Phil Phillips facts for kids

Phil Phillips, whose real name was John Philip Baptiste, was an American singer and songwriter. He was born on March 14, 1926, and passed away on March 14, 2020. He is most famous for his hit song "Sea of Love" from 1959.

Early Life and Music Career

Phil Phillips loved music from a young age. After singing a song called "Sweet Slumber" at school, he was encouraged to become a singer. He sang with his brothers in a gospel group called the Gateway Quartet. Before becoming famous, he also worked as a bellhop.

In 1959, he recorded his most famous song, "Sea of Love." This song was put together and produced by Eddie Shuler for George Khoury's record company. They worked on the song for three months. They chose the right singers for the background vocals and tried out different musicians.

When the song was ready, John Philip Baptiste changed his name to Phil Phillips. His background singers were called the Twilights. A Baton Rouge radio DJ played "Sea of Love" many times. Because of this, the song sold very well. It was then released by a bigger company called Mercury Records.

"Sea of Love" Success

"Sea of Love" became a huge hit. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart. It stayed in the top 40 songs for 14 weeks. It also reached number 1 on the R&B chart.

In 1959, the song sold over one million copies. This earned it a gold disc, which is a special award for selling so many records. However, Phil Phillips only received $6,800 for his hit song. He did not get any more money, called royalties, for the song or its recordings.

Because of this unfair deal, Phillips did not release a full album. He felt he was not paid fairly for his work. He said, "I'm not being paid, nor have I ever been paid, as an artist for 'Sea of Love'. I never received justice."

Lasting Impact of "Sea of Love"

Even though Phil Phillips didn't get much money from it, "Sea of Love" remained very popular. Many other artists have recorded their own versions of the song.

• Del Shannon's version reached number 33 on the pop chart in 1982.
• The Honeydrippers' version peaked at number 3 and stayed in the top 40 for 14 weeks in 1984.

Phillips' original song was also used in the 1989 movie Sea of Love. This film starred Al Pacino. A different version by Tom Waits also played at the end of the movie. Another artist, Cat Power, also had success with her cover of the song.

Later Life and Legacy

Phil Phillips wrote other songs too, like "No One Needs My Love Today" (1966). This song was recorded by Samantha Juste, who was a co-host on the TV show Top of the Pops.

Later in his life, Phillips worked as a radio DJ. He got married and had seven children.

In October 2007, Phil Phillips was honored for his musical contributions. He was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. This recognized his important role in Louisiana music.

One of his last live performances was in April 2005. He sang at the Jazz Fest in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was a few months before Hurricane Katrina. Phil Phillips passed away on March 14, 2020, which was his 94th birthday.