From the moment he arrived in Nashville to pursue his musical dreams, Phil Vassar had the odds stacked against him. Before he could even get comfortable in Music City, he was told to pack his bags and head to Los Angeles or New York. Essentially, anywhere other than Nashville.
Even when he turned in several songs he’d written that eventually topped the charts for other artists, initially, he was told the songs would never go anywhere.
Fortunately, they did, and they laid the groundwork for a fruitful solo career that spawned countless hits of his own, including “Just Another Day in Paradise,” a career-defining song that continues to reach new generations of fans, even 25 years after its release.
Before all of that, though, Vassar’s journey began in a musical household in Virginia, where even early on, he showed a deeper love of music than normal kids his age, and inevitably, caught the music bug himself.
“Much to my father’s dismay,” Vassar says with a laugh. “I just loved it. I couldn’t get enough. I wanted to know who wrote the songs I loved and who played on the records; the stuff people usually don’t want to know. I loved trying to figure out what was going on in the writers’ minds when they wrote the songs. It was amazing to me.”
As he was falling in love with the music of Billy Joel, Elton John and James Taylor in his formative years, Vassar took an early interest in guitar, which, in turn, steered him towards the piano.
“I loved the guitar. I was intrigued by what they did,” says Vassar. “I loved the way James Taylor played. It translated into my piano playing. I loved the way Elton John and Billy Joel played. I loved how Queen was a big rock band that had a dadgum piano player in the middle!”
Music wasn’t Vassar’s only love, though. Initially scoring a track and field scholarship at James Madison University, that dream ended with a freak accident during training.
“I was in the middle of training for Nationals when I got injured,” says Vassar. “I was pole vaulting, and I snapped the pole, landed on a hurdle and broke my ankle. If there was ever a sign to gear up towards music, that was the one.”
In 1987, Vassar did just that. On the advice of Jimmy Fortune from The Statler Brothers, he packed his bags and set his sights towards Nashville, though he wasn’t met with the warmest welcome when he arrived.
“Jimmy Fortune told me to move to Nashville. When I got there, people told me I needed to be in Los Angeles or New York because I’d never make it in Nashville,” says Vassar. “You get sick of hearing that and just keep doing your thing. It was intimidating at first, but I wasn’t scared.”
Undeterred, Vassar signed a publishing deal in the mid-90s, and in quick succession, wrote the hits “Little Red Rodeo” for Collin Raye, “Bye Bye” and “I’m Alright” for Jo Dee Messina, “For a Little While” for Tim McGraw and “Right on the Money” for Alan Jackson.
“It was unbelievably validating. People looked at me and asked, ‘where did you come from?’ and I told them I’d been there the whole time!” Vassar says with a laugh. “People hated some of those songs. They were adamant about how bad some of them were. They sounded like hits to me! And they turned into huge hits. The right people came around and recorded those songs.”
Soon, though, it would be Vassar recording the songs, as he landed a record deal with Arista Records in 1999 after his songs impressed a few heavy-hitters in the music industry.
“Clive Davis knew all of my songs! Tim DuBois was running the label at the time, and he knew all of my songs too. Of course, I put out my first single, and Arista folded over into another label. Of course!” Vassar says with a laugh. “The guy who took over for Tim, Joe Galante, ran into me in the elevator and told me he loved the song and he was excited about it. I was surprised I still had a record deal!”
That single, “Carlene,” gave Vassar the opportunity to hear his own voice on the radio for the first time.
“I thought I was dreaming,” says Vassar. “I was going to be doing a radio show in my home town. My alarm woke me up, and the song was on the radio. It was a pretty surreal moment.”
“Carlene” climbed to number five on the country charts, but it was Vassar’s sophomore effort, “Just Another Day in Paradise,” that really began moving the needle.
“That’s the one song that when I played it for everybody, they thought it was a smash,” says Vassar. “It’s funny, I remember writing it that day with Craig Wiseman. I ran through my kitchen, and I had about a foot of water. The washing machine had flooded, and I was freaking out. I got to the office a little late. Craig wasn’t even there yet, because his car had broken down. It was just one of those days. We told each other ‘we write songs for a living, it’s just another day in paradise.’ We decided to write that, and it worked!”
By the end of 2000, the song topped the country charts.
“After all those years, it really happened. You almost have to pinch yourself. It’s weird, I was doing Leno and Letterman; shows I’d watched my whole life, and there I was performing on them,” says Vassar. “It was worth every second of work I’d put into it. So many times, you think it won’t happen. It seems futile. But it did.”
Vassar’s work continued to pay off as his next two albums, American Child and Shaken Not Stirred landed him another top five and number one single with “American Child” and “In a Real Love,” respectively.
“The momentum felt great. I’m trying to think about how the heck we did all of that,” says Vassar. “In the middle of that, I had two daughters. It was amazing to have them enjoying it with me. Those are the moments you never forget.”
Coinciding with his chart successes, the unforgettable moments continued to pile up at 2002’s ACM Awards, where Vassar earned Top New Male Vocalist.
“I was shocked,” says Vassar. “Alan Jackson was standing up for me in the front row. I couldn’t believe it. I had so much respect for Alan and his songwriting. Things like that make you wonder how you get to be standing amongst those people.”
By the middle of the decade, though, things began changing at his record label, and after releasing his first greatest hits album, which also included his own takes on the hits he’d written for other artists, Vassar and Arista Records parted ways.
“Everything had changed. There were new people coming in,” says Vassar. “I felt like I was still writing good songs. It got to be frustrating. The label starts telling you who you are and what you do, but as the artist, you have to regulate that. I wanted out, and they said ‘okay.’”
Undeterred, Vassar inked a new record deal with Universal South Records, soon releasing Prayer of a Common Man, which landed the number two-charting single, “Love is a Beautiful Thing,” which Vassar says validated his move.
“It’s hard to believe; I changed labels after a greatest hits album, and I had a hit right after that,” says Vassar. “I knew I needed to enjoy the job, so it felt good.”
After one more album on Universal South, Traveling Circus, Vassar decided to try his hand as an independent artist, and since the release of his first independent album in 2016, American Soul, Vassar says he’s rejuvenated in the writing room and the studio, with a new album slated for release in 2025.
“We just keep on creating. You keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep rocking along,” says Vassar. “We just cut a new record. The first single will be called ‘All American Summer,’ and it’s kickin’! I can’t wait for everybody to hear this record!”
Vassar enters this new album chapter rejuvenated physically, as well, as he’s well on his way towards recovery from a stroke and heart attack suffered in early 2023.
“I had bad genetics, so I was behind the eight-ball. I was working out every day, but I still didn’t feel right,” says Vassar. “Now, I feel like I’m where I need to be. I’m in a good place mentally and physically. I haven’t felt this good in decades. It’s weird to say, but having a heart a heart attack is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
With his health in check, Vassar says he’s looking forward to being on stage now more than ever as he celebrates twenty-five years of “Just Another Day in Paradise” with his “25 Years of Paradise” tour.
“Coming back from all of this mess in the last few years was a struggle, but now, it’s cool to still be singing these songs. Hell, I’m singing better than I ever have!” says Vassar. “I’m looking forward to seeing the fans. It’s humbling to see teenagers singing ‘Paradise’ and ‘Little Red Rodeo’ now. They came out long before they were born. Now, they’re like oldies!”
As he looks back on those “oldies” and the career he’s built, Vassar says he’s proud of the work he’s put into his musical dreams.
“You have to keep on the path. If you really want something, you have to work for it. And sometimes, you have to work harder than you think you have to. If you love something enough, you’ll do it. You’ll go through hell for it. And it’ll drag you there sometimes, but it makes it that much sweeter when things do happen.”
Looking ahead, Vassar has no plans of slowing down any time soon.
“I love music. I love what I get to do. I get to play and make people happy,” says Vassar. “I’m going to write and record as much as I can. And I’m going to keep playing shows. I still love doing it. Besides, what else can I do?!”
*Feature image by Mark Maryanovich*
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