Phil Keaggy

Phil Keaggy was born Philip Tyler Keaggy on March 23, 1951, in Youngstown, Ohio, and raised in nearby Hubbard on a family farm. As a child he lost most of the middle finger on his right hand in an accident at age four, yet on his tenth birthday his father gave him a Sears Silvertone guitar, and he taught himself to play despite the injury. In 1968, Keaggy and longtime friend drummer John Sferra, along with bassist Steve Markulin, formed the band Glass Harp. The band gigged in and around the Youngstown, Ohio area and found work at school dances and clubs. The incarnation of the band recorded several demos, and released the single "Where Did My World Come From?" on the United Audio label in 1969. After lineup changes, John Carazino briefly served as bassist, after which Keaggy and Sferra recruited bass player Daniel Pecchio. Glass Harp's self-titled debut, released in 1970, drew wider attention to Keaggy's guitar work, and the trio built a devoted following as one of the most innovative power trios around, even though they were never together long enough to break through commercially. They had a contract with Decca, toured the country several times, and had a growing base of devoted fans. At their pinnacle, Glass Harp was opening for such major acts as Iron Butterfly, Yes, Traffic, and Chicago. In 1972 Keaggy left the band to pursue a solo path after a profound spiritual conversion, and in 1974 he released his solo debut, "What A Day," on the New Song label, followed in 1976 by "Love Broke Thru" and in 1978 by the acclaimed instrumental record "The Master And The Musician." His songwriting evolved into a distinctive blend rooted in classic folk, baroque and jazz fusion, taking melodic inspiration from the Beatles and other secular pop/rock artists, with lyrics rooted in Christian themes and Biblical references. Over the following decades Keaggy became one of contemporary Christian music's most honored instrumentalists. He released more than 55 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets, and became a seven-time recipient of the GMA Dove Award for Instrumental Album of the Year, twice nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album. Landmark releases included 1987's "The Wind & The Wheat" and 1992's "Beyond Nature," and each year from 1998 to 2001 he dominated the Instrumental Record category at the Doves, winning for Invention, Acoustic Sketches, Majesty and Wonder, and most recently Lights of Madrid. He also periodically reunited with Glass Harp, releasing "Strings Attached" in 2000 and "Hourglass" in 2003, and collaborated widely with artists across the Christian music world. Keaggy was inducted into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2007, and in 2013 he received the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award in recognition of his outstanding career achievements. Now in his seventies, Keaggy remains active as a performer and recording artist, still known for a technique so admired that he is perhaps one of the most admired guitarists in music today, with fans ranging from those who aspire to play his mistakes to professional musicians strongly influenced by his style. He continues to appear at acoustic shows and occasional full-band concerts, and is widely regarded, as one industry honor put it, among the greatest guitarists in Christian rock history. His decades-long body of work, spanning Glass Harp's power-trio roots to his prolific solo instrumental catalog, has left a lasting mark on both gospel and mainstream guitar music.