Theofilos Xenidis (born March 10, 1966), better known as Phil X, is a Canadian musician. Since 2013, he has played lead guitar with

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...

and officially replaced former lead guitarist

Richie Sambora Richard Stephen Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Bon Jovi from 1983 to 2013. He and lead singer Jon Bon Jovi formed the main songwriting unit for the ...

in 2016.

Career

Early bands and session work (1982–2010)

In 1982, Xenidis formed the hard rock-heavy metal band Sidinex (naming it after himself, the moniker being his last name spelled backwards) with singer Todd Farhood, bassist Kevin Gingrinch and drummer Scott Masterson. The band released only one EP in 1985, ''Forever Young'', before changing name to Flip City in 1987 and disbanding soon after. An opportunity in Xenidis' career came when he was asked in 1990 to tour with Randy Coven, whom he met through Aldo Nova; in 1991, he toured the US with Aldo Nova. From 1992 to 1993 he played with Triumph, recording '' Edge of Excess'' and touring with them. In 1994, Xenidis collaborated with Doug Varty, Terry Brown, Geoffrey Dahl, Randall Coryell, Rob Kennedy, Brian Doerner and others to form a short lived band, The Bushdoctors, in

Mississauga Mississauga is a Canadian city in the province of Ontario. Situated on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, it borders Toronto (Etobicoke) to the east, Brampton to the north, Milton to the northwest, ...

, Ontario. They recorded one album, a self-titled debut, now out of print. Also in 1994 he played a guitar solo for

Our Lady Peace Our Lady Peace (sometimes shortened to OLP) is a Canadian alternative rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Led by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band currently also features Duncan Coutts on bass, Steve Mazur on guit ...

's song “Denied” from the album '' Naveed''. Phil X was guitarist for US power pop band

Powder A powder is a dry solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes used to distinguish se ...

alongside vocalist and then-wife Ninette Terhart. The band released three albums between 2002 and 2008.

Bon Jovi (2011–present)

In 2011, Phil X substituted for

's lead guitarist

, who missed 13 dates after entering rehab, and later filled in for Sambora on the US and Europe leg of the 2013 tour after Sambora left the band suddenly for personal reasons. It was a mutual friend between Phil X and Jon Bon Jovi, Arman Ghasemi, who recommended to Jon Bon Jovi to use Phil X as a substitute. In mid-2013 he filled in for Sambora during a number of dates of the Because We Can tour, including their only Italian date in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, the entire British leg of the tour including the Isle of Wight Festival, Hyde Park BST dates, the South African leg, the South American leg, and the Australian leg. In 2016, Phil X became an official member in the band along with bass guitarist Hugh McDonald and also features as guitarist for the band on their single " This House Is Not for Sale" on the album of the same name as well as their latest studio effort '' Bon Jovi: 2020''. In 2019, Phil X was inducted into the Mississauga Music Walk of Fame, which recognizes notable people with musical talent that have their roots in the Ontario city. In 2016, he appeared in the documentary ''Hired Gun'', a film about

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

Personal life

Phil X was born to Greek-Canadian parents and grew up in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, raised in the Erindale subdivision. Phil was previously married to Ninette Terhart. In 2013, Phil married Lindy Green and has two children with her.

Equipment

Guitars

Phil X has used many guitars during his session and live work. He prefers bridge pickups and often removes the neck pickup from his personal guitars for added vibration, clarity and harmonics. For humorous effect, he will usually place an action figure and fan grille in the pickup cavity. He also favors

P-90 The P-90 (sometimes written P90) is a single coil electric guitar pickup produced by Gibson Guitar Corporation since 1946, as well as other vendors. Compared to other single coil designs, such as the Fender single coil, the bobbin for a P-90 ...

pickups due to their tonal flexibility; their tone can be cleaned up on an

overdriven Distortion and overdrive are forms of audio signal processing used to alter the sound of amplified electric musical instruments, usually by increasing their gain, producing a "fuzzy", "growling", or "gritty" tone. Distortion is most commonly ...

amp by simply lowering the volume on the guitar. His most notable guitar is his ESP LTD Viper, which he refers to as the "sticker guitar". This guitar originally had a Seymour Duncan JB pickup and later a Gibson P-94, but it has since been replaced with an Arcane PX-100. In 2012, Phil X received a signature guitar from Yamaha, in 2015 followed the release of a signature XG model made by

Framus Framus is a German string instrument manufacturing company, that existed from 1946 until 1975. The Framus brand was revived in 1995 as part of Warwick GmbH & Co Music Equipment KG, in Markneukirchen, Germany. The company has offices located in M ...

. Phil invented the "Flip Stick", a specially modified replacement for the usual whammy bar on Floyd-Rose-equipped guitars. He endorses Cleartone Treated Guitar Strings and Everly Star Picks as well. His demonstrations of rare and vintage guitars have had over 30 million views on the frettedamericana YouTube channel. In 2019, Phil X became a Gibson artist.

Amplification

Phil X also uses Friedman amplification. He has his own signature amplifier, the Friedman X.

Pickups

Phil X has four custom pickups which he designed in conjunction with pickup manufacturer Arcane, Inc. They are available for sale on his official website: * PX-90: A

pickup wound to Phil X's specs. It is his preferred pickup and is used in a majority of his guitars. * PX-100: The same pickup as the PX-90, but made in a

humbucker A humbucker, humbucking pickup, or double coil, is a guitar pickup that uses two wire coils to cancel out noisy interference from Single coil guitar pickup, coil pickups. Humbucking coils are also used in Microphone, dynamic microphones to can ...

case as a drop-in replacement for humbucker equipped guitars. * PX-8: A humbucker wound to vintage specs, but uses Alnico 8 magnets for extra output. * PX-SUPER 8: Also uses Alnico 8 magnets, but is wound hotter for high-gain use.

Discography

Phil X is a prolific

session guitarist A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a record ...

, having played on albums by

Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell ( Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock music, rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a ...

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Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...

Orianthi Orianthi Penny Panagaris (born 22 January 1985), known mononymously as Orianthi, is an Australian guitarist, singer and songwriter. Her 2009 debut single " According to You" peaked at No. 3 in Japan, No. 8 in Australia and No. 17 in the US; her ...

Rob Zombie Robert Bartleh Cummings (born January 12, 1965), known professionally as Rob Zombie, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live show ...

Chris Daughtry Christopher Adam Daughtry (; born December 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and comic book artist. He is the lead vocalist and a guitarist for the rock band Daughtry, which he formed after placing fourth on the fi ...

Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...

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and many others. He wrote the song "Tired" and also played guitar on Tommy Lee's '' Tommyland: The Ride'' album. He has appeared with Tommy Lee and Bon Jovi on

Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth (given name), Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena, and Helen (given name), Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: * Elle ...

and

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...

with

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...

. Phil X was featured in the "making of" bonus features for the movie '' Josie and the Pussycats''. He acted as a music coach for the film and taught the young actresses to appear as if they were actually playing their instruments. The following is a list of Phil X's discography as a band member, apart from his session work. with Triumph * '' Edge of Excess'' (1992) with The Bushdoctors * ''The Bushdoctors'' (1994) with Powder * ''Sonic Machine'' (2002) * ''Powder'' (2005) * ''Nothing'' (2008) with Phil X & The Drills * '' Kick Your Ass in 17 Minutes.'' (2009) * ''We Bring the Rock N Roll'' (2011) * ''We Play Instruments N Sh!t'' (2012) * ''Stupid Good Lookings Vol.1'' (2019) with Bon Jovi * '' This House Is Not for Sale'' (2016) *''

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

'' (2020) * ''

Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama, based on the novel by Judy Blume * '' ...

'' (2024)

Session work

The following is a complete official list of the rest of Phil X's work. * '' Nice Place to Visit'' (1988) by Frozen Ghost * '' Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin'' (1991) * '' Shake Your Spirit'' (1992) by Frozen Ghost * '' Naveed'' (1994) by

* ''

'' (1999) by

* '' Brutal Planet'' (2000) by

* '' Movement in Still Life'' (1999) by BT * '' Music from and Inspired by M:I-2'' (2000) * ''

I Get Wet ''I Get Wet'' is the debut studio album by American rock musician Andrew W.K. Its first two singles were " Party Hard" and "She Is Beautiful". Recording Production ''I Get Wet'' was recorded while Andrew W.K. was living in New York City. The a ...

'' (2001) by Andrew W.K. * '' The Sinister Urge'' (2001) by

* '' Never a Dull Moment'' (2002) by

* '' Emotional Technology'' (2003) by BT * '' House of 1000 Corpses - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (2003) * '' We're a Happy Family: A Tribute to Ramones'' (2003) * '' Under My Skin'' (2004) by

* ''

Day of Fire Day of Fire is an American Christian rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band announced an indefinite hiatus in June 2010, leaving open the possibility for a return to the music scene. They were first signed to Essential Records, and late ...

'' (2004) by

* '' Breakaway'' (2004) by

* '' The Art of Breaking'' (2005) by

* '' Tommyland: The Ride'' (2005) by Tommy Lee * '' Daughtry'' (2006) by Daughtry * '' The Day Has Come'' (2006) by Cheyenne Kimball * '' Devils & Angels'' (2007) by

Mêlée A melee ( or ) is a confused hand-to-hand fight among several people. The English term ''melee'' originated circa 1648 from the French word ' (), derived from the Old French ''mesler'', from which '' medley'' and ''meddle'' were also derived. T ...

* '' The Flame in All of Us'' (2007) by Thousand Foot Krutch * '' Worlds Collide'' (2007) by

Apocalyptica Apocalyptica is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Helsinki, formed in 1993. The band is currently composed of three classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso. Originally a Classical music, classical- ...

* '' The Stewart Copeland Anthology'' (2007) by

Stewart Copeland Stewart Armstrong Copeland (born July 16, 1952) is an American musician and composer. He is best known for his work as the drummer of the British rock band the Police from 1977 to 1986, and again from 2007 to 2008. Before playing with the Polic ...

* ''

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'' (2008) by

* '' Scars & Souvenirs'' (2008) by Theory of a Deadman * ''

Patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...

'' (2008) by

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* ''

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'' (2009) by

* '' Believe'' (2009) by

* '' Last Train Home'' (2009) by

Ryan Star Ryan Stahr Kulchinsky (born January 7, 1978), known professionally as Ryan Star, is an American rock singer-songwriter from Long Island, New York, currently signed on Island Records. His first major label record ''11:59 (album), 11:59'', releas ...

* ''

Leave This Town ''Leave This Town'' is the second album by the American rock band Daughtry, released on July 14, 2009, by RCA Records. It is the first album that they recorded as a band, as their self-titled debut album was recorded before the band was formed ...

'' (2009) by Daughtry * '' Scream'' (2009) by

* '' All I Ever Wanted'' (2009) by Kelly Clarkson * '' Just Like You'' (2009) by

Allison Iraheta Allison Iraheta (; born April 27, 1992) is an American singing, singer who was the fourth place finalist on the American Idol (season 8), eighth season of ''American Idol''. Prior to ''Idol'', Iraheta won the Telemundo competition ''Quinceañera: ...

* '' For Your Entertainment'' (2009) by

Adam Lambert Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his dynamic vocal performances that combine his theatrical training with modern and classic genres. Lambert rose to fame in 2009 after ...

* '' Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2'' (2010) by

Hikaru Utada , also known mononymously as Utada, is a Japanese and American singer, songwriter, and producer. She is considered to be one of the most influential and best-selling musical artists in Japan. She is best known by international audiences for w ...

* '' Five'' (2011) by

Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer-songwriter and producer. Nicknamed the "Empress of Pop" on account of her influence throughout Asia, she is widely recognized for her versatile music production, songwriting, and live performances. Hamasaki is the List of ...

* '' Sunday Love'' (2012) by Fefe Dobson * '' The Strange Case Of...'' (2012) by

* '' EvoLucie'' (2018) by

Lucie (band) Lucie () is a Czech rock band. After an initial period of stabilization of band members and musical style (1985-1987), they entered the music scene with their first single "Pár fíglů" in 1988. Over the next sixteen years, the band released s ...

* "Work Hard, Rock Hard" (2021) by Kurt Deimer

References

External links

*
An Interview with Phil X
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phil X Bon Jovi members Living people Canadian people of Greek descent Musicians from Toronto Musicians from Mississauga 1966 births Canadian heavy metal guitarists Canadian male guitarists 21st-century Canadian guitarists 20th-century Canadian guitarists Canadian hard rock musicians