Sam Phillips

Biography

by Jason Ankeny

The acid-pop singer/songwriter born Leslie Phillips earned the nonsensical nickname "Sam" as a child; only when she was recording her debut album did she finally hear of the other, more renowned Sam Phillips and learn of his legacy as the founder of Sun Records, the label which launched the careers of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. In retrospect, however, her relative distance from the history and conventions of pop music may have been in her favor, and accounted for the fresh perspective her work offered; a critic's darling, Phillips sold few records, but her songs won widespread praise not only from the press but also from her fellow performers.

Born in 1962, Phillips was raised in Glendale, CA. As a child she became fascinated by philosophy and religion, primarily fundamentalism; she began writing songs at the age of 14 as an outlet for exploring her Christian beliefs, as well as coping with family strife. In 1984, under the name Leslie Phillips, she released her … » Read more