Shortly after leaving Tormé, Lewis received a call from guitarist Tracii Guns stating that he was interested in having Phil join his band, L.A. Guns. The two met on 1 April 1987, and Lewis was hired shortly thereafter. L.A. Guns soon signed a record deal with Polygram Records and released their first album, "L.A. Guns", on 4 January 1988. The band achieved mainstream success with their second album, "Cocked & Loaded", thanks in part due to the successful single, "The Ballad of Jayne." They released "Hollywood Vampires" in 1991, which also had moderate success. Due to the rise in popularity of the grunge movement, the band would not release their fourth album, "Vicious Circle" until 1994. That album did not achieve the success of the prior albums, so Lewis left the band shortly after its release.