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 probability on life—and music—only a yr and a half after each a coronary heart assault and stroke induced his coronary heart to cease beating for practically half-hour. He survived dying twice on Feb. 4, 2023. Immediately Vassar plans on taking advantage of 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 proportion of beneath 1%. The truth that [I’m] right here and have any cognitive skill 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 school in Virginia en path to Nashville within the mid Nineteen 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 good friend 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 become a No. 1 hit.
Practically 30 years later, he tune’s title might function the theme to the country 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 sort of been doing that now for a number of months and getting again to touring subsequent yr.”
Earlier than embarking on his profitable profession in Nashville, Vassar excelled athletically on the collegiate stage in observe and discipline. Up till this current well being scare, Vassar says he was nonetheless coaching comparatively arduous and heavy. Figuring out, based on Vassar, was alleged to be a part of his match plan to assist stop critical points akin to his coronary heart assault and stroke. Nonetheless, regardless of the seriousness of his situation, staying in comparatively good condition he thinks might’ve what stored him alive, and preserving him transferring ahead right this moment.
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 Taste of Country.
Some parts of his country muscle routine have been toned down because the coronary heart assault and stroke. As a substitute of hitting the load room or operating like his school 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 all the time a really bodily man,” he says. “Throughout my exhibits, I liked leaping up and down off and doing flips and handstands. Sooner or later, you in all probability need to cease doing that since you’ll find yourself on the ground and that’s embarrassing. But it surely’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 main points of Feb. 4, 2023, together with his 30-minute date with dying. “Everyone requested me, ‘Did you see something? Did you see Elvis?’” he says. “And truthfully, I don’t keep in mind any of it.”
What he does keep in mind considering, nonetheless, was that how can a former athlete who nonetheless labored out, ate comparatively wholesome and drank sparsely, all to be able to bulletproof himself from critical sickness might have occurred.
“I ran and labored out every single day and ate proper and the following 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] 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 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 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 flawed,” he admits. “I in all probability might have been on prime of the blood work and stuff higher,” he admits.
Essentially 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 nearly pull him away from bed at occasions.
Nonetheless, the self-proclaimed health fanatic tried to make it to the gymnasium. “I had a fairly wholesome routine, so I after all 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. So as to be revived, he stated first responders needed to shock him 11 at the least 11 occasions, which induced a number of cracked ribs. Three days later whereas nonetheless on the hospital, Vassar suffered his stroke. This induced 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 time” 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 in all probability factor,” he says.
Progress was gradual, he remembers. The primary steps towards bodily train started by taking just a few steps across the Atlanta facility. Brief strolls progressively become 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 yr and a half because the stroke, it’s the perfect he’s felt in many years.
“I recognize 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.”
A Decathlete Mindset for Life
Earlier than making gold data was even an concept, Vassar, like many different sports-obsessed children 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 gained 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 operating again Brookeville Excessive College in Lynchburg, VA. Like Jenner, nonetheless, observe & discipline 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 college early in 1985 when the fervour to pursue music turned his obsession.
Vas could have left observe & discipline 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 in all probability why I tore my pec muscle,” he admits now. “I used to be making an attempt so arduous to work arduous and really feel higher, I noticed 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, through 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 unique 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 mountain climbing and strolling routine alongside the paths surrounding Nashville in Tennessee’s Blue Ridge Mountains. A very good exercise right this moment features a stable 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 may simply form 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 glad.”
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 will possibly finish. He’s additionally needed to cope with the losses of a few of his closest mates within the trade, most notably nation icons Toby Keith and Jimmy Buffet. On the similar time, different icons of the trade akin to Alan Jackson, Billy Joel and Elton John are closing the curtains on their lengthy and legendary careers. He could have cheated dying as soon as—or in his case twice—however seeing music’s end line has change into a tough actuality.
“That crosses my thoughts every single day,” he says. “Shedding Toby was a tough factor. It was robust to see him undergo that. And Jimmy Buffett, I liked 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 mirror 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 simple in your physique, it’s the one physique you bought. And, you realize what? Now that I’m getting up in age, I understand it was good recommendation. I ought to have listened extra.”
Immediately, Vassar seems to be 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 dangle with them within the weightroom. “I’ve a variety of respect for these guys, he says. “They actually maintain themselves. They eat effectively, do all the appropriate issues to simply hold that wholesome life-style.”
Now, after knee replacements, torn pecs, and naturally preserving 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. Nonetheless, now that he’s been given a second probability to step onstage and once more entertain audiences for 90-plus minutes an evening, he’s principal aim, 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.
“Whenever you undergo one thing like this, you recognize every single day,” he says. “A number of it bought 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 a degree the place I can simply be myself and play my songs and entertain. And I like that.”
