Biography
Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1949, Phil's family moved to Pinellas Park, Florida in 1959 where he was raised and lived until 1981, traveling the U.S. before settling in Minneapolis, Minnesota. No stranger to the small screen and radio, Phil got the show business bug when he appeared on a Baltimore TV show as part of a Cub Scout troop on a children's show on channel 2 in 1955. Later in life, in 1972, he would find himself appearing on Ernie Lee's 'Breakfast Beat' on channel 13 in Tampa, playing bass and singing in a country band, Jimmy Poole & The Sundowners. In 1977 Phil would compose and perform a radio commercial for a TV repair shop he was working for, on FM 99 in Tampa. From 1968 to 1981, Phil traveled the country playing rhythm guitar in various country-western bands. One night while he was playing and singing at Joyland Country Music Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, he adopted his stage-name, the first name of his father, Tony, and the word 'West' because that was where he hoped to go one day. And Tony West was born! 1989 found 'Tony' doing his own cable access music show in Minneapolis, playing records and tapes before a stationary camera in the studio. At the same time, he studied broadcasting at Brown Institute in Minneapolis. In 1990, he appeared on another (half-hour) cable show singing and playing a keyboard. That led to being seen one night by a TV producer in Minneapolis who hired him for the role of one-man orchestra on Access America with Fred Willard & Ralph Bailey (Pawl Burke). In 1991, Phil would guest co-host 'Bluegrass Saturday Morning' on 88.5 radio in Minneapolis. From 2005 to 2011, 'Tony West' operated his own internet radio station (Sunshine Internet Radio) from 9pm-midnite CST, playing oldies. Future broadcasts are pending. In 2010, Phil (as Tony West) appeared in a independent film called "Silent, Dark", filmed in his own Columbia Heights, Minnesota. Things have been quiet of late (2018) but Phil/Tony is always on the lookout for another 'gig'. Performing is in his blood and presently (2015) he plays keyboard for assisted-living homes and parties, still hoping to one day secure a more meaningful position in the world of entertainment, preferably playing keyboard.
