Phil Perry facts for kids

Philip Eugene Perry (born January 12, 1952) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and musician. He was once part of the soul group, The Montclairs, from 1971 to 1975. You might also know his voice from the opening song of Disney’s cartoon show, Goof Troop.

Biography

Early Music Days

Phil Perry was discovered while singing in his church in East St. Louis. He was also very popular in high school talent shows. In 1969, just before he turned 17, he wrote and recorded his first song, "Hey You," with his group, The Montclairs. They signed with Archway Records. This song is seen as an "Old School" classic from the 1970s.

In 1972, The Montclairs recorded more songs for Paula Records. These included soulful ballads like "Dreaming's out of Season" and "Prelude to a Heartbreak." The group later broke up in 1975.

Starting a Solo Career

After The Montclairs, Phil Perry moved to California. He teamed up with Kevin Sanlin, another former Montclair member. They recorded two albums together for Capitol Records in the early 1980s. One of their songs, "Just to Make You Happy," became quite popular on the radio. In 1989, Phil Perry was featured on a song called "Love Brought Us Here" for a Japanese album.

In 1991, Phil Perry released his very first solo album with Capitol Records. For several years after that, he toured with fellow artist Dave Koz. He went on to record four more albums.

Big Hits and Collaborations

In the 1990s, Phil Perry had his first number-one R&B hit. It was a song called "Call Me," which Aretha Franklin had recorded before. He also had other popular R&B songs like "Amazing Love" and "Forever." These were all from his 1991 solo album, The Heart of the Man.

Phil Perry has worked with many famous musicians. He is known for his work on GRP Records projects. He's considered a "GRP all-star" and has performed with jazz stars like Lee Ritenour and Russ Freeman.

He has also lent his voice to recordings by many other artists. These include George Duke, Bill Withers, Barbra Streisand, and George Benson. Some of his own solo hits are "Love Don't Love Nobody" and "One Heart, One Love." You can also hear his voice on the soundtrack for the movie Bebe's Kids. He has sung for other films too, like Roots, Pretty in Pink, and Captain Ron. He even had a small role in the 2009 movie Crossing Over.

A Difficult Time and Comeback

On September 11, 2001, Phil Perry was supposed to perform at the World Trade Center in New York City. Luckily, he was not there when the tragic events happened. However, for a few years after, he felt very sad and didn't want to record music.

In 2003, his friend Don Grusin invited him to work on a project called "The Hang." This project was nominated for a Grammy Award, which is a very big music award! This helped Phil Perry get back into making music.

Continued Success

In 2006, Phil Perry recorded an album of classic R&B songs called Classic Love Songs. Since then, he has released several more albums with Shanachie Records. In 2007, he toured with Dave Koz again. That same year, his album "Mighty Love" earned him the 2007 Male Vocalist of the Year award from SoulTracks. In 2008, he recorded a duet album, "The Gift of Love," with singer Melba Moore. It won the Duo Album of the Year Award.

In 2009, Phil Perry became ill during a performance. Rumors spread that he was very sick. He was treated at a hospital and told to rest. This health scare inspired him to write more of his own songs. In 2010, he released "Ready for Love," which featured more of his original music than ever before.

His 10th solo album, Say Yes, came out in 2013. It reached the Top Ten on the Billboard charts. In 2015, his 11th solo album, A Better Man, was #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart in its first week!

Discography

• 1991 The Heart of the Man (Capitol)
• 1994 Pure Pleasure (GRP/MCA)
• 1998 One Heart One Love (Private Music)
• 2000 My Book of Love (Private Music)
• 2001 Magic (Peak)
• 2006 Classic Love Songs (Shanachie)
• 2007 A Mighty Love (Shanachie)
• 2008 Ready for Love (Shanachie)
• 2009 The Gift of Love (Shanachie)
• 2013 Say Yes (Shanachie)
• 2015 A Better Man (Shanachie)
• 2017 Breathless (Shanachie)

The Montclairs featuring Phil Perry

• 1972 Dreaming Out of Season (Paula)

With David Garfield

• Together in the Arms of Love
• Deep Within Each Man presented by Shorinji Kenpo (Japan)
• Road Buster (1989 Riding Bean anime)
• King of the Road (1989 Riding Bean anime)
• Running the Road (1989 Riding Bean anime)

With Kevin Sanlin

• 1980 For Those Who Love (Capitol)
• 1981 We're the Winners (Capitol)