Drummer

Simon Phillips: Toto + session drummer, decoded

Simon Phillips drummed in Toto from 1992 to 2014 and has built a five-decade session + jazz-fusion career. Tama signature kit, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth signature drumstick. The rock-fusion drumming canon's most-recorded session player.

Toto / Session · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team · 2026-04-28

Simon Phillips (born February 6, 1957, London, England) drummed in Toto from 1992 (replacing Jeff Porcaro after Porcaro's death) through 2014 and has built a five-decade session + jazz-fusion career across hundreds of records (Mike Oldfield, Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Judas Priest, and many more). Tama signature kit, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth signature stick. His solo project Protocol has been active since 1989. The rock-fusion drumming canon's most-recorded session player after Steve Gadd.

At a glance

Role

Drummer

Also known as

Simon Phillips

Active

1971–present

Based

Phoenix, Arizona (later years); London origin

Genres

Affiliations

Toto (drummer, 1992–2014)
Session drummer (Mike Oldfield, Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Judas Priest, hundreds of credits)
Protocol (Phillips solo project, 1989–present)
The Who (touring drummer, 1989 reunion tour)
Tama Drums signature kit endorsement
Zildjian cymbal endorsement
Vic Firth Simon Phillips signature drumstick

Notable credits

Toto, Kingdom of Desire (1992)
Toto, Mindfields (1999)
Toto, Through the Looking Glass (2002)
Mike Oldfield, Crises (1983)
Pete Townshend, Empty Glass (1980)
Judas Priest, Sin After Sin (1977)
Jeff Beck, There & Back (1980)

Sourcing3 citations · reviewed 2026-04-28· by Change Your Strings editorial team

Who Simon Phillips is

Simon Phillips, born February 6, 1957, in London, England, drummed in Toto from 1992 (replacing Jeff Porcaro after Porcaro's August 1992 death) through 2014. His session career across hundreds of records (Mike Oldfield, Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Judas Priest, The Who 1989 reunion, and many more) makes him one of the most-recorded rock drummers of the late 20th century.

His solo project Protocol has been active since 1989 and is his primary outlet since leaving Toto in 2014.

Style signatures

Three things across his Toto + session + Protocol catalogs you can identify as Phillips's:

Open-handed technique. Left hand on hi-hat, right hand on snare; the technique lets him execute complex patterns without crossing arms.
Double-bass embedded in funk + fusion. The kick work is pyrotechnic but tasteful; the approach inherits from Billy Cobham via the broader fusion lineage.
Tom-led arrangement-pivot fills. Long-form jazz-fusion + prog arrangements; the Protocol catalog is the canonical document.

The catalog. Toto, Kingdom of Desire (1992) through XIV (2015). Plus hundreds of session credits + the Protocol catalog (1989-present).

Drummer hub. Drummers index. Session canon parallel: Steve Gadd (Steely Dan / session), Vinnie Colaiuta (session / Sting).

Frequently asked questions

What's Simon Phillips's drumming style?

Studio-precise rock-fusion pocket with double-bass + ambidextrous open-handed technique. Three identifiable signatures: (1) Open-handed technique (left hand on hi-hat, right hand on snare for left-foot hi-hat work) that lets him execute complex patterns without crossing arms. (2) Double-bass technique embedded inside funk + fusion contexts; the kick work is pyrotechnic but tasteful. (3) Tom-led arrangement-pivot fills across long-form jazz-fusion + prog arrangements; the Protocol catalog is the canonical document of this approach.

Why did Phillips replace Jeff Porcaro in Toto?

Porcaro died in August 1992 before Toto's Kingdom of Desire could be tracked. Phillips, already a Toto associate (he had played on session material with Toto members), joined the band for Kingdom of Desire (1992) and stayed for 22 years through Toto XIV (2015) sessions. Phillips left Toto in 2014 to focus on Protocol + session work; Keith Carlock briefly replaced him; Shannon Forrest is the current Toto drummer.

What's Protocol?

Phillips's solo jazz-fusion project, active since 1989. Protocol records (Protocol, 1989; Out of the Blue, 1999; Protocol II, 2013; and the current ongoing Protocol series) feature rotating fusion musicians + Phillips's drum compositions. The project gives Phillips an outlet for the jazz-fusion vocabulary that Toto's pop-rock context didn't fully accommodate.

Did Phillips play with The Who?

Yes. Phillips drummed on The Who's 1989 reunion tour, the band's first major tour after Keith Moon's 1978 death. Phillips's session reputation made him the obvious choice; Pete Townshend had worked with Phillips on Empty Glass (1980) and other solo records. The Who reunion tour was a one-off; Zak Starkey (Ringo Starr's son) became The Who's primary touring drummer from 1996 onward.

Does Phillips have a signature drumstick?

Yes. The Vic Firth Simon Phillips signature stick (model SSP) is a hickory rock + fusion stick designed for Phillips's open-handed technique + studio precision. Available in current Vic Firth catalog.

What kit does Phillips play?

Tama. Long-documented Tama signature artist; configurations are famously elaborate: 22-24 inch double-kick, multiple rack + floor toms (often 6+), extensive cymbal arrays. Phillips's kit setups have appeared in Modern Drummer features as benchmarks for studio-rock kit design. Zildjian cymbals throughout.

At a glance

Who Simon Phillips is

Style signatures

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