Sam Phillips embarked on her entertainment journey as a Contemporary Christian Music singer, releasing a series of albums under the pseudonym "Leslie Phillips". However, she soon grew disillusioned with the Christian music industry due to its intolerance of her unflinching approach to her faith.
Around the same time, she met and married the renowned producer T-Bone Burnett, who would go on to produce her music as well as be her husband. Phillips made the pivotal decision to switch from Word Records, her Christian record label, to Virgin Records.
Since then, she has released a string of critically acclaimed albums, including "The Undescribable Wow", "Cruel Inventions", and "Martinis and Bikinis", all under her solo moniker. Notably, she has also contributed to a few movie soundtracks.
In addition to her music career, Phillips made her acting debut in the 1995 blockbuster film Die Hard with a Vengeance, where she played a pivotal role. According to reports, she was handpicked for the part after someone in a position of influence was struck by her image on the cover of "Martinis and Bikinis".
In 2000, Phillips was approached by the esteemed creator Amy Sherman-Palladino to compose music for her new television series, _Gilmore Girls_. Phillips accepted the challenge and went on to score the show throughout its entire run, concluding in 2007. This marked a reunion for Phillips and Sherman-Palladino, who would later collaborate again on the television series Bunheads in 2012, with Phillips composing the music for the show.
