Phil was born on Saint Valentine’s Day in 1953. He remembers his grandmother  for having played a crucial role in his musical development. He was 8 years old when she gave him his first musical instrument, a ukulele. Phil sang in the boys’ church choir for several years, and by the time he was a teenager, he had formed his own school band. At seventeen Phil additionally joined the “Table Land Big Band”. The band leader Ernst Irniger became Phil’s mentor. He spent countless hours of his own time teaching Phil about music and intricate chord changes.  There was no doubt in Phil’s mind, that music was his life. After completing 4 years of classical study at the Academy of Music in Lucerne Switzerland, he returned to the sound of “Pop Music”.

During several stays abroad while playing in various bands, Phil met Mike Thompson and they became instant friends.

In 1978, they formed the successful Do “Carmen and Thompson”.

Out of this period they released two LP’s with the hit songs “Time Moves On” # 1 and “Follow Me” top 30’s. Carmen and Thompson played in front of up to 25,000 people and made over 60 TV appearances in Europe. But unfortunately, the enormous pressure which goes hand in hand with success, as well as record contract difficulties, led to their breakup in 1981. But to this day, their friendship still remains.

 

Musically, somewhat daring, but unnoticed was his next album “Changes”, which ironically prophesied huge changes in his private life. After a 3-year break Phil came back with a new album “Drive” and another hit single “Borderline down”. This song remained on the German Radio Hit Charts for over 20 Weeks.

 

By 1992 Phil had more than enough song material to release the Best of CD  “Cool and collected”.  Two further albums, “Skyline” and “No Sweat”, were release in 1993 and 1994.  Since Phil was back on tour for quite a bit in those two years, a “Phil Carmen Live”  CD was also released.

Then in January 1995 Phil moved to Florida and realized an old dream of his. He recorded 12 songs written by Bob Dylan, and released the album “Bob Dylan’s Dream” in 1996. Since his stay in the US, Phil has worked with many American artist such as Roberta Flack (Killing me Softly), Paul Franklin (Dire Straits), Tony Conception with his horn section (Ricky Martin) as well as Ed Calle and Lee Levin (Julio Iglesias) etc.

Phil is excited in collaborating with Jean-Marie Fontana of Universal Switzerland to release a new double CD in October 2007 

"Hits and Rarities - My Way” which mirrors 35 years of his musical life.