Phil Vassar has no plans on quitting music, even after his coronary heart practically stop 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 triggered his coronary heart to cease beating for practically half-hour. He survived demise twice on Feb. 4, 2023. Right this moment Vassar plans on profiting from this nation music second act.
“Docs instructed me I shouldn’t be right here,” Vassar says. “They mentioned I used to be in a share of underneath 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 practically 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 buddy and collaborator Jeffrey Steele.
As an award-winning songwriter, Vassar’s additionally whipped up hits for superstars equivalent 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 tune’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 type 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 degree in observe and area. Up till this current well being scare, Vassar says he was nonetheless coaching comparatively laborious and heavy. Figuring out, in line with Vassar, was presupposed to be a part of his match plan to assist forestall critical points equivalent 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 holding him shifting ahead at this time.
Though the incident occurred in early 2023, Vassar only in the near past opened up completely about each the guts assault and stroke throughout an interview with A Style of Nation.
Some components 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 reveals, I liked leaping up and down off and doing flips and handstands. Sooner or later, you most likely should cease doing that since you’ll find yourself on the ground and that’s embarrassing. Nevertheless it’s been nice.”
Phil Vassar Cheated Dying—Twice
Apart from what docs instructed him following his well being scare, Vassar has zero recollection of any of the main points 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 keep in mind any of it.”
What he does keep in mind pondering, nonetheless, was that how can a former athlete who nonetheless labored out, ate comparatively wholesome and drank sparsely, all with the intention to bulletproof himself from critical sickness may have occurred.
“I ran and labored out day by day and ate proper and the subsequent factor I do know, I used to be in a wheelchair, asking, ‘What on the planet am I doing on this wheelchair?” Vassar remembers. “[Doctors] mentioned I had a coronary heart assault and a stroke. It was fairly, fairly traumatic.”
On reflection, he says the warning indicators had been there, albeit refined, together with his father dying in his early 50s. Vassar needs he paid a little bit extra consideration to the “little points,” he had encountered earlier than brushing them apart. He remembers struggling some bouts of what he referred to 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 improper,” he admits. “I most likely may have been on prime of the blood work and stuff higher,” he admits.
Probably the most telling signal he remembers, was battling excessive fatigue. It bought so unhealthy at occasions, he says, that main as much as the guts 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 fitness center. “I had a fairly 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 residence in Nashville, Vassar had suffered a coronary heart assault. After 911 acquired a name, first responders arrived. With a purpose to be revived, he mentioned first responders needed to shock him 11 at the least 11 occasions, which triggered a number of cracked ribs. Three days later whereas nonetheless on the hospital, Vassar suffered his stroke. This triggered his coronary heart to cease beating twice, for a complete of practically 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 season” singer underwent intense rehabilitation.
Vassar says the therapy started with a number of rounds of cognitive-type workouts to make sure his mind was functioning correctly. “That was most likely an excellent factor,” he says.
Progress was gradual, he remembers. The primary steps towards bodily train started by taking a couple 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, practically a 12 months and a half for the reason that stroke, it’s the perfect he’s felt in a long time.
“I admire all of the stuff [doctors] did.” Vassar says. “he says. “I really feel approach higher now. I feel I’m extra centered now…however it took a little bit time to really feel regular once more.”
Phil Vassar
A Decathlete Mindset for Life
Earlier than making gold information was even an concept, Vassar, like many different sports-obsessed youngsters within the ‘70s, wished 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 gained the gold medal and was on the Wheaties field, I revered what he did and the way laborious he needed to practice.”
Vassar first confirmed his toughness as a star working again Brookeville Excessive College in Lynchburg, VA. Like Jenner, nonetheless, observe & area was his first ardour. He was a two-time state champ (1979-80) within the leaping occasions. His success led to his determination to pursue the decathlon at James Madison, the place he excelled earlier than leaving faculty early in 1985 when the eagerness to pursue music turned his obsession.
Vas might have left observe & area early, however Vassar’s weight-training routine caught with him all through his music profession. He boasts about practically 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 most likely why I tore my pec muscle,” he admits now. “I used to be making an attempt so laborious to work laborious and really feel higher, I noticed I used to be most likely simply injuring myself extra.”
In 2014, the damage and tear from his sports activities days mixed along with his excessive vitality nightly performances, during which 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 practically 100%. “Decathletes are a distinct breed,” he laughs.
This time, nonetheless, Vassar has needed to scale it again a little bit, 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. A very good exercise at this time features a strong hike for as much as 10 miles, which is spectacular for an artist who was lifeless for half-hour in 2023.
“It places you in a zone the place you possibly can simply type of give attention to 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 blissful.”
Phil Vassar Isn’t Prepared for a Curtain Name Simply But
Vassar’s latest tune “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 practically 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.”
Trying again at his music success, Vassar now realizes how shortly a profession flies by—and after battling his near-fatal well being points, how sudden it might probably finish. He’s additionally needed to take care of 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 equivalent 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 turn out to be a tough actuality.
“That crosses my thoughts day by day,” he says. “Dropping Toby was a tough factor. It was powerful to see him undergo that. And Jimmy Buffett, I liked that man. And when you might have Billy Joel and Elton John retiring—two of my idols—you begin to notice 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 an excellent man, Vassar says. “They [all] mentioned, ‘Man, simply take it simple in your physique, it’s the one physique you bought. And, what? Now that I’m getting up in age, I notice it was good recommendation. I ought to have listened extra.”
Right this moment, Vassar appears to be like at Tim McGraw, and Kenny Chesney as function fashions for longevity. As soon as he says, throughout his athlete days, he would be capable of dangle with them within the weightroom. “I’ve quite a lot of respect for these guys, he says. “They actually care for themselves. They eat effectively, do all the fitting issues to simply maintain that wholesome way of life.”
Now, after knee replacements, torn pecs, and naturally holding a detailed 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 most important purpose, for the remainder of this tour and for the total tour he anticipates for 2025, is to take a step again and soak in, the satisfaction of his profession.
“Once you undergo one thing like this, you admire day by day,” he says. “Numerous it bought away from me. It was 25 years of blur, from doing information, recording albums and doing radio and movies. It was intense. Now I’m at a degree the place I can simply be myself and play my songs and entertain. And I like that.”
