Greg Phillinganes is one of the world’s most respected and sought‑after keyboardists and music directors, with a groundbreaking career spanning more than five decades. Born in Detroit, he began his professional journey in 1975 with Stevie Wonder as a member of Wonderlove. After leaving Wonder in 1979, Phillinganes went on to record, perform, tour, or write with an extraordinary list of GRAMMY-winning artists, including Quincy Jones, Eric Clapton, Barbra Streisand, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Ray Charles, Lionel Richie, Mick Jagger, David Gilmour, John Mayer, Garth Brooks, Jennifer Hudson, Bruno Mars, Santana, Paul McCartney, and many more. He is also an ASCAP Pop Award recipient for co‑writing Lionel Richie’s hit Love Will Conquer All.
Phillinganes has been the musical backbone of some of the most iconic tours and broadcast events in music history. His music director roles include Lionel Richie’s Can’t Slow Down tour, Michael Jackson’s Bad and Dangerous world tours, the Jacksons’ 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden, Quincy Jones’ VIBE television series, the 60th EMMY Awards, the GRAMMY Nominations Live concert, and numerous MusiCares “Person of the Year” tributes. His work has also highlighted global special events, such as the 1999 Super Bowl Halftime Show and Quincy Jones’ internationally televised We Are The Future celebration in Rome.
A GRAMMY nominee himself, Phillinganes has contributed to hundreds of landmark recordings, including Songs in the Key of Life, Back on the Block, and Thriller. From 2003 to 2008, he was a member of the GRAMMY-winning supergroup Toto, appearing on their Falling In Between album and live concert DVD.
Throughout his career, Greg has also produced and shaped major tribute events honoring icons such as Elton John, Natalie Cole, Bill Withers, and Quincy Jones. Additional touring and performance highlights include Herbie Hancock’s Imagine Project tour, an appearance with Ringo Starr at the 2014 GRAMMY Awards, Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life – The Performance tour, and David Gilmour’s acclaimed Rattle That Lock European tour and Live at Pompeii film.
In recent years, Phillinganes has remained a creative force behind major televised music specials, earning multiple EMMY Awards for his work on tributes celebrating Stevie Wonder and Joni Mitchell. He reunited with Toto for their 2024 Dogz of Oz World Tour and later joined David Gilmour for the Luck and Strange tour.
In 2026, Phillinganes embraces an exciting new chapter, beginning a Professorship at USC, concluding his tenure with Toto, and joining Sammy Hagar’s band.