• Phil was born and spent his formative years in Grafton on the Far North Coast of NSW. He enjoyed singing from a young age and sang along to his parents' record collection which included Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Horton and Slim Dusty.
  • At age 7 he heard some Beatles 45s and his parents bought him his first guitar. He had formal Spanish guitar lessons for several years. His first LP purchase was High Tide and Green Grass by The Rolling Stones. When he was 10, his elder brother introduced him to records by groups such as Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Grateful Dead, Jethro Tull and The Yardbirds.
  • Prior to high school, Phil performed at local eisteddfods and did sporadic solo spots at old-time dances and at school for his long-suffering classmates.
  • Once in high school, Phil played in a number of local rock bands performing at school dances and briefly in an old-time dance band around rural areas of the North Coast.
  • Phil studied a teaching degree at the University of New England whilst playing in bands and various ensembles. After a brief teaching appointment on the Mid North Coast, he was transferred to an isolated town in Western NSW where he played in bands around the Central West performing at venues in Parkes and Forbes, and in duos and solo in local pubs and clubs.
  • Phil spent a year in Europe in the mid-80s and was the resident solo act at a pub in Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. Phil's focus as a solo performer began with this experience performing in many towns and villages in this area of Scotland.
  • Back in Australia, Phil lived for a number of years with his daughter in the Blue Mountains and performed as a solo act there and at Sydney and regional venues. His strong interest in Irish traditional music began when he played many duo shows with his good friend, New Zealand fiddler, Roger Reid.
  • Phil, when not travelling and performing in somewhere in the world, lives in Newcastle and performs regularly at numerous venues throughout NSW including Sydney, Mudgee, Forster and the Central Coast.
  • Phil prides himself on performing a show which is eclectic by nature. You never quite know the songs that Phil will pull from his repertoire on the night. Some of them will probably have been first belted out on that little guitar all those years ago.

Phil would like to hear from you. (Phil’s Email)