Transcript of Phil Vassar Opens Up on Heart, Music, and Resilience

My career in the entertainment industry has enabled me to work with a diverse range of talent. Through my years of experience, I've recognized two essential aspects. Industry professionals, whether famous stars or behind-the-scene staff, have fascinating stories to tell. Secondly, audiences are eager to listen to these stories, which offer a glimpse into their lives and the evolution of their life stories. This podcast aims to share these narratives, providing information on how they evolved into their chosen career. We will delve into their journey to stardom, discuss their struggles and successes, and hear from people who helped them achieve their goals. Get ready for intriguing behind-the-scene stories and insights into the fascinating world of entertainment. Hi, I'm Tony Mantor. Welcome to Almost Live Nashville. Phil Vassear, the celebrated country music singer, songwriter and pianist, joins me today for a heartfelt conversation. Known for his hits like Just Another Day in Paradise and Carlene, as well as penning chart toppers for artists like Tim McGraw, Phil's soulful melodies and relatable storytelling have left a lasting mark on Nashville. We'll dive into his remarkable journey, including two years of profound readjustment following a near fatal heart attack, exploring life, music, and stories that will give a discussion I think you'll truly enjoy.

It's a conversation that I thoroughly enjoyed having, and it's a pleasure to have him here. Before we dive into our episode, we'll be right back with an uninterrupted show right after a word from our sponsors. Thanks for coming on.

Absolutely. Thanks for having me.

It's my pleasure. I understand that this year is the 25th anniversary for one of your songs.

Yeah, it was the 25th anniversary of my first record. I was having hits for years before that, So it's crazy, isn't it?

To coin a phrase, you go from singer-songwriter to actually singer-songwriter, only this time on a label as an artist.

Yeah, right.

Before we dig too deep into your artistry as a singer-songwriter, I understand you had a life-altering scare here a couple of years ago. I've heard because of what happened to you, you're a huge advocate now for heart health. Can you expand on a little bit of what you went through?

I had a sudden death. I guess it called? Sudden death, I think. That's who it was. My heart just stopped beating. I didn't have a heartbeat for a long time, for 20, 30 minutes or so, first time. And then they got me going. I I'm a healthy person. I worked out every day, and I never ate fried food or anything like that. I mean, I'm just telling you, it was just genetic is what they said. I heard that you said you died twice on the table.

So how are you feeling now?

I feel great now. I feel wonderful singing better and all that stuff. I was really struggling just to live.

Yeah, and I'm so glad that you're doing well now. Quick question, though. You didn't have the heartbeat, and you said that you had died twice. Did you have any out-of-body experience like some have?

I've been asked that a lot, and I don't remember anything. I have nothing. I didn't talk to Jimi Hendrix or anybody, which would be cool. I just was really struggling. I was having a hard time breathing, having a hard time in general. I always had this buffer. I'm just like, I can't breathe. I can't breathe. I was tired all the time and struggling. It was just so severe that it took me having heart attack, dying to really fix everything. They cleaned up everything, and my doctor was great. I went to Vanderbilt, of course, and we're lucky to have great hospitals in Nashville.

We are. We have great doctors, great hospitals. So we're very, very fortunate.

Oh, you're not kidding. So it was great. I mean, it wasn't great for a while, but I was at Shepherd Center for a while in Atlanta, five or so, five, six months, whatever, and then came back home.

I heard after you got through all that, you had to learn how to walk again, play piano again, and get back into the regular things.

Well, it was just I didn't do anything, really. When I came to, I was in a wheelchair, of course, and they were explaining to me what happened. And I was going, What? What happened? I said, How did I have a heart attack? I said, I worked out. I did all this stuff. And my doctor was like, It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Bad genetics. And he said, You were in probably good enough shape just to survive the onslaught. I don't know, but I feel different now. I feel very calm. I was very stressed. I don't know if it was just physical, I think, mostly.

Well, we are talking about the music business.

And there's that.

Yeah, that's for sure. So how did you handle it mentally? I mean, you had to rebuild, you had to relearn things. How did that whole process work and what a journey was it for you?

Yeah, it was It was interesting. And I think I didn't try to rush back or anything. I really missed playing music. I really did. So I was excited just the same year. At the end of the year, I got to play some shows, play a few shows, and just to be able to... I don't know. You just need that feeling that you get when you play music and with your friends. And I feel great now. I feel better. And every day, I'm just feeling better.

That's just so good to hear that you're doing that well. Now, After you got back to working, performing, how did that change, or did it change anything in the way that you performed?

Well, I think on stage, I think I'm pretty much the same. I don't do flips or back flips off the piano or any of that anymore, but I still run around. I think I was so ganked up. I didn't know. I was jumping around, jumping off pianos and doing flips. So maybe it's better now that I'm a little bit calmer.

How's your emotions now? Because When you went through all that, you almost lost everything. Now you've gained a new lease on life, so to speak.

Yes.

Your attitude and the perspective and the perception of what you thought must have changed some.

I think so. I mean, I do. I think when you're in the heat of the fight, I was writing every day back in the '90s or whatever. I couldn't get anybody to like what I did. I had to take control of what I was doing. I had to take I opened my own club. I opened a restaurant. I did that stuff. So I'd have a place to play, and I didn't have to deal with sleazy club owners.

Yeah, we've all dealt with those for sure.

I learned a lot, and I learned a lot about my songs and my music. I mean, whenever I would write a song, I'd play it that night. I'd say I got a new song and test it out. And you'd finish in. They'd show their approval. They liked it a lot. I would play my next 30 years or I'm All Right or all right. I always songs, and I liked them. But of course, the music, I learned a lot about the music business, too, during that phase. So I was just like, Man, these guys are... Most of them are just boneheads. They're not very smart. They don't know a hit from a frigging hole in the ground. They don't know. That was one thing I just said, Look, if I like it and if my fans like what I do and they like the song, then it's okay. And if I feel passionate about a song, it's probably pretty good. I learned to not worry about what everybody else thought anymore. It just made me It hit me confidence like I'd never had before.

That's just so good. That's a huge step here in Nashville. Everybody's out to please someone, the label, the ANR people, the managers, and everyone else. And what it really comes down to, you just have to please yourself. When you hit that comfort level, all the noise goes away and you can start really doing good work.

That's the truth. That really is the truth. And I think that's a good way to put it, because I think you do You have all these people in your ear, and I'm telling you, they think they know, but they don't know. Nobody knows, really.

Yeah, and they're always pushing for that next big hit because without it, they don't make any money.

Right.

A lot of them could care less about you because they do care if you live or die. But other than that, they don't care because that's the only way they make their money.

Yeah. It's a lot of selfish people. I know there's a bunch of great people in our business. There really are.

Oh, yeah. I know a lot of good people here.

But I wouldn't say they're the majority.

I tell a lot of people that are not here from Nashville, but some that are here in Nashville, there's a reason why they call it the music business.

Yeah.

You have to jump through all these hoops and books and books of papers before you even can get on the stage to do what you do.

Yeah, it really is. And something I learned was I do love my job. I love to play, and I love to write songs. I like that. And the business part, somebody telling me this or you need to do this or do that, and especially some of the stuff, because now it's about social media and TikTok or this or that. I'm just going, it just seems like it's a different time. I know you have to adjust and grow. I mean, that's a good thing to do, but I'm not going to get out there and dress up like a frog or something just to make somebody happy. It's just that...

So it appears like you You found yourself in a good comfort zone, and you found yourself more at ease.

Yeah.

By finding that, did you find yourself looking at everything a little bit differently than you had before?

Absolutely. Absolutely. And it's funny, too, because I've been on the road for so long, for decades, right? Now, 25 years of my first record. I was having hits, number one songs that I wrote 10 years before that. So I do like to pull out the songs I wrote I did Right of the Money. I wrote for Alan Jackson last night, and they loved it. And the band was like, Let's do Right of the Money. You just pull out songs that... I don't know. I just loved it. I always loved the song. But of course, Alan and I are different artists, and I'm the biggest Alan Jackson fan that you could be. I love him. I think he's an amazing... Not just his voice, but his songs have just always been... I was a label mate with Alan, that he had Arista for a long time, decade. It was just awesome. I always listened to his records. I mean, there's some artists you just go, meh. But I always really look forward to hearing what he's doing. But I think the people that you really respect. I mean, Billy Joel. I still love Billy. Him and Elton John are my-Yeah, they are both Great.

I love them, too.

Yeah, you know what I'm saying? They're the guys. And I just remember meeting Elton John for the first time. And I mean, he was just great. And this was before I had any cuts or record deal. But I was playing in my bar, and I had such following. And Nigel Olson, of course, came and played with me one night and sat in with me several, several nights. And it was just like, what in the world? But he was such a great guy. But when Elton did his concert in Nashville for D. Murray, when he passed away, he did a thing at the Opry House. And Lisa Olson, Nigel's wife, was a fan. Come see me play and all that. And so you got to meet Elton. You got to meet, and he'll love it. So when I met him and went backstage and hung out with him, and it was amazing. It's just the moments you forget about, you go, did that really happen?

Yeah. That's the beauty of living in Nashville. Working, networking. You just never know who's around the next corner.

Yeah. And there's so many in Nashville now because it's become with everybody, left LA, really. Steve Dorff, who I write with his dear friend, and we've written a bunch. And a matter of fact, he got married in my barn back here. It's just so great. It's funny because Steve Cropper, been a dear friend forever, but his daughter, she's getting married in my barn, too, coming up. So it's funny that I built this barn for some reason. It's my studio now, but I like to go back there and just... I've got a grand piano up there, and I go up there and I just sit down, and who knows what might happen.

That's the beauty of being able to find your comfort zone, your comfort space, and have the ability to just sit down and let things flow naturally with no pressure of having to do it.

Yeah. You think about back in the day when we all had publishing deals and doing all this stuff. I mean, it was all about getting the next cut. I don't know. Everything worked out. It's just I still process it sometimes. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah. The music business has been very good to both of us. I mean, I've had the same situations where I've been in the same rooms with Five Star generals and so many different people, and they want to know what I do when I want to know what they're doing. So, yeah, it's just great.

It's so crazy, and it's wonderful.

Yeah, it is.

I've done so many things for... The military is very important to me, and I've got so many dear friends. Of course, I've got to meet Clinton, and I played the Bush Whitehouse four times, I think, for the Christmas. It was just amazing.

Yeah, that's great. Which Bush? Father or the Son?

I met dad and... But for W, I played the White House several times. I did several events for them, and I got to meet Harmon Walker, of course. He was just great. I loved him. I never met Reagan. I always wanted to meet him. But anyway, it was just such a great... I got to meet Clinton at a Humana event. He was speaking and I was playing. Anyway, I thought he was going to play sax with me, but at the last minute, he didn't get his side. I got to get out of here, but you all have a great... Anyway, he was great.

That's the beauty of this business. You get to meet people that want to meet you and you want to meet them. It's just the beauty of this business.

It is great. I never take it for granted, that's for sure. I'm looking at that Glenn Campbell book over there. Glenn was one of my heroes growing up listening to Galveston. I mean, he was just the best.

Oh, he was. For those that don't know what you're talking about, I have a book called Life with My Father, Glenn Campbell on my shelf behind me, and it was written by his daughter, Debbie, who I produce.

I mean, and how great. I did meet her, but I got to play golf with Glenn and some tournaments. I mean, we talked about it. It was the greatest. I'm just sitting here going, Man, I am. I think actually me and To be me and To be Keith and Glenn Campbell played golf. It was really fun. I mean, people, we all come and go, but Glenn Campbell is, man. I listened to some of his records. I mean, I don't know, man, maybe a two or three weeks ago. I just listened to some of his greatest hits.

You know, the beauty of this music is sometimes just the simplicity of it is what makes it so great. I mean, go back to 1975 and Rhinestone Cowboy. I mean, it was just super.

I love it. That was one of our dear friends. I lived with him. He was one of my roommates when I first moved to Nashville, but he's a cop, but he's a great, great guy. He died of cancer. I don't know, maybe five or six years ago. He had melanoma. But man, he loved it, and he always mispronounced everything, and he called it Rhyme Stone Cowboy. And it was the greatest thing. I said, Man, but Glenn was such a pure singer and player. I mean, what he did with the Beach Boys and Everybody. I mean, what a musical resume.

Yeah, I mean, he was great. I mean, he was the one everyone looked at for a very long time. He was just so good.

No, he was Of course, I always wanted to, but I always ended up... I never could play guitar very well. I guess I just never tried, but I just was of such a piano aficionado. I just loved the Billy Joel and Elton John, and I love Charlie Rich, how he played, and I loved all those guys. And Ronny Millsap was such a sweetheart of a guy. He's the greatest.

Ronny Millsapp. I met him back when Tom Collins was producing him. Really nice guy.

Tom. Is Tom still around?

I'm not sure where he is now. He's about in his 80s, I think.

Yeah, because Tom... I mean, music grows so different now, of course. I mean, Bob Beck. I remember Bob. Do you remember him at all?

Yeah, I sure do.

I mean, it was the greatest. I would just... And he me on to the Billy Swann records. And he played me all this stuff. He said, You got to hear this. And he'd take me back when... I mean, it was just so great.

I think you've had a very similar experience to like I have. You grew up with all these icons. Then you have them reaching out to you, whether they're calling you or their management's calling you, saying, You know what? We have to do a project together sometime.

Yeah.

I mean, it really doesn't get much better than that.

Isn't that great?

It is.

I just think of my dad playing me B. J. Thomas. What a singer, right? All the Bert Baccarat and Hal David stuff that he sang on. I think about it years later, and I'm playing golf with B. J. Of course, hanging out in Nashville whenever he'd come, we'd play golf.

This is so great. Yeah. One of my good friends was his band leader right up until he passed a few years ago.

Oh, really? Me and him and the Cropper, Steve Cropper, and all this, we'd all play golf. We'd play golf up at Nashville Village, and still can't believe of it. But on a human level, they were so great, always so nice.

Yeah, they were great guys. And now, of course, have you been down on Music Row lately and seeing how drastically that's changed?

It's so weird. I mean, it's really weird. I mean, and all the buildings are different.

Some of the more iconic studios have been torn down just to build condos.

It's unbelievable. I mean, there really aren't anymore. Now, that's why I've been wanting to get mine back up and running. I built this barn in the back of my property, and I can't wait to get back in and start recording again.

It's always great to be in the studio. So what's coming up? What's on your agenda right now?

I'm doing a few more shows this year. I'm out touring again, which I love. I'm not touring as much as I want to, but I guess next year, next couple of years, I'll get back into it. But for me now, I just want to write and and record. I think it's fun to... You don't have to wait for approval from anyone. Well, that's a good song or this isn't... Yeah, well, it's just all these guys that, whatever. They have opinions.

You've been here long enough. You've done so many great things. I think you're in a place now where you can actually do the things that you want to do, not the things that they say that you have to do. So that way you can sit back and enjoy what you're doing.

Yeah. That is a good point. And I've gotten to travel all over the world with my job, right? You're playing Europe and Australia and England, Ireland, Scotland. I've been to Abbey Road, right? I've gotten to sit there and meet Ringo and Paul. I mean, all these guys, it's just you think about the stuff we talked about when we were kids, right? But now it's just I want to get better at golf again. I want to start playing golf again.

I was never any good at it.

Do you play at all?

No, I've hit a few golf balls, and then I went to a driving range. I slice most all of them into the trees. So I'm really not all that good.

That's what we all do. I don't care who you are. A member in my club for years. I haven't played it, but now it's been three years that we're going to go tonight and actually hit some balls, play nine holes. I'm excited about that.

Yeah, that's awesome. Wow, this has really been good. Great conversation, great topics. I mean, we've covered so many different things. Anything that you want to let people know that you think is important that they hear? Anything that you've got coming up or just whatever?

Well, heck, I don't know. I can't think of anything. I'm just coming back from a couple of years of hell. I do feel great. I feel great now. I feel better. And once I get my I self back in shape and I get my drive down.

I have to say you sound really good, so relaxed and so comfortable. And that's a really good thing, considering everything you've been through in the last two years.

Yeah, Yes. I know, man, because I didn't realize that my arteries were so clogged genetically, right? That's something you don't think about. But I didn't feel well. But I do feel so much better and relaxed. And I've got time now to think about all the things that have happened that have transpired over the last 40 years or 35. And it's pretty incredible to get to... I'm just blessed I didn't die when I died.

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we get to a point in our lives where we have friends that have been with us for so long, and we just take it for granted that they'll always be there. And then one day, they're gone.

Yeah.

Over the years, our lives just changed so much. I mean, my mother just lived to four months short of 100. I remember one day she was saying, I don't have any friends. And I was like, Oh, yeah, you've got all kinds of friends. Her response, Well, you may think so, but they were all gone. Now I'm looking around. I'm understanding everything she said because a lot of my friends are gone now as well. All we can do is hope we get up every morning, take our lives day by day.

Yeah.

And just keep moving forward.

Yeah, it's the truth. And I think everything happens for a reason. I really believe that. And it has slowed me down this year, where I'm only doing 30, 40 shows. And it's giving me time to reflect on a lot of things that have happened and even remember them. It's like, you can be thankful. I can definitely be thankful for that.

Absolutely. We all have something to be thankful for. And we all think we're invincible until we're not.

I know.

Then when we find that we're not invincible, it brings reality into our lives. Then when we start thinking about that reality, hopefully we can learn and evolve from that so that we can just keep moving every single day.

Yeah, it is pretty crazy. Are you from Pennsylvania?

No, I'm originally from Maine.

Oh, Maine? Okay. I heard a couple of things you said. You said it like around Pittsburgh or it was up there somewhere. I love Maine.

Yeah, I was born and raised in Maine. I traveled back and forth recording here in Nashville. During the time, I was working with Roni, and then ultimately, before I moved here. I don't know. Do you remember Bob Milsapp and Gary Paxton?

Of course. Yeah.

I was working with them. They were producing me, and Bob became my mentor. And because of them, that's when we had a conversation and they talked me into. And was a good move of moving to Nashville. That's when I got into production, development, and management, and ultimately my record label. Bob was a huge help. He got sick and moved away, and he told me, Just remember one thing, you can use my name to get through any door, but when you close it, you're on your own. Nashville has been very good to me. I cannot complain one bit.

Cool, man. I mean, Nashville is a fun town. I mean, of course, it's grown so much. It's entirely recognizable.

It's the mini LA.

Yeah, good grief. I was hoping it never be that. But like I said, of course, a lot of my buddies are from LA have moved to Nashville, so it's good. I mean, at least I don't have to go there.

Yeah, that's for sure. I always hate it when I go to LA. Well, this has been great. Great conversation, just laid back, and I've really enjoyed this.

I know, man. I love it. I tell you, it's just... But anyway, let's do it. Let's stay in touch. And I think I'm going out this week. I don't have many shows right now, so I'm I'm just, I'm around.

Yeah, that sounds great. When you get back, let's touch base.

That sounds wonderful.

I love it, buddy. Well, it's been great. I really appreciate you coming on.

Well, thanks, brother. And we'll talk soon.

Absolutely. Thanks again. Thanks for joining us today. We hope you enjoyed the show. This has been a Tony Mantor production. For more information, contact media@plateauamusik. Com.