Phil Bardowell
Encyclopedia
Philip Bardowell was born in Kingston
, Jamaica
W.I., and raised in southern California
, singer/songwriter Philip Bardowell was introduced to music at an early age when he began piano lessons at the age of five. His influences include: The Beatles
, Elton John
, Led Zeppelin
, Stevie Wonder
, The Eagles, Queen
, Earth Wind And Fire and Bob Marley
.
By the age of twelve, he taught himself how to play guitar
and formed his first band. At age 20, Philip worked on the road backing the Surf music genre
duo, Jan and Dean
as their bassist and backup vocalist. Consequently, Mike Love
of The Beach Boys
, hired Philip to serve as lead guitarist and vocalist in his Endless Summer Beach Band. In 1993, Philip teamed up with Peter Criss
and Ace Frehley
of KISS
fronting Peter's band "CRISS" as lead singer and rhythm guitarist.
After serving this role for two years, Philip took an interest in Christianity
and began attending Saddleback Church
in Orange County
, CA. He was asked to audition for the praise team (id est, worship band), and began serving regularly as a vocalist and musician. Bardowell reports that this led to his acceptance of Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. “I came to Christ by worshiping Him through song. He entered my heart through my praise and worship of Him and my life was changed forever.”
Philip befriended Beach Boy, Carl Wilson
, when Carl heard him sing at a birthday party for Beach Boy frontman, Mike Love. Carl called on Philip to sing his parts as a member of the Beach Boys touring band when he became stricken with cancer. After Carl's passing in 1998, Philip continued in his role as lead guitarist and vocalist for the Beach Boys until 2001 when he left the band to write and record his own music and pursue other endeavors.
Philip's first solo album, "In A Perfect World…" was released later that year and was met with success and great reviews. It immediately got Philip's music noticed by the likes of radio personalities Mark and Brian of 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles
who invited Philip with his newly-formed band, Day After Rain, to play a one hour set live on-air as the winner of the Mark And Brian Best Unsigned Artist competition. Philip and his band's performance on that show prompted T.V. personality, Wayne Brady to call in and invite the band to appear on the Wayne Brady Show.
Philip is also known for his role as lead vocalist in the Frontline Records Christian Rock band, MAGDALEN together with former House Of Lords members Chuck Wright, Lanny Cordola and Ken Mary. He has been a part of many albums in the Contemporary Christian genre appearing on albums for Maranatha Records
, Promise Keepers
and Reggae
Worship volumes 1 and 2 for Frontline Records.
In 2001, Philip began a path to full time ministry when he took a part-time position as worship leader at a local church at the prompting of the pastor who saw his potential and ability. This experience changed his life and Philip decided to pursue leading worship as a career.
Currently, Philip is working on another record for Naples
, Italy
-based Frontiers Records, where he released his first solo album on the label, In The Cut, in 2005. His most recent work is collaboration with recording artist, Bruce Turgon
(Foreigner
, Shadowking
). Philip continues to write and record music as he serves as worship leader at The Gate (www.thegateoc.com) church in Laguna Hills, Ca, where his brother, Habib, also an accomplished songwriter and worship leader, is the senior pastor. His latest release, Fall To Rise, is slated for release on July 1, 2007 on the independent label, Kingstown Music.
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
W.I., and raised in southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, singer/songwriter Philip Bardowell was introduced to music at an early age when he began piano lessons at the age of five. His influences include: The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, The Eagles, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Earth Wind And Fire and Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
.
By the age of twelve, he taught himself how to play guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and formed his first band. At age 20, Philip worked on the road backing the Surf music genre
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
duo, Jan and Dean
Jan and Dean
Jan and Dean were a rock and roll duo, popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, consisting of William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence...
as their bassist and backup vocalist. Consequently, Mike Love
Mike Love
Michael Edward "Mike" Love is an American singer/songwriter and musician with The Beach Boys. He was a founding member of the band along with his cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and their friend Al Jardine, and continues to perform with the band to the present day...
of The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, hired Philip to serve as lead guitarist and vocalist in his Endless Summer Beach Band. In 1993, Philip teamed up with Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
and Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
of KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
fronting Peter's band "CRISS" as lead singer and rhythm guitarist.
After serving this role for two years, Philip took an interest in Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and began attending Saddleback Church
Saddleback Church
Saddleback Church is an evangelical Christian megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, situated in southern Orange County, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The church was founded in 1980 by pastor Rick Warren...
in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, CA. He was asked to audition for the praise team (id est, worship band), and began serving regularly as a vocalist and musician. Bardowell reports that this led to his acceptance of Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. “I came to Christ by worshiping Him through song. He entered my heart through my praise and worship of Him and my life was changed forever.”
Philip befriended Beach Boy, Carl Wilson
Carl Wilson
Carl Dean Wilson was an American rock and roll singer and guitarist, best known as a founding member, lead guitarist and sometime lead vocalist of The Beach Boys...
, when Carl heard him sing at a birthday party for Beach Boy frontman, Mike Love. Carl called on Philip to sing his parts as a member of the Beach Boys touring band when he became stricken with cancer. After Carl's passing in 1998, Philip continued in his role as lead guitarist and vocalist for the Beach Boys until 2001 when he left the band to write and record his own music and pursue other endeavors.
Philip's first solo album, "In A Perfect World…" was released later that year and was met with success and great reviews. It immediately got Philip's music noticed by the likes of radio personalities Mark and Brian of 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
who invited Philip with his newly-formed band, Day After Rain, to play a one hour set live on-air as the winner of the Mark And Brian Best Unsigned Artist competition. Philip and his band's performance on that show prompted T.V. personality, Wayne Brady to call in and invite the band to appear on the Wayne Brady Show.
Philip is also known for his role as lead vocalist in the Frontline Records Christian Rock band, MAGDALEN together with former House Of Lords members Chuck Wright, Lanny Cordola and Ken Mary. He has been a part of many albums in the Contemporary Christian genre appearing on albums for Maranatha Records
Maranatha! Music
Maranatha! Music began as a non-profit outreach of Calvary Chapel in 1971. The Jesus People of the late 1960s and early 1970s began to write new hymns and worship songs with a folk-rock style. Maranatha! Music was founded at this time in order to publish and promote this new type of Christian...
, Promise Keepers
Promise Keepers
Promise Keepers is an international conservative Christian organization for men. While it originated in the United States, it is now world-wide...
and Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
Worship volumes 1 and 2 for Frontline Records.
In 2001, Philip began a path to full time ministry when he took a part-time position as worship leader at a local church at the prompting of the pastor who saw his potential and ability. This experience changed his life and Philip decided to pursue leading worship as a career.
Currently, Philip is working on another record for Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-based Frontiers Records, where he released his first solo album on the label, In The Cut, in 2005. His most recent work is collaboration with recording artist, Bruce Turgon
Bruce Turgon
Bruce Turgon is an American bass guitarist, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer who has played in several bands throughout his career, including Foreigner, The Lou Gramm Band, Shadow King, Steve Stevens, Warrior, Black Sheep, and Showcase....
(Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
, Shadowking
Shadow King (band)
Shadow King was a rock band. Members included now former Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm, former Sweet Savage, Dio, Whitesnake, Riverdogs, guitarist Vivian Campbell, Lou Gramm's former Black Sheep and then future Foreigner bandmate bass player Bruce Turgon, and drummer Kevin Valentine.Vivian...
). Philip continues to write and record music as he serves as worship leader at The Gate (www.thegateoc.com) church in Laguna Hills, Ca, where his brother, Habib, also an accomplished songwriter and worship leader, is the senior pastor. His latest release, Fall To Rise, is slated for release on July 1, 2007 on the independent label, Kingstown Music.