Biography
Who is Anthony Phillips?
Early life and education
Anthony Phillips Edwin Phillips was born on December 23, 1951, in London, United Kingdom. He grew up in the Putney and Roehampton areas and attended St Edmund's preparatory school in Hindhead, Surrey. As a student, he formed a short-lived school group and later attended Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey, starting in April 1965.
At Charterhouse, he formed a band named Anon with fellow pupils Rivers Jobe, Richard Macphail, Mike Rutherford, and Rob Tyrell. The group based their musical sets on songs by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Phillips also joined another band called Spoken Word during 1966, which featured Peter Gabriel on drums, before eventually pursuing formal music education.
Genesis career
In January 1967, after Anon disbanded, Anthony and Mike Rutherford started writing songs together. They invited Tony Banks to play keyboards, who suggested involving Peter Gabriel and Chris Stewart. Jonathan King signed the group to his publishing company and named them Genesis. Anthony played acoustic and electric guitars and contributed to their formative studio albums, From Genesis to Revelation in 1969 and Trespass in 1970.
Anthony left Genesis in July 1970 on the eve of their mainstream breakthrough. His departure was prompted by a combination of stage fright, health complications from bronchial pneumonia, and a demanding touring schedule. Despite his exit, his early 12-string acoustic guitar arrangements heavily shaped the signature pastoral sound of the band.
Studies and solo career
Following his departure from Genesis, Anthony stepped back from the music industry to study harmony, counterpoint, and orchestration at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He became a qualified music teacher in 1974 and taught classical guitar at Reed's School in Cobham, alongside working with troubled adolescents at Peper Harow House.
Anthony emerged as a solo artist with his debut album, The Geese & the Ghost, released in 1977. He subsequently established a diverse multi-instrumental solo career, releasing multiple albums including Wise After the Event and the extensive Private Parts & Pieces series. Alongside his solo discography, he became an active library music composer for television and film.
Birthday and age
Anthony Phillips was born on December 23, 1951, which makes Anthony 74 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Anthony shares the date with 54 other famous people.
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