Phil Bates (born 30 March 1953 in Tamworth, Staffordshire) is a British singer, guitarist and songwriter best known as frontman of ELO Part II (1993-1999) and The Orchestra (2007-2011), both bands that carried on the Electric Light Orchestra's musical legacy after Jeff Lynne stepped back from touring. His ties to the ELO world stretch back to 1978, when his band Trickster supported ELO on the Spaceship World Tour. Alongside his ELO-related work he has released five solo albums; in September 2025 he announced that his Autumn 2026 tour will be his farewell to the stage after nearly 60 years as a professional musician.
Phil Bates announced his farewell tour for autumn 2026 - the conclusion of nearly 60 years in the music industry.
Phil Bates played two concerts in Denmark with his Best of ELO-band: on 14 November at Kulturcenter Limfjord in Skive and on 15 November at Fuglsøcentret in Knebel.
Bates concluded this year's tour on 6 December at Palanga Concert Hall in Lithuania with Berlin String Ensemble as orchestral accompaniment.
Phil Bates' 2026 solo program was published on The ELO Network, including new UK dates.
Bates released new solo content on Bandcamp, marking his departure from over 30 years of ELO music.
