Phil Upchurch, Michael Jackson’s composer and guitarist, dead at 84
Phil Upchurch, a guitarist who played with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, and many other huge names in the industry, has died at the age of 84.
As announced by his wife, Sonya Maddox-Upchurch, the seasoned musician passed away on November 23rd in Los Angeles.
No cause of death has been announced.
Upchurch had an illustrious career, recording nearly 30 albums and appearing on more than 1,000 recordings with huge Hollywood artists.
One hit single under his belt is Chaka Khan’s 1978 hit ‘I’m Every Woman‘, which charted Billboard’s R&B charts for three weeks. Additionally, he starred on the 1979 Michael Jackson hit ‘Workin’ Day and Night’ from the album Off the Wall.
Upchurch worked closely with Donny Hathaway, featuring on all of his solo studio and live albums. He composed the George Benson single ‘Six to Four’, as well as appearing on Curtis Mayfield’s soundtracks Superfly, Claudine, Let’s Do It Again, and Sparkle.
The skilled artist began his music career at the tender age of 13, when his father, who was a jazz pianist in Chicago, gifted him a ukulele. He has since cited other jazz musicians, such as Oscar Peterson and Jimmy Sith, as key influences.
After graduating from high school, he toured with singing group The Spaniels in 1958. Following this, he served two years in the US Army as a radio reporter stationed in Germany. There, he performed as a musician in his unit’s glee club.
Inspired, he returned to Chicago and worked with record labels on jam sessions with countless blues and jazz artists, such as Ramsey Lewis and Etta James.
His talents didn’t just lie in the music industry. He published books, most notably Twelve By Twelve, a collection of 12 original blues guitar solos he had co-authored with his wife, Sonya Maddox. He was working on an autobiography at the time of his death.
Among the many other acts Upchurch performed or recorded with were the Staple Singers, Natalie Cole, Minnie Riperton, Bob Dylan, and Anita Baker.
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