Phil ‘the Chief’ Stephens; Jazz, Studio Bass Player

Phil “the Chief” Stephens, tuba and bass player with big bands and Hollywood studios. Born in Atlanta, Stephens was a self-taught musician who performed across the country for more than three decades. He earned his nickname from Tommy Dorsey while touring with Dorsey’s band in the late 1930s and early 1940s. During his studio years, Stephens recorded with David Rose, Hoagy Carmichael, Dixieland jazz great Bobby Hackett and Pete Fountain. He played with such major singers as Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee and Dean Martin, with whom he recorded “Memories Are Made of This.” When Disneyland opened in 1956, Stephens played with the Elliot Brothers band on the amusement park’s Main Street. On Wednesday in Burbank of cardiac arrest.