Biography for
Sam Phillips (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

28 January 1962, Glendale, California, USA

Birth Name

Leslie Ann Phillips

Height

5' 5½" (1.66 m)

Mini Biography

Sam Phillips began her entertainment career as a Contemporary Christian Music singer, where she made a number of albums under the name "Leslie Phillips". She began to be disillusioned with the Christian music business due (mostly) to its intolerance of her brutally honest approach to her faith, and around the same time she met and married T-Bone Burnett (who became her producer as well as her husband) and switched from the Christian record label Word Records to Virgin Records. Since then, she has released the albums "The Undescribable Wow", "Cruel Inventions", and "Martinis and Bikinis" (as well as a few songs that have appeared on movie soundtracks) all under the name Sam Phillips. Her role in the third "Die Hard" movie is her first appearance as an actress; she was reportedly chosen for the part after someone in a position of influence was struck by her picture on the cover of "Martinis and Bikinis".

IMDb Mini Biography By: Logan Shaw

Spouse

T-Bone Burnett

(1989 - ?) (divorced) 1 child

Trade Mark

Pensive, intelligent lyrics dealing with issues of faith, grace, and doubt.

Opposition to religious and political conservatism.

Trivia

Has a daughter, Simone, born in 1998, with husband T Bone Burnett.

The music video for her song "Baby I Can't Please You" (1994) features archive footage of Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, and Jerry Fallwell, whose ideologies she has denounced in numerous print and radio interviews.

Although in real life she is best-known as a singer with an acclaimed voice, her character Katya in Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) is mute.

Was 2nd runner-up for Best Songwriter of 1994 in "Rolling Stone" magazine's annual critics' poll, for her album "Martinis & Bikinis". She was bested by Freedy Johnston and Kurt Cobain, who placed 1st and 2nd in the poll, respectively.

Nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards for the song "Circle of Fire" from her album _Martinis & Bikinis_ (1994). She lost to Melissa Etheridge.

Named Best Female Singer of 1994 in "Rolling Stone" magazine's annual critics' poll, for her album "Martinis & Bikinis" (1994)

Due to an unknown technical error, in the mid-1980s her song "Here He Comes with My Heart" was accidentally sent blaring onto the set of "Today" (1952), interrupting an on-air segment with Jane Pauley. Pauley made a disparaging comment about the song, but she invited Ms. Phillips to be a guest on the show soon thereafter.

Her real name is Leslie Ann Phillips. The nickname of "Sam" was adopted when she crossed over to secular from gospel music. She was never nick-named "Sam" during her childhood.

Where Are They Now

(February 2004) Album, 'A Boot and a Shoe', scheduled for April 2004 release from Nonesuch Records.

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