DOWN THE HIGHWAY: Phil Alvin Interview 

Phil seems to have a VERY intense inner life... Thanks for sharing this!

Sorry to hear that Phil has not been feeling well lately. He is such a musical titan and great representative of rhythm and blues. This interview is probably one of the best at explaining his story and point of view.

Phil Alvin is extraordinary talent.

The joy & passion that comes out of his stories is unbelievable.

I've always admired how both the Alvin brothers love their family and their hometown.

51:55 american music. Pure entertainment, what a lovely performance.

EVERY Catholic school had a Sister Mary Antanita, 60 years later I still have the scars to prove it! 😰 The Blasters, what a fantastic band! I saw them at the Fire House in Ballard, Wa (Seattle) in the late 1980sa after i saw them in Streets of Fire, what a great show, they did not disappoint! I searched high and low for the Non Fiction CD for several years but could not find it, and FINALLY I found a copy! I love it!

this is so cool. 72 years old and grew up and still live in so cal. still have the first blasters vinyl. lots of other Phil and Dave recordings. seen them in and out of the blasters a lot. one of the coolest was Phil with Brownie Mcghee at mcabes. the blasters opening for the kinks at the old l.a. sports arena was awesome. but clubs was the best. but the song at the end of this...omg. so amazingly raw and incredibly intense...will stop there. thank you so much for an amazing watch and listen.

Five minutes listening to Phil talk about ANYTHING is equal to six months of sitting in a school classroom. An American original.

13:00 Phil cries recalling all the greats who helped him.... he is a very respectful and humble man. No ego here.

I still remember sitting around the barracks in '81 listening to The Blasters and Zantees with another G.I. that got it... In a way, this interview validated his legacy for me as much as his voice ever did. No one could sing like Phil. Great job Ian....

What a great interview! I’m sure Phil does have a million stories and I’d love to hear more.

Love this raw unedited interview it should stay up on RU-vid for others in years to come

a natural entertainer

The greatest smile in rock-n-roll ever. Also great voice, great intelligence, great energy

The way he talks about music you can tell its in his bones.

Phil is the man. What passion!

Such enthusiasm and love for music he has. He learned how to treat others by those examples of how these greats treated him too. All of that shines through when he talks to people who come to see him.

Thanks so much for giving us such a cool look into this legends life, Awesomeness 💚 I just donated to his Go Fund Me...Please help him if you can. GET WELL SOON PHIL.

Awfully glad Phil didn't pass away in Spain.. The Blasters have given me hours and hours of entertainment and nobody is better to see live... Thanks for producing this great video...

Amazing, thank you.

the alvins are 2 of LA's finest, this was a great segment, and im grateful. their presence cannot be understated in all tendrils of los angeles rock and roll, and what stories and minds they have. THANK YOU PHIL! thank you downthehighway! true class acts and 1 of a kinds!

Aw, IAN .... THANK YOU for this treasure of an interview of our American Master Philip Alvin - a global musical Treasure to so so many all around our tiny Blue Planet ... Kisses and Hugs to Brother Phil xo

For life-long Blasters fans this is priceless. When I turned 13 The Beatles hit the States. When my daughter turned 13 in 1983 I took her to see The Blasters in Portland. Phil Alvin's voice rocked our world that night and ever since.

I wish I could listen to his "million more stories". Amazing musician!!! Amazing man!!!👍

I love Dave and Phil Alvin there music is awesome

I love this guy...his enthusiasm and love of music.

He's an American treasure

Fantastic interview....at 71 y/o I just discovered the Alvin Bros. a few months ago...via country music, old rockabilly and stumbling across Dave Alvin on YT. What makes American music so unique that it has become global music? It's our diversity of cultures and races getting all mixed up over the last couple of centuries, Best of health to Phil, sounds like a very nice guy, and when this pandemic passes, I hope to get up to LA to hear the Blasters. Amazing that a first grade nun discovered his talent and nurtured it......called and loved by God at such an early age....He works in mysterious ways...God bless Phil and ad multos annos!

5 stars for the interview from the Russian fan!!! one of the most sincere musicians EVER! love you for more than 30 years... Paul.

What a great interview good job Bud this is good

phil in streets of fire

Our lady of perpetual health...in Downey i used to go there for Sunday mass..awesome...yup that Victorian house is still there...

All time favorite musician on so many levels! Music gives a voice, no ones voice tells it better, or more honestly than Phil Alvin. I can listen to him weave a story indefinitely. American master of the art of storytelling.The depth of his voice is a drop in the bucket compared to the depth of soul his vocals evoke. Blues, rockabilly, American , Global, it isn't anything without honesty. Cheers to the real deal! And may you live to sing our stories for many years to come! You bring a tear to this girls eye.Beautiful!!

Love this interview,love phil alvin and the blasters!!

God Bless Phil (atheist or not, God loves the Blasters). Seriously articulate, a spell binding story teller. and the best rock and roller alive. He pulled another "idiot" move and didnt take care of himself again and we miss him. Hope he is better and hope he is well enough to make the X Xmas shows as advertised this year.

Phil you are ACE!!!

Priceless interview. The Alvin brothers have brought so much joy to my life.

I listen to this vocal performance often! Amazing pitch, vibrato and the sound quality is so great you should put this on record as is! He’s truly one of the great American vocalists!

We met backstage in Santa Monica 1983-4. Your voice still thrills me! I'm so glad you didn't die in Spain! I just bought the DVD STREETS OF FIRE, you were brilliant! All The Best, Angela Maria Pritchard

This is after his incident in Spain............glad he survived..... seen him since........ glad hes back up and running. So intense.

Great interview with a favorite musician. I love hearing this history and these memories, Thanks to all for this-

Thankyou so much for this excellent interview with Phil Alvin. He is fascinating!

Love the content, thanks

National treasure. I think he's as authentic as they come. I've met and knew Johnnie Johnson, Albert King and several others and they all were just "good guys". Phil is the same way.

He needs a show on Sirius to spin tunes and tell stories.

Saw the reunion tour in ‘02 at the TLA in Philadelphia. Front of the stage, dead center in front of Phil. Magical moment. They played like their lives depended on it. They all signed my cd after the show. They say you should never meet your heroes, they’ll let you down. The Blasters didn’t. They’re cooler than cool. Rockin’ American Legends

Wow! What an incredible interview. He’s so enthusiastic and animated in the telling!

Thank you so very much for publishing this interview with someone, who by any measure, is a musical treasure and a Los Angeles icon. I loved every minute of it!

Cant wait to see Phil in Montreal in Oct. I've been waiting since 1981 and this will be a huge rock and roll bucket list for me. My template of Rock and Roll and blues is this band. I'm so out of my mind for this moment .

EXCELLENT - THANKS!

I met Phil in the restroom of Tut's in Chicago at a Los Lobos show. 83?

When did this interview occur? Fascinating interview with one of my personal legends.

Love the Alvins.

That closing song is awesome

Just saw him at in Whittier last Sat. night (2-18-2017 with brother Dave & Rick Shea) Amazing concert at the Ruth B. Shannon Theatre! Really great to see this interview..thanks!

Amazing! So animated..... Fantastic!

DOWNEY PRODUCTS.. RESPECT...

Thank you for speaking with one of the finest of the many musical artists who have emerged from the Los Angeles area. Seeing the Blasters perform live in Del Mar California in the mid 80's is one of my most funnest memories ever. Thank you again.

I met Phil and his Blasters briefly in the dressing room in Ashville, NC., early summer 2017. His stories about LA in the 1960's are fascinating. I'm wondering if he ever met Lightnin' Hopkins or T-Bone Walker too. Joe Turner was singing without a microphone from behind the bar in 1938 in Kansas City where he was a bartender, he was known as a "Blues Shouter".

Wow.....Excellent......

That was a treat, thanks!

I hope you know what Legend you've encountered! Man, what a great story! Love to Phil! Great Channel... keep up! Greets from Germany!

What a great interview. Watched them play and going to see them again in Dec in NYC. Great band.

killer interview

Thanks this is so interesting and great to hear Phil! I'm amazed at this, he's so quiet when I've seen him live.

wow, 'this is 'great...I totally find it 'appealing and 'interesting. Plus I lived just down the 'road in these 'days Over in "Buena Park... cool

I'm from Downey, too, as are a couple guys from Metallica... and the Carpenters.

Hey, I started on an Orlando guitar, too.

Coolest Man Alive!

ROCK n ROLL HALL of FAME!!

damn good

Well, well, well, I know Wynn's Music Center, because my best friend lived on De Palma Ave and Jim Wynn (the Wynn's son) lived in the corner house on De Palma next to my friends house. Wynn's Music Studio was located on Downey Ave. next to the Wynn family home which was on the corner of Downey Avenue and De Palma. We used to play with Jim Wynn growing up in the 50's & 60's. I lived on Fontana which was the next street up from De Palma off of Downey Ave. Phil went to Pius X. We went through the public schools in Downey (Warren and Downey). Home boys forever, great group--The Blasters--the sound of Downey. I'm curious as to what street the Alvin's lived on in Downey?

It's a shame you couldn't get Phil to open up a little more.

I love this!

The name of the last song??

polish power rules!!

Great interview of a legend, BUT your camera man needs to sit still. I got dizzy a few times watching this....

What is the title of the song at the end?

Is that a song He recorded???

what song is that at the end? Thx

Anthony Bourdain influence......big time!