Phil Vassar has no plans on quitting music, even after his coronary heart almost give up on him.
The singer-songwriter has been give a second likelihood on life—and music—only a 12 months and a half after each a coronary heart assault and stroke brought on his coronary heart to cease beating for almost half-hour. He survived demise twice on Feb. 4, 2023. Right now Vassar plans on benefiting from this nation music second act.
“Medical doctors instructed me I shouldn’t be right here,” Vassar says. “They stated I used to be in a share of beneath 1%. The truth that [I’m] right here and have any cognitive means to stroll round and do all these items, it’s a miracle. So I’m very blessed.”
Vassar has had a blessed profession that started after faculty in Virginia en path to Nashville within the mid Eighties. His résumé consists of almost a dozen No.1 singles and 27 prime 40 hits over a Nashville profession that started within the late ‘90s. He’s additionally has simply launched a brand new single, “Like a Man’s Supposed To,” he co-wrote with longtime pal and collaborator Jeffrey Steele.
As an award-winning songwriter, Vassar’s additionally whipped up hits for superstars akin to Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, and Alan Jackson. Again in 1998, Vassar wrote “I’m Alright” which singer Jo Dee Messina was a No. 1 hit.
Practically 30 years later, he music’s title may function the theme to the nation music veteran’s second act in life.
“My head’s clear, and I sing higher now than I’ve sung all my life,” Vassar says. “It’s only a matter of getting on the market and getting in higher form. I’ve form of been doing that now for a number of months and getting again to touring subsequent 12 months.”
Earlier than embarking on his profitable profession in Nashville, Vassar excelled athletically on the collegiate stage in observe and subject. Up till this latest well being scare, Vassar says he was nonetheless coaching comparatively arduous and heavy. Understanding, in response to Vassar, was presupposed to be a part of his match plan to assist stop severe points akin to his coronary heart assault and stroke. Nevertheless, regardless of the seriousness of his situation, staying in comparatively fine condition he thinks may’ve what stored him alive, and retaining him transferring ahead right this moment.
Though the incident occurred in early 2023, Vassar only recently opened up fully about each the center assault and stroke throughout an interview with A Style of Nation.
Some parts of his nation muscle routine have been toned down for the reason that coronary heart assault and stroke. As an alternative of hitting the load room or working like his faculty days, Vassar’s wellness program is extra reliant on lengthy enjoyable hikes. It’s serving to him proceed his quest to nonetheless make music at age 62, and carry out in entrance of packed homes all through the nation like he’s throughout his present Hits & Heroes tour.
“I used to be at all times a really bodily man,” he says. “Throughout my exhibits, I cherished leaping up and down off and doing flips and handstands. In some unspecified time in the future, you in all probability should cease doing that since you’ll find yourself on the ground and that’s embarrassing. Nevertheless it’s been nice.”
Phil Vassar Cheated Demise—Twice
Aside from what docs instructed him following his well being scare, Vassar has zero recollection of any of the small print of Feb. 4, 2023, together with his 30-minute date with demise. “Everyone requested me, ‘Did you see something? Did you see Elvis?’” he says. “And actually, I don’t bear in mind any of it.”
What he does bear in mind considering, nonetheless, was that how can a former athlete who nonetheless labored out, ate comparatively wholesome and drank carefully, all with the intention to bulletproof himself from severe sickness may have occurred.
“I ran and labored out daily and ate proper and the subsequent factor I do know, I used to be in a wheelchair, asking, ‘What on this planet am I doing on this wheelchair?” Vassar recollects. “[Doctors] stated I had a coronary heart assault and a stroke. It was fairly, fairly traumatic.”
Looking back, he says the warning indicators have been there, albeit delicate, together with his father dying in his early 50s. Vassar needs he paid slightly extra consideration to the “little points,” he had encountered earlier than brushing them apart. He remembers struggling some bouts of what he known as acid reflux disorder or the occasions he moments catching his breath he would and brush apart. “That’s simply your physique telling you one thing’s fallacious,” he admits. “I in all probability may have been on prime of the blood work and stuff higher,” he admits.
Essentially the most telling signal he recollects, was battling excessive fatigue. It acquired so dangerous at occasions, he says, that main as much as the center assault his tour supervisor must virtually pull him off the bed at occasions.
Nonetheless, the self-proclaimed health fanatic tried to make it to the health club. “I had a reasonably wholesome routine, so I in fact I labored out and tried to shake off the stuff out of me.”
Then on Feb. 4, whereas at house in Nashville, Vassar had suffered a coronary heart assault. After 911 obtained a name, first responders arrived. As a way to be revived, he stated first responders needed to shock him 11 at the least 11 occasions, which brought on a number of cracked ribs. Three days later whereas nonetheless on the hospital, Vassar suffered his stroke. This brought on his coronary heart to cease beating twice, for a complete of almost half-hour.
Vassar says that in this time, docs had his arteries cleaned out, which he attributes to his faster than anticipated restoration. From Nashville, Vassar was transferred to Atlanta’s Shepherd Heart, the place the “Six-Pack Summer time” singer underwent intense rehabilitation.
Vassar says the remedy started with a number of rounds of cognitive-type workout routines to make sure his mind was functioning correctly. “That was in all probability factor,” he says.
Progress was sluggish, he recollects. The primary steps towards bodily train started by taking a number of steps across the Atlanta facility. Quick strolls progressively was longer walks across the facility—as much as a number of miles a day, he says. Together with strolling, Vassar begun including basketball shootarounds as a part of this system.
Now he says, almost a 12 months and a half for the reason that stroke, it’s the most effective he’s felt in many years.
“I respect all of the stuff [doctors] did.” Vassar says. “he says. “I really feel method higher now. I feel I’m extra centered now…but it surely took slightly time to really feel regular once more.”
A Decathlete Mindset for Life
Earlier than making gold data was even an concept, Vassar, like many different sports-obsessed youngsters within the ‘70s, needed to win a gold medal for the USA, like 1976 Olympic hero decathlete Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner).
“He was my hero,” Vassar says. “When he received the gold medal and was on the Wheaties field, I revered what he did and the way arduous he needed to prepare.”
Vassar first confirmed his toughness as a star working again Brookeville Excessive Faculty in Lynchburg, VA. Like Jenner, nonetheless, observe & subject was his first ardour. He was a two-time state champ (1979-80) within the leaping occasions. His success led to his choice to pursue the decathlon at James Madison, the place he excelled earlier than leaving college early in 1985 when the eagerness to pursue music turned his obsession.
Vas might have left observe & subject early, however Vassar’s weight-training routine caught with him all through his music profession. He boasts about almost hitting a 400-pound bench press—and has the battle scars to show it. “I used to be benching within the higher 300s, that’s in all probability why I tore my pec muscle,” he admits now. “I used to be attempting so arduous to work arduous and really feel higher, I spotted I used to be in all probability simply injuring myself extra.”
In 2014, the damage and tear from his sports activities days mixed along with his excessive vitality nightly performances, wherein leaping on and off his piano was a part of the routine, Vassar underwent two knee replacements. Inside three weeks, he says he was again on stage acting at almost 100%. “Decathletes are a special breed,” he laughs.
This time, nonetheless, Vassar has needed to scale it again slightly, and he’s OK with that. He now skips chest day and as a substitute opts for a extra enjoyable climbing and strolling routine alongside the paths surrounding Nashville in Tennessee’s Blue Ridge Mountains. An excellent exercise right this moment features a strong hike for as much as 10 miles, which is spectacular for an artist who was useless for half-hour in 2023.
“It places you in a zone the place you possibly can simply kind of deal with something and the entire world goes away,” he says. “And typically you’ll see a bear strolling by or the lakes and the fish. Being this near nature makes me comfortable.”
Phil Vassar Isn’t Prepared for a Curtain Name Simply But
Vassar’s latest music “Like A Man’s Supposed To,” kicks off maybe the ultimate leg of his lengthy and storied melody-making profession. The upbeat, saxophone heavy-collaboration arrives almost 1 / 4 century since his debut single, “Carlene,” reached No. 5 on the Billboard charts in 2000 whereas that self-titled album went gold. The piano-playing singer-songwriter went on to 10 No.1 singles together with maybe his most well-known “Simply One other Day in Paradise.”
Wanting again at his music success, Vassar now realizes how rapidly a profession flies by—and after battling his near-fatal well being points, how sudden it may finish. He’s additionally needed to cope with the losses of a few of his closest buddies within the business, most notably nation icons Toby Keith and Jimmy Buffet. On the similar time, different icons of the business akin to Alan Jackson, Billy Joel and Elton John are closing the curtains on their lengthy and legendary careers. He might have cheated demise as soon as—or in his case twice—however seeing music’s end line has grow to be a tough actuality.
“That crosses my thoughts daily,” he says. “Dropping Toby was a tough factor. It was robust to see him undergo that. And Jimmy Buffett, I cherished that man. And when you’ve gotten Billy Joel and Elton John retiring—two of my idols—you begin to understand you’re on the again finish of your profession.”
A coronary heart assault and stroke has given Vassar the time to replicate on a few of his early present biz shenanigans. Afterall, he says, he discovered the ropes from the heaviest hitters—and arguably hardest gamers of nation music—Merle Haggard, George Jones and Conway Twitty.
“George did all of it, however he was such man, Vassar says. “They [all] stated, ‘Man, simply take it straightforward in your physique, it’s the one physique you bought. And, you recognize what? Now that I’m getting up in age, I understand it was good recommendation. I ought to have listened extra.”
Right now, Vassar seems at Tim McGraw, and Kenny Chesney as position fashions for longevity. As soon as he says, throughout his athlete days, he would be capable to hold with them within the weightroom. “I’ve quite a lot of respect for these guys, he says. “They actually maintain themselves. They eat nicely, do all the correct issues to simply maintain that wholesome life-style.”
Now, after knee replacements, torn pecs, and naturally retaining an in depth watch on his coronary heart, Vassar will fortunately accept lengthy walks and hikes alongside the Blue Ridge Mountains or no matter path is close to his subsequent present venue. Nevertheless, now that he’s been given a second likelihood to step onstage and once more entertain audiences for 90-plus minutes an evening, he’s important purpose, for the remainder of this tour and for the complete tour he anticipates for 2025, is to take a step again and soak in, the satisfaction of his profession.
“If you undergo one thing like this, you respect daily,” he says. “A variety of it acquired away from me. It was 25 years of blur, from doing data, recording albums and doing radio and movies. It was intense. Now I’m at some extent the place I can simply be myself and play my songs and entertain. And I like that.”
