SIMON PHILLIPS BY ILONA SAARI
When musicians talk about great drummers, Simon Phillips’ name is always in the mix, be it rock’n’roll or jazz, his talent is immense. “It is in no way hyperbole to say that he’s one of the most accomplished studio and touring drummers in rock history.” Rolling Stone Magazine — January 21, 2021.
Born in London, or “more precisely Bushey Heath in Hertfordshire, a London suburb,” as Simon describes it, he became a professional musician at age 12. Was it in his DNA? Perhaps. His father, Sid Phillips, was a well-known clarinet musician and band leader in the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s. After writing for and playing with 12
OM — February 2023
various bands in the ‘30s, then serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II, Sid formed his own quartet in 1946 and wrote several pieces for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, then in 1949, started and led a Dixieland jazz band with various revolving sidemen, including legendary George Shearing, and a young Simon on drums.