Phil Keaggy is quite possibly the most talented guitarist you've never heard of. A born again Christian, Keaggy’s music (largely instrumental, nowadays) has always been relegated to small fry, independent CCM record labels. His playing runs a stylistic gamut from full on, aggressive rock and roll to quiet, intimate acoustic folk music. Mr. Keaggy has released over 50 vocal and instrumental albums and is a seven-time GMA Dove Award winner and two-time Grammy nominee.
Born March 23, 1951 in Youngstown, OH, a young Phil Keaggy lost the middle finger of his right hand in a farm water pump, an incident later referenced in his song “Way Back Home”. Taking up drums and then guitar, Keaggy played in several garage bands before forming Glass Harp in 1968 with pal John Sferra on drums and bassist Dan Pecchio. The band garnered a small following in regional Ohio before attracting the attention of Decca Records. Their first album was recorded at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios in New York, leading to the infamous rock myth that Hendrix himself cited Keaggy as the most talented guitar player alive. (Keaggy denounces the legend to this day.)
Fully engrossed in the sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle, Keaggy’s life went through a serious change when his mother was killed in a car accident. Dedicating himself to Christ, Keaggy began incorporating his faith into Glass Harp’s music before pursuing a solo career in 1972. The band has since reunited for a number of shows, including a live album Strings Attached featuring a full orchestra.
In 1973, Phil married his childhood sweetheart Bernadette and released his debut solo record, What a Day. Its 1976 follow-up Love Broke Thru features the original recording of the now-classic contemporary gospel song “Your Love Broke Through”, written by the late Keith Green. Keaggy released a strong string of vocal records and two instrumental albums, The Master and the Musician and The Wind and the Wheat, the later bringing Keaggy his first Dove Award. (The Christian music equivalent of a Grammy.) He released the ‘60s homage Phil Keaggy and Sunday’s Child in 1988 and the award-winning, Celtic influenced acoustic folk record Beyond Nature in 1991.
1993’s Crimson & Blue would be Phil’s last all-out rock record— he would continue to experiment with vocal pop, orchestral, acoustic guitar and electronic elements throughout the ‘90s and ‘00s. His solo concerts began to utilize the Digitech JamMan, a looping device that allows Keaggy to layer his playing and perform, in essence, with himself.
Guitar magazines and websites frequently rank Phil Keaggy amongst the most talented guitarists alive, especially in solo acoustic guitar and finger-style categories. His outstanding writing, arrangement, and performance chops have wowed Christians and non-believers alike over the years, and the especially prolific musician shows no signs of slowing down.
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