Phil Lee

Phil Lee

Phil Lee is an American country musician from Durham, North Carolina, born in 1951. He is associated with The Flying Burrito Brothers and Phil Lee & The Sly Dogs. His work sits at the point where country meets rock and roll, and it is also tagged with alt-country, rock, rock and roll and library.

Career and style

Lee moves from Durham to New York City in 1971, later spends time in Los Angeles and eventually settles in Nashville. His songs draw on a life of travel and change, and he presents many of them as mostly true stories. His writing often shows hard-earned wisdom about love and experience, including the ability to recognise when a relationship is right or wrong, even when it arrives in unusual forms.

He is known as a strong songwriter, with lyrics and musical ideas shaped by figures such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Howlin’ Wolf, Arthur Alexander and the Merseybeat sound associated with the British Invasion of the 1960s. His voice is described as road-worn, and his performances also feature clever wordplay and harmonica playing. Bob Dylan is a major influence, but Lee is also identified as having his own distinct style.

Songwriting and sound

Lee’s songs are described as uniquely his own, and he states that if something sounds familiar, that is intentional. His catalogue includes material that reflects personal history and life experience, with a country foundation and a rock and roll attitude.