The unmistakable voice of Phil Perry has graced us for over four decades. For generations upon generations who have loved his music, it is a gift to still have him sharing his talents with us. Although it has been 45 years for Phil in the music industry, it doesn’t feel like it has been that long to him. He is honored, fortunate, and humbled to have earned the respect of his peers for all these years. Perry has prided himself on his professionalism and feels that it has been a sustaining quality throughout the years. He is critical of himself when it comes to writing, yet he is led to write. His latest album, “Say Yes,” features some original tunes and some covers. The covers–although recognizable–are not the same. They have Phil Perry all over them. The album spent weeks on the smooth jazz charts as Top Vocal and Top 10. He collaborated with Chante Moore on the song “Where Is The Love,” and it has spent weeks as Billboards’ Top Smooth Jazz Vocal. Phil enjoys performing and always delivers more live than you can hear from simply pushing play. His success can be attributed to the fact that he is grateful for every chance he has to make music because it makes him a better singer each time. In addition, he attempts to leave himself in what he is doing, and that creates an emotional connection between him and his audience. Perry’s advice to anyone who wants to be in the business is to “make sure you love it, and love it to the degree that you’re willing to suffer for it. Because without suffering, there’s no growth.” I personally couldn’t agree more and have been profoundly inspired by his wisdom and willingness to share it.

From the porch of his home in California on a picture perfect day, Phil shares his story with me: