Phil Vassar has no plans on quitting music, even after his coronary heart practically give up on him.
The singer-songwriter has been give a second likelihood on life—and music—only a yr and a half after each a coronary heart assault and stroke prompted his coronary heart to cease beating for practically half-hour. He survived demise twice on Feb. 4, 2023. At this time Vassar plans on benefiting from this nation music second act.
“Medical doctors instructed me I shouldn’t be right here,” Vassar says. “They mentioned I used to be in a share of beneath 1%. The truth that [I’m] right here and have any cognitive capacity to stroll round and do all these things, 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 Nineteen Eighties. His résumé consists of practically a dozen No.1 singles and 27 high 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 corresponding 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 track’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 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 latest well being scare, Vassar says he was nonetheless coaching comparatively onerous and heavy. Figuring out, in line with Vassar, was alleged to be a part of his match plan to assist forestall severe points corresponding to his coronary heart assault and stroke. Nonetheless, regardless of the seriousness of his situation, staying in comparatively good condition he thinks may’ve what saved him alive, and conserving him shifting ahead as we speak.
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 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 burden 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. Sooner or later, you most likely need to cease doing that since you’ll find yourself on the ground and that’s embarrassing. However it’s been nice.”
Phil Vassar Cheated Demise—Twice
Aside from what medical doctors 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. “All people 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 considering, nevertheless, was that how can a former athlete who nonetheless labored out, ate comparatively wholesome and drank sparsely, all so as to bulletproof himself from severe sickness may have occurred.
“I ran and labored out on daily basis and ate proper and the subsequent factor I do know, I used to be in a wheelchair, asking, ‘What on the earth am I doing on this wheelchair?” Vassar remembers. “[Doctors] mentioned I had a coronary heart assault and a stroke. It was fairly, fairly traumatic.”
Looking back, he says the warning indicators had 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 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 high of the blood work and stuff higher,” he admits.
Essentially the most telling signal he remembers, was battling excessive fatigue. It obtained so dangerous at occasions, he says, that main as much as the guts assault his tour supervisor must nearly pull him off the bed at occasions.
Nonetheless, the self-proclaimed health fanatic tried to make it to the fitness center. “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. In an effort to be revived, he mentioned first responders needed to shock him 11 not less than 11 occasions, which prompted a number of cracked ribs. Three days later whereas nonetheless on the hospital, Vassar suffered his stroke. This prompted his coronary heart to cease beating twice, for a complete of practically half-hour.
Vassar says that in this time, medical doctors 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 workouts to make sure his mind was functioning correctly. “That was most likely 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 yr 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 believe I’m extra centered now…nevertheless it took slightly time to really feel regular once more.”
A Decathlete Mindset for Life
Earlier than making gold data was even an thought, 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 received the gold medal and was on the Wheaties field, I revered what he did and the way onerous he needed to prepare.”
Vassar first confirmed his toughness as a star working again Brookeville Excessive College in Lynchburg, VA. Like Jenner, nevertheless, 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 eagerness to pursue music grew to become 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 most likely why I tore my pec muscle,” he admits now. “I used to be attempting so onerous to work onerous and really feel higher, I spotted 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 unique breed,” he laughs.
This time, nevertheless, Vassar has needed to scale it again slightly, and he’s OK with that. He now skips chest day and as an alternative opts for a extra enjoyable mountaineering and strolling routine alongside the paths surrounding Nashville in Tennessee’s Blue Ridge Mountains. A very good exercise as we speak 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’ll be able to simply kind of concentrate on something and the entire world goes away,” he says. “And generally you’ll see a bear strolling by or the lakes and the fish. Being this near nature makes me pleased.”
Phil Vassar Isn’t Prepared for a Curtain Name Simply But
Vassar’s latest track “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 could finish. He’s additionally needed to cope with the losses of a few of his closest associates within the trade, most notably nation icons Toby Keith and Jimmy Buffet. On the identical time, different icons of the trade corresponding to Alan Jackson, Billy Joel and Elton John are closing the curtains on their lengthy and legendary careers. He could 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 on daily basis,” 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 got 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] mentioned, ‘Man, simply take it straightforward 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.”
At this time, Vassar seems 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 grasp with them within the weightroom. “I’ve a number of respect for these guys, he says. “They actually deal with themselves. They eat properly, do all the best issues to simply preserve that wholesome life-style.”
Now, after knee replacements, torn pecs, and naturally conserving 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. Nonetheless, 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 fundamental objective, 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 on daily basis,” he says. “Plenty of it obtained 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.”
