Legendary Guitarist Phil Upchurch Has Passed Away
The guitarist and composer was 84 years old.
Phil Upchurch, a legendary guitarist and composer who played for Quincy Jones, Donny Hathaway and Michael Jackson, passed away on November 23 in Los Angeles at age 84. No cause of death has been announced as of press time.
Upchurch had a lengthy career, recording nearly 30 albums and appearing on more than 1,000 recordings with high-profile music artists. Some of his most recognized work includes Chaka Khan’s 1978 “I’m Every Woman” anthem, which charted Billboard’s R&B charts for three weeks. He also helped to craft Jackson’s “Workin’ Day and Night,” from his 1979 solo album Off the Wall.
The guitarist frequently worked with Donny Hathaway, featuring on all of his solo studio and live albums. He composed jazz guitarist George Benson’s “Six to Four” 1976 single, as well as appearing on Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly, Claudine, Let’s Do It Again, and Sparkle albums. Other notable artists Upchurch performed or recorded with were the Staple Singers, Natalie Cole, Minnie Riperton, Bob Dylan, and Anita Baker.
“We lost a dear Broadway Tours family member. The great Phil Upchurch,” Benson shared in his tribute on Instagram. “Phil was an integral part of the Breezin‘ record having wrote the great song ‘Six to Four’ as well as a key musician on the record Weekend In LA.”
Born in Chicago in 1941, Upchurch grew up with his father, who was a jazz pianist. His passion for music sparked at age 13, when his father gave him a ukulele. Inspired by jazz musicians Oscar Peterson and Jimmy Smith, Upchurch shaped his soul music legacy early on, working with Curtis Mayfield, Otis Rush, and Jimmy Reed. In the mid-1960s, he was house guitarist of Chess Records, playing with The Dells, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Etta James and Gene Chandler. In 1961, he released his first single, “You Can’t Sit Down (Parts 1 & 2)” that peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard pop chart.
Along with his work as a musician, Upchurch published two books and was writing an autobiography at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Sonya.
