Born and raised in Dallas Texas, Phillip's early musical memories include those of his musically gifted grandmother and a mother that encouraged his musical growth. Growing up during the 70s, arguably the golden age of music in the United States, Phillip was exposed to a wide variety of Motown, rock, blues and country music during early childhood.

Showing interest in musical instruments at age eight, Phillip began playing guitar to emulate his heroes, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen and other great guitarists of the late 70s and early 80s by playing in a variety of projects throughout school.

In his early 20s, Phillip began to branch into jazz and fusion while playing out in the thriving Dallas Deep Ellum and Greenville Ave. scene. Among many artists over the last 20 years, Phillip has sat-in or played with Limelight and Downtown Fever (Emerald City productions), The Studio 54 Band, TrueBone, The Heat, Ransom Band, Freddie Jones, Marshall Ivery, Joseph Vincelli as well as the great contemporary neo-soul artist Lou Marini III (the very talented son of Lou Marini Jr. of the Blues Brothers) at top Dallas venues such as American Airlines Center, Sambuca Uptown / Deep Ellum / 360, Glass Cactus, Cape Buffalo, Cool River, Lochrann's, Sherlock's, Sullivan's, Z Grill & Tap, Down Under Pub, Stan's Blue Note, Terilli's and many more.