Greg Phillinganes learned to play the piano at the tender age of two, and he hasn’t stopped since. Inspired as a youth by the classic Motown recordings of the Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder, Phillinganes began performing as a teenager with bands around his hometown of Detroit. After Stevie Wonder heard a demo tape of his, Phillinganes was asked to join Wonder’s Wonderlove band, and contributed to the landmark album *Songs In the Key of Life*. He soon became one of the most in-demand session keyboardists around, and in 1979 he handled arrangements on the Jacksons’ *Destiny* album. A close association with Michael Jackson followed, including sessions for *Off the Wall* and *Thriller*, and a role as Jackson’s touring music director. Still active today, Phillinganes recalls the stories — and reveals the secrets — behind some of pop music’s most timeless hits.
