Phil Settle was born in Augusta, Georgia & came of age in Houston, Texas. The southern/Texas/country/rootsy/funky musical thang has long run deep within him. Although he had a lead role as a singer and MC (Mr. Sun) in a kindergarten production, some would say he was identified as some sort of child prodigy in the second grade when his family lived in Memphis. During thier second meeting, it seems he had transposed and performed his first-ever assignment (the week before) from teacher Mrs. Kirby - into all other keys - for no apparent reason, and she was flabbergasted! Later that year he secretly taught himself how to play his dad's ukelele, the sneaky little strumming maniac! When Dad found out and heard the results of his practice, he also freaked and from then on would call his little son in to perform for Phil's parents' dinner parties.
It all went on from there. He got his first 6-string acoustic guitar at age ten, but had already begun writing songs like crazy. The very first tune he wrote on that guitar was called LIVE IN HARMONY - sort of a protest song during the the early 60's. Folk music of those days(Kingston Trio/Joan Baez etc.) was his inspiration.
The Settle family eventually moved to Houston beginning his 9th grade year. Phil & a band called Bittersweet tore up the NASA area music scene during Clear Creek High School days and then he moved on to the greater Houston music scene, playing great house gigs in Montrose, doing media packages for local TV & the Houston Astros, singing the national anthem at the Astrodome and Ranger Stadium in Dallas.
His sister Sarah Beth Settle was tragically killed in 1976, and his world turned upside down - so this working (like crazy) musician decided to get out of town, go back to school and test himself in the face of music academia. It so happened that a world reknown jazz school, at the time called North Texas State, now the University of North Texas, was right up the road from Houston (in Denton), so he made his way up north for a couple years. His natural ear and work experience helped him blast through the Jazz Education Department, while holding down the house gig at the local Ramada Inn on Teasley Lane in Denton. He moved back to Houston and kicked butt for a couple years, and then, even though he had been called "a Texas music legend" and "the funkiest white guy in Texas", Phil decided he had done everything there was to do there. Time to move on!
He relocated to Los Angeles in 1987, where he lives today - still playing, singing, composing & producing music for Network TV, films and like-minded artists in his own Pro Tools HD studio. He has (among hundreds of Network Television On-Air Promotions for Bivona & Settle Productions) produced music that played during the Super Bowl and the NBA Finals - as well as NBC Affiliate music that played in Carnegie Hall! He and partner John Huckert were nominated as composers for an Emmy Award in 1996. He's worked with alot of big-name folks out in LA (which, after all, is no big deal in LA), but has been fortunate to be allowed to do his own thing much of the time.
He married the lovely Elisabeth in 2001 in Kerrville, Texas and welcomed her 2 daughters Courtney and Haleigh into the new Settle family. On June 14 of that year they welcomed the newest addition to the family - one Collin Howard Settle - the biggest life-changing event ever for Phil! He absolutely loves being a Dad to Collin, who's now 6 years old.
So, life is good. Life is full. He's not slowing down one bit. It seems there was never any question of what Phil was destined to do in life. One might think that he was really lucky that way. He has always been absolutely convinced that God laid this plan out for him, leaving him no choice but to follow it, which he very happily continues to do!
And anyway; it beats workin' for a living! Ya know?
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