Phil Flowers

Biography

Phil Flowers, born Philip James Flowers (also known as Phillip John Flowers) on January 28, 1934, in Longwood, North Carolina (some sources note Clarendon County), grew up on a small farm where his father, Phil Sr., taught him to play guitar. By age 14, preferring music to farm work, he joined a traveling combo and later served in the U.S. Air Force, starring in the 'Tops in Blue' show. After discharge, he launched his professional career in the Washington, D.C. area, recording his debut 'Honey Chile' for Hollywood Records in 1956 under names like Phil Flowers and the Batmen.

Flowers recorded across genres including rock 'n' roll, R&B, soul, gospel, blues, and pop, earning nicknames 'The Black Elvis' and 'Skip Manning.' His 1958 Wing single 'No Kissin’ At the Hop' became a fan favorite, though he never charted nationally. He released on labels like Mercury, United Artists, Dot (album 'Our Man In Washington' in 1968), A&M, and Epic, often self-composing and doing impressions of artists like Elvis Presley and Ray Charles. In the late 1960s, he performed at the White House and helped calm D.C. riots post-Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination with his band The Flower Shop. He sustained performances in Las Vegas, clubs, and abroad into the 1970s and 1980s.

In the late 1970s, Flowers fronted the rock group Jebediah, recording a Jagger-Richards covers album for Epic in 1978, and produced tracks like 'Stay A While' in the late 1980s. A prolific songwriter, he often performed with family members as backup. He died of cancer on January 22, 2001, in Rockville, Maryland, at age 66, leaving a legacy of versatile, regional soul and rock.

Fun Facts

• Performed at the White House during the Johnson administration in 1968.
• Dispatched by D.C. mayor to sing in riot-torn neighborhoods after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968 with The Flower Shop.
• Known for impressions of Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra in his live shows.
• Family performed as his backup singers, including a 1974 show in Syracuse, NY, where fans met and got an album signed.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Phil Flowers Sr. - Father who taught him guitar (Early guitar skills leading to first band) [Childhood, pre-1948]

Key Collaborators

• Melvin Lee - Guitarist in 1960s band (Various 1960s recordings) [1960s]
• Willie Melvin - Bassist in 1960s band (Various 1960s recordings) [1960s]
• Harold Blair - Saxophonist in 1960s band (Various 1960s recordings) [1960s]
• T.N.T. Tribble - Drummer in 1960s band and credited on recordings (Several Phil Flowers singles) [1960s]
• Link Wray - Worked with (Unspecified projects) [Career spanning 1950s-1970s]
• Barry Darvell - Worked with (Unspecified projects) [Career spanning 1950s-1970s]
• Al Johnson - Co-producer ('Stay A While' 12" single) [Late 1980s]
• Chuck Brown - Co-producer ('Stay A While' 12" single) [Late 1980s]
• Jebediah - Lead singer of the rock group (Album of Jagger-Richards compositions) [Late 1970s, 1978]
• The Flower Shop - Backing group (Live performances including 1968 riots) [Late 1960s]

External Links

• Spotify