Singer/Songwriter Phil Geston is a native New Yorker. Born and raised in the Bronx, Phil is the youngest of seven siblings. "Music has always been an integral part of my household growing up" Phil says." As a result, my taste in music is very diverse...I grew up listening to my parents play records like, Nancy Wilson, Dinah Washington, Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett...then my big brothers and sisters were all about Motown (The Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, etc.)" As a teen, Phil took advantage of every opportunity to sing in his community. Whether it was a school concert, a church program, whatever...Phil was always up front. At the age of 13, Phil competed with junior high school students throughout New York City for a chance to tour London, England in a city-wide chorus. Needless to say, he got the part! Upon returning to the states, he recorded on a "Sesame Street Live" album and then performed with a choir at Carnegie Hall backing singer/actress Rita Moreno. From that moment on, there was no turning back. In the late eighties, he joined forces with another young singer/songwriter named Charisse to create and conceive a live show entitled "Perfect Combination" The show featured a band called "Tunisia" and it allowed Phil and Charisse to perform their own solo acts as well as perform as a duo. The show was a "huge " success and they would go on to recreate this performance one more time. "I will be forever grateful for that experience which opened the door for me to perform in front of a live band." Shortly thereafter, Phil created a stage show all his own and continued to explore the New York nightclub circuit. Over the next few years, Phil began to explore songwriting as well, collaborating with musician/producers Mike Oakman (Please Don't Go, Never Say Never), Larry Phillips & K.C. Williams (You Walked Into My Life, I Promise You).Being gainfully employed in the fashion industry, Phil's music career is self-described as "on again-off again". A few years ago, Charisse introduced Phil to "The Sugarbar"... a nightclub/restaurant owned by the legendary Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. "Singing at The Sugarbar has breathed new life into my music career...They boast some of the best musicians in the business, not to mention the star-studded patrons who pop in and jam with us on the spur of the moment. It's hard to explain what it feels like to receive accolades from so many people you've admired over the years...I mean, people like Gerald Levert, Michael McDonald, Lynn Whitfield and Dr. Maya Angelou actually took time out to say they love what I do!!!" In January, 2008, Phil Geston is planning to return to the recording studio. "I've got my footing onstage again...now it's time to start writing some new material that reflects who I am today. I have so much more to sing about now! It's my responsibility to write lyrics that nurture the mind, body and soul... We are living in so much darkness, I want my music to be a beacon of light! I firmly believe what God has for me is for me... I just want to be available when he chooses to use me on a higher level!!!" Phil can currently be seen at "Open Mic Thursdays" at " The Sugarbar."THE SUGARBAR
254 WEST 72ND STREET
BET. B'WAY & WEST END AVENUES
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