Philip Bailey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Philip Bailey
Bailey in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Philip James Bailey
Born	(1951-05-08) May 8, 1951 (age 74) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Genres	R&B jazz gospel soul pop funk rock
Occupations	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals percussion kalimba
Years active	1970–present
Labels	Columbia Myrrh Word Heads Up Verve
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)

Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, and percussionist. He is best known as one of the two lead singers for the famous band Earth, Wind & Fire. The other lead singer was the band's founder, Maurice White.

Philip Bailey is famous for his amazing four-octave vocal range and his special high singing voice, called a falsetto. Because of his work with Earth, Wind & Fire, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. He also joined the Songwriters Hall of Fame for the songs he helped create with the band.

Bailey has also released many solo albums. His most famous solo album is Chinese Wall, which came out in 1984. This album was nominated for a Grammy Award. It included the huge hit song, "Easy Lover", which was a duet with the singer Phil Collins. Phil Collins also helped produce the album. "Easy Lover" won an MTV Video Music Award and was nominated for a Grammy. Overall, Philip Bailey has won seven Grammy Awards from twenty-one nominations!

In 2008, Philip Bailey received an honorary doctorate degree in music from Berklee College of Music. He also gave a speech at their graduation ceremony. In 2017, he was added to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.

Philip Bailey's Life and Music Journey

Growing Up and Early Influences

Philip Bailey was born and grew up in Denver, Colorado. He went to East High School and later attended the Metropolitan State University of Denver and the University of Colorado. Before joining Earth, Wind & Fire, he was part of a local R&B band called Friends & Love.

When he was young, Philip Bailey was inspired by many different types of music. He loved jazz musicians like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Max Roach. He also enjoyed the Motown sound, especially the music of Stevie Wonder. Female singers like Sarah Vaughan and Dionne Warwick also greatly influenced his unique vocal style.

Joining Earth, Wind & Fire

In 1972, while he was still at the University of Colorado, Philip Bailey was invited to join the band Earth, Wind & Fire. The band's founder and leader, Maurice White, asked him to join. Soon after, Bailey became known for his amazing falsetto voice. He sang lead on many popular songs like "Devotion", "Keep Your Head to the Sky", and "Reasons".

He also shared lead vocals with Maurice White on other big hits. These included "Shining Star", "September", and "Boogie Wonderland" (with The Emotions).

In the mid-1990s, Maurice White stopped touring with the band. Philip Bailey then became the main leader on stage for Earth, Wind & Fire. Today, he still performs with longtime band members, bassist Verdine White and vocalist/percussionist Ralph Johnson. His four-octave voice allows him to sing in his famous falsetto, but he can also sing in a lower tenor voice, showing how versatile he is.

Bailey performing in 2008

His Solo Music Career

In 1983, Philip Bailey released his first solo album, called Continuation. It did well on the music charts in the US and other countries. A song from this album, "I Know", became a top 10 hit on the US R&B charts.

His second solo album, Chinese Wall, came out in 1984. This album was a big success, reaching high spots on the Billboard charts. It was even certified Gold in the US, meaning it sold over 500,000 copies! The album featured the hit duet "Easy Lover" with Phil Collins. This song went to No. 1 in the UK and No. 2 in the US.

In 1986, Bailey released Inside Out. Critics praised this album, calling it "coherent and relaxed." A song from it, "State of the Heart", was a top 20 R&B hit.

His self-titled album, Philip Bailey, came out in 1994. It featured other artists like Brian McKnight. Critics noted that his amazing falsetto voice still sounded pure and sweet.

Philip Bailey also explored jazz music. In 1999, he released his first jazz album, Dreams. It featured famous jazz musicians like Grover Washington, Jr. and Pat Metheny. The album was well-received and charted on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. He followed up with another jazz album, Soul on Jazz, in 2002.

His most recent jazz album, Love Will Find A Way, was released in 2019. This album was a huge success, reaching No. 1 on both the Billboard Top Jazz Albums and Contemporary Jazz Albums charts. It was also named one of the top jazz albums of 2019 by music critics and won the Soul Act of the Year at the 2020 Jazz FM Awards.

Gospel Music and Faith

Philip Bailey has also been involved in gospel music. In 1980, he joined friends Deniece Williams, Billy Davis, and Marilyn McCoo to perform a gospel show called "Jesus At the Roxy" in Los Angeles. After this experience, both Bailey and Williams decided to focus on Christian music.

In 1984, Bailey released his first gospel album, The Wonders of His Love. It charted on the Christian and Gospel album charts and was nominated for a Grammy Award. His second gospel album, Triumph, released in 1986, actually won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance, Male! He released a third gospel album, Family Affair, in 1989.

Working with Other Artists

Throughout his career, Philip Bailey has collaborated with many other musicians. He has sung on albums by jazz artists like Alphonso Johnson and Ronnie Laws. He also produced albums for the R&B band Kinsman Dazz, who later became the Dazz Band.

He has lent his voice to songs by famous artists such as Stevie Wonder, Kenny Loggins, Ray Parker Jr., and Julio Iglesias. He even sang with Little Richard on the title song for the 1988 movie Twins.

More recently, he appeared on CeeLo Green's song "Fool for You" in 2010, which won two Grammy Awards. He also sang on Travis Scott's song "Stop Trying to Be God" from his 2018 album Astroworld, alongside Stevie Wonder and Kid Cudi.

Appearances in Other Media

In 1995, Philip Bailey acted in a stage musical called Raisin, which was based on the play A Raisin In The Sun.

He has also performed at sports events. In 2007, he sang "God Bless America" during a World Series baseball game in his hometown of Denver. In 2012, he threw out the first pitch at an MLB game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Detroit Tigers.

Awards and Recognition

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are very important awards given out every year for achievements in music. Philip Bailey has won one Grammy Award from four solo nominations.

Philip Bailey's Albums

• Continuation (1983)
• The Wonders of His Love (1984)
• Chinese Wall (1984)
• Triumph (1986)
• Inside Out (1986)
• Family Affair (1989)
• Philip Bailey (1994)
• Life and Love (1998)
• Dreams (1999)
• Soul on Jazz (2002)
• Love Will Find a Way (2019)

See also

In Spanish: Philip Bailey para niños