Scott F. Phillips

1957–2025

Scott F. Phillips lived an incredible life filled with music, laughter, family, and an extraordinary collection of people who loved him. Standing 6'5, Scott was often described as a lovable giant, and he truly never met a stranger. He had a sharp wit, an indomitable sense of humor, and an ability to connect with people wherever he went.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, Scott discovered his love of music early and began playing drums as a kid. Music remained a constant throughout his life, and it was part of who he was. Over the years, Scott played with countless musicians and bands, toured Europe as a drummer with the Sean Chambers Band, and frequently sat in with bands throughout the Southeast.

Scott was also the owner of Mahalo Amps, a small music business that gave him the opportunity to live his dream while supporting established and emerging musicians.

Through Mahalo Amps, he supported and sponsored artists including Collective Soul, Fuel, Lefty Williams, and Blackberry Smoke, to name a few. For Scott, music was about more than performing; it was about connection, community, and the joy of sharing something he loved with others.

Outside of music, Scott loved the Allman Brothers Band, cheese curds (squeakers), the Green Bay Packers, and traveling to Hawai‘i to visit his daughter and family. If you talked with Scott for five minutes, chances are you would hear the story of attending the legendary 1967 Ice Bowl, where he proudly sat outside in below-freezing temperatures near his favorite player, Bart Starr.

Above all, Scott loved his family. Becoming a grandfather brought him tremendous joy, and his daughter, grandchildren, and family were among the greatest sources of pride in his life.

Scott is survived by his daughter, Danielle R. Phillips; son-in-law, Cory Coons; grandson, Rhys Phillips-Coons; sisters, Diane Phillips-Burnette, Nancy Phillips, and Leslie Shugard; cousins Laura Gallagher and Michael Williams; niece, April Shere; and nephews, Wesley Phillips, Phillip Eubanks, and Noah Eubanks.

He was preceded in death by his son, Tracy (Tre') Phillips, and his parents, Audrey and Frank Phillips.

Scott believed deeply in leaving the world better than he found it, and his final acts reflected the way he lived. Through organ donation, Scott gave two people the gift of life. His daughter, Danielle, also donated his lifetime collection of instruments and musical equipment to Recycled Tunes, a Florida nonprofit that collects donated musical instruments, restores them, and puts them into the hands of students and school music programs in need. Through this gift, the instruments that were part of Scott's own musical story will continue to be played, loved, and used to help a new generation of musicians find their own sound.

Scott’s legacy lives in his family, in the musicians he encouraged and supported, in the friendships he formed, in two lives given another chance through his organ donation, and in the instruments that will now become part of the next generation of musicians' stories, allowing the music to play on.

“When you can't find the light, that guides you through a cloudy day, when the stars ain't shining bright, you feel like you've lost your way, when the candle light of home burns so very far away, well, you got to let your soul shine, just like my daddy used to say” - The Allman Brothers Band