He is frequently listed as one of the top fingerstyle guitarists by Guitar Player Magazine readers' polls, but he is equally at home on electric guitar. Keaggy is noted for crowd-pleasing solo live performances where he makes extensive use of recording live layers of loops to accompany himself. To do this he uses only an acoustic guitar but is able to create electric sounds.
Keaggy began performing professionally in the late 60s with drummer John Sferra. The two friends, with the addition of bassist Dan Pecchio, formed Glass Harp in 1968.
A major turning point for the trio was winning an Ohio area's "Battle of the Bands." One of event's judges happened to be an associate of the celebrated producer Lewis Merenstein, who was alerted about the hot young threesome. At the time, Merenstein was fresh from producing albums for many successful artists including The Spencer Davis Group, Turley Richards and Van Morrison's Moondance (Merenstein produced Astral Weeks as well) and had just been voted Producer of the Year by Rolling Stone. Merenstein was persuaded to fly down from New York to see what the fuss was all about.
Upon hearing the band perform, Merenstein was so inspired that Decca Records signed Glass Harp to a multi-record deal. A short time later, the band found itself in New York's Greenwich Village recording its first album at Jimi Hendrix' Electric Ladyland Studio with Lewis Merenstein as producer.
As a Decca Records artist, the band began to open for such artists as Iron Butterfly, Yes, Traffic, and Chicago.[1] At one point, future James Gang guitarist Joe Walsh was being considered to join New Hudson Exit (the band Phil Keaggy was in prior to the formation of Glass Harp) but the other members of the band felt Walsh's style was too dynamic.
Years later, Amboy Dukes guitar player Ted Nugent was quoted as saying "I don't know what happened to that Phil Keaggy, he could have saved the world with his guitar" in Guitar Player Magazine.
On Valentine's Day in 1970, Keaggy's mother was involved in a fatal car accident. He was heavily involved in drugs at the time, and that same day was badly hurt by an LSD trip. In the midst of this tragedy his sister Ellen took the time to tell him about finding peace in Jesus, and he converted to Christianity.
Keaggy left Glass Harp in 1972 and released his first solo album the following year entitled What a Day. Keaggy married his wife Bernadette the following summer. He then took a brief vacation from recording on his own and only toured in support of other artists like Love Song, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Paul Clark, and Nancy Honeytree. Keaggy returned to the studio in 1976 with Love Broke Thru which included his version of the Randy Stonehill/Keith Green/Todd Fishkind classic song of the same name, which at Keith Green's insistence was the first released recording of the song. During the summer of 1977 Keaggy went on an eighteen-city tour of the western United States with 2nd Chapter of Acts and "a band called David". This was captured in the live triple album How the West Was One. The only release of the Phil Keaggy Band also occurred in 1977, Emerging. The Phil Keaggy Band consisted of Keaggy, Lynn Nichols, Phil Madeira, Dan Cunningham and Terry Andersen. In 1978, Keaggy released his first critically acclaimed instrumental album entitled The Master and the Musician.
The Keaggy family then moved to Leawood, Kansas in August,1979. Their first daughter, Alicia, was born there in March, 1980. The Keaggys left Leawood in 1983 and settled in Costa Mesa, California. Their second daughter, Olivia, was born on Valentine's Day, 1984, and their son, Ian, was born in 1987.
Keaggy was signed to the Contemporary Christian music label Sparrow Records in the 1980s, where he released a string of albums including Town to Town, Ph'lip Side, and Play Thru Me. In 1988, Keaggy would team up with Stonehill, drummer Joe English (who had previously played with Paul McCartney and Wings) , singer Margaret Becker, and others for the Compassion All Star Band's album One by One.
In 1988, Keaggy won his first Dove Award for his second instrumental project, The Wind and the Wheat. Keaggy's second Dove Award came in 1992 for his Celtic-influenced Beyond Nature. From 1998 to 2001, Keaggy dominated the "Instrumental Record" category in the Dove Awards winning awards for Invention, Acoustic Sketches, Majesty and Wonder, and Lights of Madrid.
In 1989, Keaggy teamed up with Randy Stonehill, Russ Taff, Derri Daugherty, Mark Heard, Steve Taylor, Rick Cua and other musicians to create Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child: a tribute of sorts to 1960s bands like The Beatles. That same year, Keaggy would hit the road with Stonehill for a tour by The Keaggy/Stonehill Band, which included Swirling Eddie David Raven on drums and Daniel Amos bassist Tim Chandler. In the fall of 1989 the Keaggys relocated once again, leaving the sunny shores and crowded freeways of southern California behind and moved to Nashville, Tennessee where they reside currently. A few years later, Keaggy would perform at former Beatle Paul McCartney's sister-in-law's wedding. Keaggy had met Laura Eastman, sister of Linda McCartney, while the former worked at CBN. After the wedding, Keaggy fulfilled a lifelong dream by jamming with McCartney in a bedroom at the Eastman family estate, site of the wedding.
Keaggy followed Sunday's Child in 1990 with all-out rock album Find Me In These Fields and in 1993 with Crimson and Blue, a bluesy rock album that included a cover of Van Morrison's "When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God". That album was also remixed and reissued as Blue, with the added Badfinger cover "Baby Blue". Once again, an impressive list of musicians joined Keaggy for these releases, including Steve Taylor, Rick Cua, Phil Madeira, Charlie Peacock, Sam Bush, John Mark Painter of Fleming and John, Ashley Cleveland, Jimmy Abegg, and fellow 1970s Keaggy Band members Lynn Nichols and Phil Madeira. Keaggy enlisted his old friend John Sferra of Glass Harp for the tour that followed. (The tour also featured Wade Jaynes from Chagall Guevara on bass and Phil Madeira on Hammond B-3 organ.)
In September, Glass Harp found itself in New York's Greenwich Village recording its first album Glass Harp at Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios with Lewis Merenstein as producer. Years later, a story would circulate widely and persistently concerning Keaggy and Hendrix. It has been said that during an episode of The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson asked Hendrix, "Who is the best guitarist in the world?" Hendrix is said to have answered, "Phil Keaggy." Another version of the story has Hendrix being asked, "Jimi, how does it feel to be the world's greatest guitar player?" To which Hendrix supposedly replied, "I don't know, you'll have to ask Phil Keaggy!" This account is sometimes attributed to a magazine interview in either Rolling Stone or Guitar Player. Occasionally the story has the setting for the question being the Dick Cavett Show. Other versions have the question being posed to Eric Clapton. A more recent variant has Eddie Van Halen being asked the question by either David Letterman or Barbara Walters. Keaggy has long insisted that such stories are completely unfounded, noting that "it was impossible that Jimi Hendrix could ever have heard me...We...recorded our first album at Electric Lady Studios two weeks after his unfortunate death, so I just can’t imagine how he could’ve heard me. I think it’s just a rumor that someone’s kept alive, and it must be titillating enough to keep an interest there...So I don’t think it was said…and that’s it for that!"
Glass Harp reformed around 2001 and released a new album titled "Hourglass" in 2003.
In 2004, Keaggy guest performed with the indie band Dispatch for several songs during The Last Dispatch. It was to be Dispatch's last performance together and became the largest concert in independent music history.[citation needed]
As of 2009, Keaggy continues to record and tour regularly.
Tender Love
Phil Keaggy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tender lover, tender love
Eleanor Rigby
Spends half her life all alone
No fault of her own
Made a decision
Love has no place in her home
Love has no limit
If you believe in love
It'll open up so
Don't even give in
'Cause if it starts to give
Just hold on
We didn't didn't make it
But love'll get you by
If you only try
Just don't give up on love
'Cause it didn't work out this time
Tender lover, girl, I'm so sorry
Well I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to break your heart
Tender love, so broken hearted
Well I never meant to break your
Break your little tender heart
Don't ever give up
In spite of our love
Love is much too precious
It's greater than both of us
There's more than enough
Keep lookin' for love
Just be a believer
It'll give you what you want
Sky is the limit
If you believe in love
It'll open up so
Don't ever give in
'Cause if it starts to give
Just hold on
We didn't didn't make it
But love'll get you by
If you only try
Just don't give up on love
'Cause it didn't work out this time
[Hook]
My tender lover
Tender lover, tender love
Tender lover, tender love
Love has no limit
If you believe in love
It'll open up so
Don't even give in
'Cause if it starts to give
Just hold on
We didn't didn't make it
But love'll get you by
If you only try
Just don't give up on love
'Cause it didn't work out this time
[Hook]
The lyrics of this song revolve around the theme of love, its limitations and importance in our lives. The phrase "tender lover, tender love" is repeated throughout the song as a reminder that love needs to be gentle and compassionate. The opening lines "Feels good, everybody" create a positive vibe and sets the tone for the rest of the song. The first verse talks about Eleanor Rigby as a representation of someone who has given up on love and isolated themselves. The lyrics acknowledge that sometimes love can be difficult and even hurtful, but that doesn't mean we should give up on it. The chorus "Love has no limit if you believe in love" emphasizes that love is limitless and can overcome any obstacle if we believe in it.
The second verse encourages us to keep looking for love and not give up, even when we face rejection or heartbreak. The line "Love is much too precious, it's greater than both of us" implies that love is a force that goes beyond ourselves and is something that we should treasure. The phrase "sky is the limit if you believe in love" suggests that if we have the right mindset and attitude, we can achieve anything we want. The song ends with the repetition of "tender lover, tender love," emphasizing the message that love should be treated with tenderness and kindness.
Line by Line Meaning
Feels good, everybody
The experience of love is positive and enjoyable for all.
Tender lover, tender love
Love is a gentle and compassionate force.
Eleanor Rigby
A reference to a lonely character in a song, highlighting the theme of loneliness and isolation.
Spends half her life all alone
Eleanor Rigby lives a lonely existence for a significant portion of her life.
No fault of her own
Her loneliness is not a result of personal failing.
Made a decision
Eleanor Rigby has consciously chosen to live without love.
Love has no place in her home
She has excluded love from her life.
Love it has a right to go
Love deserves the freedom to come and go as it wishes.
Love has no limit
The potential for love is boundless.
If you believe in love
Belief in love is a prerequisite for experiencing its power.
It'll open up so
Believing in love will enable one to access its full potential.
Don't even give in
Discouragement should be avoided.
'Cause if it starts to give
If love falters in any way.
Just hold on
Persevere through the challenges of love.
We didn't didn't make it
The singer's relationship did not succeed.
But love'll get you by
Despite disappointments, love will sustain and support.
If you only try
Success in love requires effort and determination.
Just don't give up on love
Pessimism should not be allowed to extinguish the hope and potential of love.
'Cause it didn't work out this time
Previous failures should not discourage future attempts at love.
Tender lover, girl, I'm so sorry
Addressing a specific person, the artist expresses regret for causing them pain.
Well I never meant to hurt you
The harm inflicted was unintentional.
I never meant to break your heart
The artist did not intend to cause emotional damage to their loved one.
Tender love, so broken hearted
The singer acknowledges their loved one's distress and pain.
Well I never meant to break your
The artist reaffirms their lack of malice.
Break your little tender heart
The singer's loved one is depicted as vulnerable and in need of protection.
Don't ever give up
Advice to persevere in pursuit of love.
In spite of our love
Past failed relationships should not define one's future approach to love.
Love is much too precious
Love is valuable and worth pursuing, despite the risks of failure.
It's greater than both of us
Love is a powerful, transcendent force.
There's more than enough
The potential for love is abundant and inexhaustible.
Keep lookin' for love
Encouragement to persist in seeking love.
Just be a believer
Faith in the power of love is crucial for success.
It'll give you what you want
Belief in love will enable one to achieve their desires.
Sky is the limit
The potential for love knows no bounds.
[Hook]
Repetition of the song's main refrain.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., KAREN SCHAUBEN PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATION
Written by: KENNETH EDMONDS, ANTONIO REID, PERRI REID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind