Phil Varone is an American drummer, music producer and songwriter. He is a founding and former member of the band Saigon Kick from 1988–1996 and from 2012–2015. While out of Saigon Kick for several years, some of which Saigon Kick wasn't active, he played for Prunella Scales, Skid Row, and Vince Neil.
Early life
Varone was born on Long Island, New York, to parents Phil and Angela Varone, both of Italian descent. His family relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1980. Phil received his first drum kit as a Christmas gift as a young child. He began playing percussion in grade school at the age of 7 and continued into the first years of junior high. Self-taught, Phil credits his skills to listening to his favorite bands and drummers.
Career
Music
Varone began playing in various local bands while still in high school in Fort Lauderdale. In 1988, he joined together with some of his friends and formed Saigon Kick. The band signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records after two years. They earned a Gold Record for the album, The Lizard as well as a Billboard top 10 single for the song, "Love is On the Way". In 1996, Saigon Kick disbanded and Varone stayed busy producing and doing studio work for a variety of artists. In 2000, Varone joined multi-platinum recording artists Skid Row. Together they toured the world with Kiss, Poison, Def Leppard and Tesla; along the way, they recorded a new record, Thickskin. Additionally, the band produced Under the Skin: The Making of Thickskin, which was internationally distributed on DVD. In 2003, Varone played drums for Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe on his solo tour. Varone joined Jake E. Lee's band Red Dragon Cartel for the recording of their sophomore album Patina. The album will be released in November 2018.
Television, Film and Radio
When Varone left the music business in 2004 he decided to pursue a career in acting and stand up comedy. Varone appeared as a celebrity customer in an episode of Miami Ink, in which he got a tattoo of his son's name. He also appeared in episodes of the Showtime series Californication, and the CBS series Numbers. Varone appeared the E! program Inside Celebrity Rehabs, the NBC game show Identity, in which he was correctly matched to his identity as a rock and roll drummer, and on an episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories on the BIO Channel. He also appeared in an Asian Nokia TV commercial. Varone produced and starred in the acclaimed 2007 feature-length documentary, Waking Up Dead, in which a film crew followed him around for several years to document his life as a touring drummer. In April 2009, Varone participated in Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew, a VH1spinoff of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew that features celebrities being rehabilitated for sex addiction. In the first episode, Varone revealed that his sex addiction worsened after his mother died from a cerebral aneurysm in 1998. Another pivotal moment occurred when his maternal grandmother Josephine died during the taping of the show. Varone also spoke about this sex addiction in episodes of Oprah, The Tyra Banks Show and the Today Show. In the September 26, 2010 episode of Strange Sex on the Discovery Health Channel Varone and his girlfriend, Achsha, discussed Phil's sex addiction and recovery and how it related to their new relationship. Phil has his own show with Vivid Radio on SiriusXM Radio called The Swing with Phil Varone.
Varone was Playgirl magazine's cover and centerfold for December 2010, in which he appeared to promote the launch of the Sex Stand Up Rock And Roll Show tour in the United States. In July 2011 Vivid Entertainment released Phil Varone's Secret Sex Stash video as part of their celebrity sex tape series. He has gone on to produce and direct a series for Vivid Entertainment called 100% Real Swingers. Varone has a second series of reality porn videos called Groupies: The Music From Behind, a takeoff on VH1's Behind the Music series. Varone has his own line of sex toys with California Exotic Novelties, including the first ever rockstar mold and pierced dildo.
