Greg Phillinganes

Gregory Arthur "Greg" Phillinganes (born May 12, 1956) is an American keyboardist, singer-songwriter, and musical director based in Los Angeles, California, U.S. A prolific session musician, Phillinganes has contributed keyboard tracks to numerous albums representing a broad array of artists and genres. He has toured with notable artists, such as Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and Toto, served as musical director for Michael Jackson, and has released two solo studio albums.\n', ' Gregory Arthur Phillinganes was born on May 12, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan. He began playing a neighbor\'s piano by ear at the age of two, beginning lessons a few years later after his mother purchased a piano for him. He took lessons from two different instructors before his mother brought him to Misha Kotler, a Detroit Symphony Orchestra pianist who introduced the discipline and technique Phillinganes required to excel. Phillinganes credits Kotler with showing him proper hand posture and for influencing him to play with "a sense of dexterity and definition".\n', ' Phillinganes was discovered by Stevie Wonder after drummer Ricky Lawson gave him a cassette of instrumental renditions of his own songs done by Phillinganes. Phillinganes auditioned for Wonder\'s band, Wonderlove, and subsequently played with them from 1976 to 1981.\n', '