Idris Phillips

Early career Born Phillip Bubel in Salt Lake City, United States, Phillips began playing classical guitar as a child and by his teens was also an accomplished pianist.

Phillips found himself as a session player in a recording studio for the first time at the age of 16. Shortly thereafter, his composition and arranging skills piqued the interests of record label executives who saw the talented and handsome young prodigy as a possible candidate for investment. Music industry politics and pressures pushed Phillips and his music out on the road, where live performances earned him his reputation as a versatile and skillful player, opening for other popular jazz performers including Mose Allison and crossing backstage circles with artists such as Richie Havens and Livingston Taylor.

Touring throughout the United States during the mid-1980s as a member of several jazz ensembles and rock bands, Phillips made his home in Phoenix, Arizona.

In 1989, he embraced Islam and became known as Idris Phillips – Idris being the Qur'anic form of the name Enoch. and acted as the theme music for the Islam Channel program "Hayyat".

Phillips returned to live performance in June 2006, reaching out to international audiences alongside Canadian folk/world-music artist Dawud Wharnsby at a concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (performing alongside South African singer-songwriter Zain Bhikha and Malaysian a cappella group Raihan). The concert also aired in Malaysia on the national holiday of Eid ul Fitr in November 2006.

In November 2006, Phillips and Wharnsby also toured the United Kingdom with Canadian percussionists The Fletcher Valve Drummers, concluding their tour of UK with a brief performance of their song "War" at the Global Peace and Unity Event held at ExCeL London, to an audience watching various acts and speakers throughout the weekend of over 20,000. The event was televised via satellite by England's Islam Channel throughout Europe and North Africa.

As the lawfulness of "musical instruments" has long been a debate among teachers and students of the Islamic faith, Phillips' rendition of "War" – with guitar – at the Global Peace and Unity event marked the first time in British history that a Muslim musician appeared on stage with a stringed instrument at a major mainstream Islamic religious conference. His performance challenged stereotypes that "music" is "categorically unlawful" according to some Islamic theological teachings, warming the audience and the stage for world-renowned singer-songwriter and peace activist Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) who performed immediately afterward, also with guitar.

In 2009, Phillips toured as percussionist with South African singer/songwriter Zain Bhikha in the United States and the Netherlands.

Death Phillips died on July 16, 2022, at the age of 64.