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Phil Rosenthal Biography

phil-rosenthal
  • Born:
  • Years Active: 1980s-2000s
  • Member of: The Seldom Scene
  • Genre: Country

Although Phil Rosenthal is probably best known as the longtime singer and guitarist in the influential bluegrass group the Seldom Scene, he is also an accomplished songwriter and producer on his own. A native of Guilford, CT, Rosenthal began his musical career in the 1970s as mandolin player and singer in New England-based bluegrass bands including Apple Country and Old Dog. In 1977, he joined the Seldom Scene, whose unique approach to traditional bluegrass paved the way for many progressive bluegrass acts who followed. He recorded seven albums with the band, receiving a Grammy nomination for his work on the album Scene 20. In 1986, he left the group in order to run American Melody, a record label founded with his wife Beth Sommers, devoted to producing family-oriented bluegrass albums; the label's releases have won many awards from the Parents' Choice Foundation, the American Library Association, and other organizations. Rosenthal is also known for his songwriting, and his compositions have been recorded by artists like Johnny Cash and Bill Monroe, both of whom did versions of the now classic "Muddy Water." When not busy running a record label, he also performs in a trio with his bassist wife and Dobro/fiddle player Stacy Phillips, and in the Sommers-Rosenthal Family Band, a quartet with Sommers and their children Daniel and Naomi. ~ Zac Johnson, Rovi

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