
The next year, Phil released another instrumental album, Acoustic Sketches. It mostly had Phil's original songs and a cover of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." He won another Dove Award for this album. A second instrumental album, 220, was also released. It had different music styles, from blues to Celtic. The last song, "Ian's Groove," was the first time Phil's son played drums on a recording. Also in 1996, his wife Bernadette published A Deeper Shade of Grace. Phil wrote the introduction for the book.
In January 1997, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, opened an exhibit called "My Town." Glass Harp was invited to play at the museum. The band is also shown in the museum's Ohio Exhibit. On the Fly was released in 1997. It was one of his most ambitious instrumental projects. Highlights include "Praise Dance" and the six-part "Way of the Pilgrim." Also in 1997, he worked with Wes King and Scott Dente for the mostly instrumental album Invention. This album won a Dove Award the next year. Phil then signed with Word Records.
Phil Keaggy, his last vocal album of the decade, came out in 1998. It had a more natural, live sound than True Believer. Several songs showed a Beatles influence, including "Days Like You." He also sang on "All the Way to Kingdom Come" for his friend Rich Mullins's last work, The Jesus Record.
In 1999, Phil released many instrumental albums. The double album Premium Jams had unreleased electric instrumental songs. Majesty and Wonder, a Christmas album with the London Festival Orchestra, included Phil's versions of classic songs like "Oh Holy Night." Majesty and Wonder won him a Dove Award. He also released the four-disc collection Music to Paint By. This project included Still Life, Electric Blue, Splash, and Brushstrokes.
The 2000s: Reunions and Collaborations
Re-Emerging, Phil's first album of the new millennium, came out in April 2000. It was a reunion of the Phil Keaggy Band. They updated their 1977 album, Emerging. Re-Emerging kept most of the original songs and added four new ones.
In September 2000, Phil released the instrumental album Zion. He recorded it using a Zion Radicaster guitar. Zion had new songs and updated versions of older ones, including the Glass Harp classic "Whatever Life Demands."
In October 2000, Phil, John Sferra, and Daniel Pecchio reunited as Glass Harp for a sold-out concert in Youngstown. They had played together sometimes since 1981. Conductor Isaiah Jackson and members of the Youngstown Symphony joined the band. The live album Strings Attached was released the next year. It included Glass Harp's versions of some of Phil's solo songs.
October 2000 also saw the release of Inseparable. It included "Chalice," a song with Glass Harp drummer Sferra, and a cover of Paul McCartney's "Motor of Love." In the same month, Phil released Lights of Madrid, an album of Spanish-style instrumental songs. It included a new recording of "Praise Dance." Lights of Madrid won Phil a Dove Award for best instrumental album. In November 2000, he released The Uncle Duke project, where he set his uncle Dave "Duke" Keaggy's poems to music.
In 2001, Phil Keaggy released In the Quiet Hours and Cinemascapes. Both had songs from the 1999 four-disc project Music to Paint By. In the Quiet Hours featured a new song "As It Is in Heaven." Cinemascapes included three previously unreleased songs. What Matters, a nine-song collection, was also released in 2001. It had songs from Phil Keaggy and Crimson and Blue, plus a new song "What Matters." This album was made for the International Bible Society.
In 2002, Hymnsongs was released. It was mostly a collection of classic hymns. The album also included a song Phil wrote based on the Lord's Prayer. This song and the whole album were dedicated to Todd Beamer, a Christian passenger on 9-11's Flight 93 who liked Phil's music. Phil said, "I've always loved hymns. They're great melodies that still stand on their own, and are still sung, even after centuries have passed... those melodies are even more appreciated when you know the lyrics. The writers of the hymns were great wordsmiths; they could be so concise and so eloquent in their expression of truth... theirs is music that speaks to every generation." Hymnsongs was Phil's last album with Word Records.
In the same year, Phil sang a duet "That's the Way It Goes" on Randy Stonehill's Edge of the World album. He also appeared on "We Were All So Young" with other musicians.
The next year, Phil released It's Personal, an album where he set poems by Keith Moore to music. They had worked together before on "A Little Bit of Light." Also in 2003, Phil released Special Occasions, a collection of music for birthdays, weddings, and graduations. It had Phil's original songs and covers of the Beatles' "When I'm 64" and Elton John's "The Greatest Discovery." That same year, Sparrow Records released a 15-song collection called History Makers. 2003 also saw the release of Hourglass, the first album of new songs by Glass Harp since 1972.
Also in 2003, guitarist Muriel Anderson released an album with Phil called Precious Gems. It was mostly instrumental improvisations. Stanley Jordan also played on some songs.
The following year, Glass Harp released Stark Raving Jams, a three-disc collection of 39 songs from 1970 to 2003. It focused on live performances but also had some unreleased studio recordings. In 2004, Phil also released two live DVDs: Phil Keaggy in Concert: St. Charles IL and Philly Live!.
In 2005, Glass Harp's first three studio albums were reissued on CD. They were digitally remastered and included bonus songs. In July, Phil also released an expanded version of Uncle Duke called The Uncle Duke Project. It included the original album plus a bonus disc of new songs and an interview.
The next year, Phil released Freehand, a follow-up to Acoustic Sketches. That same year, Phil and Randy Stonehill released Together Live! as both an album and a DVD. It included acoustic versions of their solo songs and their past collaborations.
In 2006, Phil released three more instrumental albums. Jammed! was a collection of songs from 1999's Premium Jams. It also had a new version of "Ode to Joy" and an unreleased song Phil wrote as a teenager. The acoustic instrumental album Roundabout was another collection of instrumental songs. Phil explained that the songs "began with me messing around at my soundchecks before the audience came in. I'd typically just come from taking a nap at a hotel, so my mind would be fresh, and I'd improvise loops that would be recorded by my soundman, Brian Persall. The loops have rhythm, lead, bass, and even percussion parts along with textures created using an EBow and placing plastic between the strings, which creates koto, banjo, and steel drum-type sounds. After I returned home, I imported all of the loops into Pro Tools and edited some sections, but no overdubs were added either after the initial recording or while in the studio. If a song was too long, I might edit some measures or repeated sections to make it a little less repetitious, or maybe move some bits around."
Phil Keaggy and guitarist Mike Pachelli released an acoustic instrumental project called Two of Us. Also in 2006, Phil released a vocal album, Dream Again. His son Ian helped write, sing, and play guitar on "Why." His daughter Alicia sang a duet with him on "Micah 6:8." In 2006, Glass Harp reunited for a concert to celebrate their first DVD, Circa 72. The DVD was the first official release of their 1972 PBS concert. The year also saw the release of Happy Valentine's Day, a limited edition collection of love songs Phil had recorded.
In April 2006, Phil started a free podcast on his website and iTunes. His last episode was in September 2008. The podcasts featured Phil's music and comments, as well as music from his favorite artists.
On October 29, 2007, Phil Keaggy was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He also released Acoustic Cafe, an album of covers. It included songs by Bob Dylan and Cyndi Lauper. Many songs were duets, like the Beatles' "In My Life" with Randy Stonehill. Later that year, Phil released another acoustic instrumental album: The Song Within. It had new versions of two Phil Keaggy classics: "What a Day" became "Water Day," and "Noah's Song" became "Noah's Shuffle."
2007 also marked 30 years since the instrumental album, The Master and the Musician. The album was re-released with a bonus disc. Phil also toured to support the album's anniversary. The tour was shown on the live DVD: The Master & the Musician: 30 Years Later Tour. The next year, Phil released Phantasmagorical: Master and Musician 2, a follow-up to his 1978 album.
In 2008, Phil received the Gold Level Award as the "Best Spiritual / Worship Guitarist" from Acoustic Guitar Magazine readers. He also sang and played lead guitar on the Richard Cummins CD, Moments.
In June 2009, Phil Keaggy and Randy Stonehill released a new studio album called Mystery Highway. To support the album, they played concerts as "The Keaggy-Stonehill Band." The year also saw Phil contribute a new version of "Passport" to the album CPR 3. In October, Phil released an instrumental album with pianist Jeff Johnson called Frio Suite. They created the album by sending music back and forth through email. December saw the release of Phil's third Christmas album, Welcome Inn. It mostly had original songs and included the classic "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."
On March 27, 2010, Glass Harp released their fourth live album: Glass Harp Live at the Beachland Ballroom 11.01.08. It included songs from Phil's solo career. The album was a recording of a benefit concert for Roots of American Music.
Also in late 2010, Phil played on Monkees member Micky Dolenz's solo album King for a Day. He also played guitar on "Rushing Wind" on Steve Clark's album Save The Day.
In the fall of 2010, The Phil Keaggy Trio released their first album, Inter-Dimensional Traveler. This project was a collaboration with keyboardist Jack Giering and Glass Harp drummer John Sferra. It is described as "a wonderful blend of ambient jazz and funk."
Phil continues to record and tour regularly. In 2024, Phil Keaggy formed the band Cosmic Cathedral with Neal Morse, Byron House, and Chester Thompson. Their first album, Deep Water, was released on April 25, 2025.
Rumors About Jimi Hendrix and Others
For many years, stories have spread that famous guitarists like Jimi Hendrix made comments about Phil Keaggy. The most common rumors are about Jimi Hendrix.
On March 19, 1970, an advertisement for an Iron Butterfly concert listed Glass Harp as the opening band. It said, "They Jam with Jimi Hendrix." But Glass Harp had never played with Jimi Hendrix. It's not known who put that phrase in the ad.
In a 1971 article about Glass Harp, a music critic mentioned that "record people" said Hendrix called Phil Keaggy "the upcoming guitar player in the Midwest."
Later, rumors said Hendrix mentioned Phil Keaggy on TV shows. A common story is that on The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson asked Hendrix, "Who is the best guitarist in the world?" Hendrix supposedly answered, "Phil Keaggy." But this is not true. Audio from Hendrix's only appearance on The Tonight Show in 1969 shows no mention of Phil Keaggy.
Another story says Hendrix was asked, "Jimi, how does it feel to be the world's greatest guitar player?" Hendrix supposedly replied, "I don't know, you'll have to ask Phil Keaggy!" This story is sometimes said to be from a magazine interview or The Dick Cavett Show, but it's also not true.
Other versions of this rumor exist with different guitarists mentioned. Some stories even have Eric Clapton or Eddie Van Halen giving similar answers.
Phil Keaggy has always said these stories are not true. He noted that "it was impossible that Jimi Hendrix could ever have heard me... We... recorded our first album at Electric Lady Studios two weeks after his unfortunate death, so I just can't imagine how he could've heard me. I think it's just a rumor that someone's kept alive."
In a 2010 interview, Glass Harp bassist Daniel Pecchio said about the Hendrix rumors, "It's a true urban legend. I still have people coming up to me claiming to have a Dick Cavett Show tape where Hendrix says that. We never pushed that rumor, you know, but it didn't hurt us."
Phil Keaggy's Family Life
Phil Keaggy's son, Ian, was the bass player for the band Hot Chelle Rae. They had a Top 10 hit in 2011. Ian left the band in 2013 to start his own solo music career.
Phil Keaggy's nephew was married to Christian singer-songwriter Cheri Keaggy.
Phil Keaggy's sister was actress Mary Ellen Kay, who passed away in 2017. Phil credits her with helping him find his Christian faith.
Discography
See also
In Spanish: Phil Keaggy para niños
