Phil Vassar shares his journey in country music and cherished memories

Note: This is an auto-generated transcript from YouTube. Please be aware that there may be spelling or transcription errors.

You know, when you start losing good friends like that, it hits you right between the eyes. You know, it seems like it >> it's a thing now when someone's like, "How you doing, man?" Man, just another day in paradise. When you wrote that, was there some sarcasm there or were you being for real? It was a funny funny day, you know. And then a lot of the guys that said it wasn't going to ever be a hit, we'll say, "Oh, man. I knew it was going to be like, >> all right, we got Phil Vasser back in here, man. What's going on? >> You don't think of me yet? >> No, at all. Man, >> it's good to see you guys. And you're wearing your Orioles hat, which I do like very much. >> There we go. Hey, I knew you were coming in. The only thing I couldn't get ready in time was carding in a big piano for you. >> That's probably for the best. It's It's a backachche in the morning, man. Especially this early, I tell you that. >> What part of the fact that it's been 25 years since your first hit hits you the heaviest? >> You know what? But it's just a blur. It's what, you know, I still can't believe it, you know. But, you know, it's different now. It's different. You know, you were uh, of course, you know, I was writing writing so much. I was intense. I was in the studio writing songs for whoever. Everybody cut all those songs of mine and and uh, and then uh, you know, every all of a sudden I got a record dealer. You know, I've been looking for a record deal the whole time. And uh they're like, "Well, you know, you've had 10 number one songs as a writer. You ought to go ahead and do it, you know." So it it was uh you know, Carlen came out, Paradise, all this stuff. So then it was so it's been, you know, 10 years of that, 10 years on the road. I mean, 25 years now. Um you know, I went out, as a matter of fact, I my first tour out was with Kenny with Chzn. And um and anyway, I'm getting ready to do his whole thing. Um but but uh it's it's pretty crazy, you know, everything that's transpired over the last several decades. You know, >> you talk about Chen uh Chzn uh obviously just got into the Hall of Fame. Can you give us uh give us a Chznney story from back in the day? >> You know, just the ones we can talk about just know just, you know, the thing I've always really admired about Kenny is is his work ethic. you know, he and and his loyalty to his to his people, you know, and I mean, he's always been he's been that guy, you know, and um we always had so much fun, you know, of course, when I was on the road with him and tour touring and and uh but he he's just uh he's a really smart guy, you know, and he and he doesn't uh he doesn't let things get, you know, out of whack, you know, and it was really great to uh you know, it sort of helped me a lot, you know, e even though, you know, could, you know, you're a writer or whatever. You're doing all this stuff and and uh but being an artist is a whole different ballgame. You know, you write you write your songs and you go in the studio, you cut them, and you know, dealing with record labels and all this stuff. And so, it was really really good. I got I I got a lot of good advice from him. >> Okay. You know, >> I like your song, of course, Just Another Day in Paradise. When people It's It's a thing now when someone's like, "How you doing, man? Man, just another day in paradise." When you wrote that, was there some sarcasm there or were you being for real? Well, you know, it it was um it was a funny funny day. you know, I wrote the song with my buddy Craig Wisman, who's one of the great writers in the world and um you know, we kind of came to town about the same time and and uh you know, we just hit it off and it was the first song we ever wrote together. You know, we kind of sat down and u you know, he he was running late. The funny thing is I was running to the door real quick. Somebody was at my front door early in the morning and it was about this, you know, almost a foot of water in my in my uh kitchen. My washing machine had flooded my kitchen and and the washing machine went out and I'm and I'm just, you know, trying to get to this writing appointment down at Almo Irving at the time. I'll never forget it. But, uh, the town was so so different and and I I was I was in an old house. It was a 1940s house. Beautiful house, but it was just, you know, the plumbing and I'm and it's always something out of whack in these houses, you know. But we uh we went we got together and you know, he barely made it, you know, his car broke down or something and and we just uh we just kind of took a deep breath and said, "Man, you know, just another day in paradise. Let's let's write that." Boom. and we wrote it quickly and and you know I with all the hits I'd had even you know for all the Jod hits or McGra hits all these hits I'd had um they were always like well you know you're a piano player it just doesn't work in country music and and um you know what it it uh it worked right so I mean Carlen came out we had a big big hit with that and Paradise blew up and and so it's just been on the road for you It's been decades of craziness. >> Do you still keep in touch with uh people you wrote some of your massive hits like Alan Jackson, Tim McGra? Like, do you still keep in touch with those those guys? >> Well, everybody's neighbors, you know, that we all kind of live right next to each other and which is kind of cool. And um you know, Nashville's become such a hub of you never know who you're going to see at the uh at the store at the at Nashville or wherever you go eat. >> Yeah. you know, and uh so what are you doing here? Well, I live here now. Um you know, a lot of the guys um you know, Post Malone and uh you know, you know, Billy Gibbons just is across the street from Zezy Top. I mean, and you know, I grew up with these guys. I mean, big huge classic rock the you know, the rock fans. and and um you know it just uh you know being a piano player of course I was a big Billy Joel Elton John and and all this music back in those days was was so um I don't know it was like every everybody listened to everybody you know it wasn't just this or just this and and I think it's kind of coming back to that. I see a lot of the you know especially a lot of the pop guys and um coming into country music and I think it uh it really makes it exciting. Wait, so you're like borrowing eggs from ZZ Tops? >> I don't think they they need eggs. I don't think anybody eats eggs, but uh >> but but like see you're that close to these people that like they could call it like Okay. >> Well, yeah. It's really cool, you know. >> That is cool. >> When I because I've been in my house uh for 25 years, you know. >> Okay. >> Hillsboro. It's uh it's funny because Leanne Rimes moved in, you know, right across the street. They built a house. Um you know, so Leanne would come over and I mean anyway, love her to death. And and um but it's it's everybody kind of moved out for a while. Everybody moved out to Franklin or Colombia or Spring Hill, wherever they moved south or, you know, uh that that part of town. But I just kind of liked where I live and and u >> you know I I don't like driving too far to you know get to a store get to a gas station anywhere. >> So it's pretty cool. I like it. >> You made a pretty emotional statement after the passing of Janine Cely. Tell me a little bit about uh that relationship and why she was so special to country music. >> You know when when I first came out and started playing the opera, you know, the Porto Wagner introduced me, you know, the first time. So it's pretty awesome, right? And uh I don't know if you guys know anything about the Dolly play that's going on right at Belmont right now. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> It's incredible. It's so incredible. And of course, you know, being such a Dolly fan. All of us are. And what she's done is she's such a brilliant human being, you know, what she's doing with all the kids and and and and uh you know, helping helping kids read and books and all that stuff. It's uh but I was just so uh excited about getting to to see that at Belmont. It was a great play and and uh I'm all over the place this morning. Really? I'm >> You're good, man. >> But it was uh it was great. I got to uh you know, Kenny Rogers introduced me to Dolly Barton. was cuz Kenny Rogers was a dear friend and and u but you know being a songwriter it was always you know Wayan Jennings and and you know Merl Haggard was my hero right as a as a songwriter and uh you know dear friend and you know I was supposed to you know I had planned to go out there and and write and record with him with Merl uh you know resist before he passed you know and uh so there's so many things that have happened um you you know, in the in the decades I've been here and and it's hard to believe I'm talking about it in the in past. Yeah. You know, it's really really kind of odd, isn't it? >> Pick your favorite kid out of all your hits, man. Your number ones. What's your favorite number one? >> You know, I've been lucky to have a bunch of them. I have I really don't know if I have a favorite. I mean, the the songs I remember writing um were the songs I I wrote about uh matter of fact, I just lost a dear friend back home in Virginia and and uh you know, we there's about there's 10 of us, you know, from high school, right, that we we we all uh you know, played sports together and you know, we've all seen each other, you know, get married, divorced, married, you know, have kids and and uh but one of my buddies, one of my best friends passed away um a couple of weeks ago. He was like the president of our class. He was on my track team on football team and and uh you know when you start losing good friends like that, you start really uh it it uh hits you right between the eyes, you know, it seems like it's it's it's very humbling and uh sobering. Um but it, you know, one of my buddies did pass away and uh you know, songs like I'm All right. I wrote it about one of my friends, you know, he uh you know, he was a another guy I grew up with and he's a commissioner of revenue in my hometown. He's been there for doing it a long time and and uh it's just kind of wild how you know, you know, he was uh he's just he's just it's just all these of best friends, you know. You you really don't get friends like that, you know. You start losing them and you're going, "Oh my gosh." you know, but it's uh but it's been a great journey. I I really love Nashville and and u it's really uh it's been it's been wonderful to me, you know, and I'm really blessed. >> Did any songs come out of your health scare? >> I've actually written a few of them. Um um I just uh went in the studio and cut a song um with my buddy Dean Sams from Onear. Um, but anyway, we went in and and uh and uh cut a few things. You know, it's kind of fun. I don't like to dwell on that thing. You know, it's something you you don't ever expect to have a heart attack. I wasn't especially a guy that never drank and and worked out every day of his life, right? >> So, you know, you just do all that stuff and and you just uh you hope for the best, but it was uh it all went wrong for a while. But uh but I had some great people that took care of me at Vanderbilt and then sent me into Atlanta and and u I am uh I'm telling you I'm very blessed to be alive. What changes physically and mentally for you when you get behind a piano? Describe the feeling like when you sit down behind a piano, >> you know, it it's something about it. it just uh I can get away from the world, you know, when I start playing and and uh I I just um I have a I I love these musical ideas I'll come up with and all of a sudden some idea lyrically comes into my head a lot of times and and I'll I'll start writing writing the words to it. But usually that happens quickly. you know, some it seems uh over the years I've just uh you know, get an idea or I'll have some I'll be thinking about something even subconsciously, you know, it comes out in a song somehow and and it's kind of kind of cool to see that happen, right? When Tiger Woods joined the PGA tour, the floor kind of rose for everybody. everybody started making a little more money and who did that for country music in the 90s and 2000s or was there a particular event that scaled everything up? Well, I don't know. I mean, I think G. I mean, Gar definitely um took it took things to a new level. He he uh you know, country was way, you know, way more. I think Brooks and Duns and those guys, you know, just the energy of the shows um that Gar and and those guys put into it and and you know, I loved it. I mean, that was a for me that was some of the greatest moments in country music. Some of the great Allan Jackson songs and and uh you know, I remember sitting there when Where were you in the world stopped turning and and I just just remember I'll never forget that moment right when he when he came out with that song and uh because we just played there used to be a big concert series in New York City where we'd play every Friday. They they had a country music station and uh we'd go up there and we'd put on a show and we had huge crowds, thousands and thousands of people in the you know right below the um World Trade Tower centers and and uh it was just a fun time and and uh and then you know a month later or whatever you know all this stuff happened and you know the world changed then it really did. It sort of uh it I I really know I was with Allan in his brain, you know, when he wrote that song. It's like he he he really did uh have a way of conveying songs. Um that I don't know if anybody else could do it, you know. >> Give me your best and your worst day in country music. >> Oh my gosh. A lot of worst days. uh you know I mean you know it's it's all big you know there's so many ups and downs and so many it's a tumultuous business as you know and and uh you you never know what you you're going to get from day to day you know you you think you write a great song and you and then radio will put it put it send it back to you with a you know or I hate this song I'm like you know it's like >> it you know you just don't you don't know what you know of course there's it's different now. You know, I think a lot of the gatekeepers as they are called now. And um you know, it was a different time. You know, you'd have people um that that loved your songs, you the label would put a song out, this is going to be massive, and then send it back and say, "Nah." So, you just you just don't know. And and songs I I would never know would ever be a hit. I mean, I did I you know, you just can't predict it. you know, you're gonna you just put something out there and then I mean people suffer I'm all right or some it'll never get a be you know being a massive hit you know so you know and it and it did take people like Joe D and um you know Tim McGra and these guys say man I like this next 30 years song this song or the you know it uh once they start cutting your songs and then have these big hits with them and they're like man and then a lot of the guys said it wasn't going to ever be a hit. We'll say, "Oh, man. I knew it was going to be a [Laughter] >> It's just so funny, >> you know." >> Well, I think it's great that you're still out on the road and on tour. You have a pretty grueling schedule. Like, you're you're touring a lot. Like, you don't you don't have to do that. Like, what what keeps you like going, >> you know? I think it's it's kind of part of it's it's in my DNA. I think I just love I love music. I love playing my songs. And uh you know, we're we're we're not going crazy, but we're, you know, through October this year. And and then next year, I want to get back out and do uh you know, a good bit again. You know, I I uh I I'm I feel better. I'm singing better, thank goodness. And uh you know, you when you can breathe, I was having a hard time breathing even. It's hard to to uh to sing very well when you're not breathing well. So, but you know, health health is everything. And I always heard that, you know, but as you get a little older, you go, "Well, they were right. I've been listening, you know, so I'm listening to what they say and and uh I'm just appreciative and very happy just to be doing what I'm doing." >> Well, we're appreciative of you stopping by, man. Thanks for uh thanks for coming and hanging out. >> Well, thank you guys. Anytime. Anytime. >> All right. We're going to bring in Billy Dukes to talk about this interview behind the camera. What you got, man? >> Yeah, Phil Vasser, you've talked to him now a few times. It's a uh a little bit of a trick talking to him because he's sometimes a little bit and even said it like he's all over the place sometimes. >> Yeah, he's cool about it. He he talks about it ahead of time. U I want to say, did one time did he come in here and play the piano and everything? >> Yes. Yeah, that's accurate. He he brought a whole rig in with him and played a couple songs and we talked to him and um it was good. >> Just a a good dude, man. This was this was a fun interview and I just I I love talking to him because he is unpredictable, but I feel like even beforehand he likely was unpredictable. Like he's just kind of he's out there, man. He's like, he just gives it to you the way it comes to his head right then. There's no filter. >> Well, and you know what I like too is is we're giving a a shot like he's not an amazing on camera person and that he just knows where the camera is and he lights up and he just knows how to work that. And there's some artists who are just great like that. Lauren Elena, one of the best when we talked about that a week or two ago, >> but like his stories are just as good and deserve to be told. I mean, some of the hits he's written, My Next 30 Years, Bye-bye, Little Red Rodeo for Colin Ray, like all those songs have really good stories, and we heard that when he started talking about Just Another Day in Paradise. >> And when he started telling me about that house uh in Just Another Day in Paradise that where it was like a 1940s, for some reason, like I pictured nothing but that. Like I pictured Phil Basser to live in a 1940s house where like the I don't know why I just he's not like I'm not he's not like an old dude but like there's something about his aura that I couldn't see Phil Basser living in like an apartment that was just built yesterday. Like I I he needs to be in an old house. And I think that adds to, you know, a lot of these songwriters that we talked to, it it all it's not just, you know, your mental state. It's where you are at the time, you know, as you heard with Phil, like it the the idea for a song can really come from anywhere. >> Have you ever lived in a really really old house like that? >> Uh, no. I don't think so. Have you? >> Yes. on a couple of occasions. I rented one in college, so that that house's problems weren't my problem. But the house I lived in before the house I live in now was built in like 1932. >> Yeah. See, I can't do that. I'm not handy. >> No. So, a couple things like you get seduced kind of by like the charm of the place. >> No. >> But like two things have happened. One, >> like maybe like the wiring or the windows and things just need to be upgraded. And we were fortunate enough that we didn't have to do any of those big repairs, >> but like people just kind of Frankenstein the house. like they add a room here or they add a wall here or they move the bathroom from over here to over here. So, you're trying to kind of it's almost like trying to fix a clock where you're looking for like how the other clock makers have fixed that clock so that you know exactly how this thing works. It's hard and it's a struggle. Every weekend you're doing something on the house. Every weekend you're doing something on the house. >> You just described to me like talking to your to a current girlfriend's exes to get the lay of the land. a little bit >> like when you when you start to remodel an old house, you know, you start peeling it back, you're like, "Oh, that's why they did this. Oh, oh, that's why." And but that can happen even in current days cuz I got like a house that was built in 2019 that we're still trying to figure out why the uh the electric box, what's it called? The fuse box is in the attic. >> Yeah, it's in the attic. So, like every time I come by, every time someone comes by to do anything electrical, they're like, "Where's your fuse box?" I take them into the attic and they're like, "Why is your fuse box in the attic?" I'm like, "I don't know. >> I wish they would have not put it in the attic." >> Oh, you know, I feel you, Phil. >> Phil's got this song coming out on uh today, the day we released this podcast, in fact, that he wrote and recorded. It was about the incident where he died and like you broke this news like a year ago that he had this heart attack. They had to bring him back to life twice. And that happened and it went like a year before like anybody knew about it and you talked to him. Like that happens, man. Boom. You're on a PR tour, right? Like you got to take that for what it's worth. But he he doesn't like want to talk about it all that much. And his publicity teams is like, "Yeah, he's got this song. Talk about it." We try to talk about it. He's like, "Change subject." >> Yeah. Oh yeah, dude. If I died twice and I could still talk. Yeah, man. I'd be selling that thing to a book company like >> Yeah. >> But I I do respect, you know, I guess I don't know. I like there was just a a comedian in here, uh, Drew Lynch, who's a stuttering comedian, and it took him a while to understand how to grasp that he stuttered. And it, but comedy is more self-deprecation. So like when you get to something like Phil, you know, he wants it to be about the music. So it's like I don't know. I don't know. My only comparison I I don't even want to say it, but I have no my only comparison that >> comes to mind is like is like like Michael Jackson like like R. Kelly. The music stands for itself. You know, you don't you don't >> I'll give you the best sort of opposite of what Phil Vasser is doing and I'll offer you a shovel here. Uh the uh >> I'm just saying >> Winona Jud like she her mother Naomi died by suicide on the eve of the Jud's induction to the Country Music Hall of Fame. >> Yes. >> They did not cancel that ceremony. No one thought about it. The next day they did that ceremony. Winona was there with Ashley. Soon after >> she was out there promoting that tour. The tour went on. She's going to figure it out. There was music. >> But that was like it is time to go. Like you know you can't, >> you know what I mean? Like your attention's on you. >> Do that thing. And she did it and the whole tour and it was hard and emotional but it got publicity the whole time. like you gotta move when that's that time of year. >> I agree with you, you know, but some people just I guess aren't comfortable with that, you know, and I mean I guess I mean he did one song, but yeah, I would if if that was me, man, I would almost make a whole album like like again I just go back because I just interviewed this comedian that stutters. He he packages now his whole show into an hourong basic story of why he stutters and his accident and it's because people ask him all the times. Phil Vasser, I'm sure you know people now are tell me about the time you died twice like if I don't know if it were me I might either am I don't know what I would do. I probably would embrace it but I would I would do like a whole album. >> I'm trying to think of some artists now. We've we've talked to Terry Clark and Phil Vasser and and Gretchen Wilson, all these artists that are kind of on these anniversary tours. Like who else is sort of ripe for that right now? And you know, artists that had like the concentration of their success was like 20 25 years ago. Um maybe like a Lone Star, but I don't think they all get along. >> Yeah. I mean, I feel like money can get make people get along. You know, there's been some reunion tours that have shocked people. >> Uh, >> yeah, I suppose that's true. Um, >> Shaniah did it already, right? >> Yeah, but she's so big. Like, she's still kind of relevant. >> Yeah. >> Who else is in that lane? Like early 2000s. I mean, Rascal Flats was kind of doing just that, I guess. But they they are they were also so huge. I mean, they're going to be in the Hall of Fame, so it won't >> Steve Holy, >> like a Steve Holy, you know. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I he was good entertainment. Like he was a fun guy to interview. He had some stories and some things happened to him. I'd be here for that. >> Uh Tracy Lawrence kind of already did it too. Like so like it's kind of come and gone. Like who are these early because we did the whole 90s thing, right? >> Yeah. >> Like so now we're like into the early 2000s and who are the artists that are going to be that are just like like Emerson Drive. Can we get Brad Mates from Emerson Drive back up in here? Talk about his moment. >> Yeah. I don't know anything about that. >> I got a shade. >> Ooh, that would be a good one. >> Yeah, people would would really go for a >> and the other flower. Not Flower. Uh, >> who was the guy? >> Yeah, Sugarland could come back. >> Yeah, >> you're not wrong, man. Like, that was 20 years ago and they've kind of been out of the spotlight now for five. >> Let's go Big and Rich. Let's get a Big and Rich reunion. Save a horse ride a Cowboys day. >> Do you think Big and Rich would come talk to us? >> Yeah, I think Big Kenny would. I I I don't know. I I I don't see why not. >> Well, because here's the thing. John Rich has blocked us on Twitter. >> Probably not then. No. >> Well, now I'll say this though. Several years ago, we were doing a festival and like the Jumbotron interviews came and they did it and we were all professional. We did our deal. We talked about the things we wanted to talk about. We didn't have to talk about whatever it is that he's mad at us for or why he blocked us. And we promoted that album. Like let's big and rich. I would I would embrace big and rich. We don't we don't either one of us needs to be mean. I think John Rich is professional enough that he would we treat him well. So, um, when I worked I did a, uh, radio country radio in Portland, Oregon in like 205 and Big Kenny was our voice guy. Uh, yeah. So, it would be like uh, it would be like, "You're waking up. Come on now. You're waking up with blah blah blah." And, but he didn't say who he was. He was just voice guy. So, we would just send him stuff and and uh he was really cool. He was like really animated. I wish he would do more of that, but I feel like we could get him on, you know, but I don't know. Do they even get along? >> They've always figured out a way to get along. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> What about uh I guess Brooks and Dunn? They already did it. >> They already did. Sarah Evans. Uh all right, we'll noodle on this. We'll book them. I mean, people might argue, but Brad Paisley >> like he was maybe too almost like in an Arascal Flats category, but I would I would definitely he needs a few more years. I think >> like the Check Me for Tick days was like in what ' 06? >> Yeah. Is Brad So, here's the other thing is if the artist is like happy to start living on their legacy a little bit and that's a flip of the mindset, right? >> Yeah. Yeah, >> you're recognizing like, hey, I'm not going to have any more of these top 40 hits. >> Let's be a catalog artist. And that's cool. I love those artists. Like those are that's like a sweet spot to get to. It's like retirement. >> Yeah. >> But I don't know if Brad's ready to retire. >> I agree. Probably not. But I I mean, he keeps releasing a song every once in a while. >> He does. He does. So maybe. >> Yeah. I don't know. >> You gonna have uh Are we gonna have that comedian you just had in? What was his name? >> Uh Drew. >> Is old Drew? Is he going to be on the podcast soon? >> Drew Lint. Uh no. Uh yeah. I mean, sure, if you want. Yeah, we can do that, man. I got that. I got Thomas Rhett. >> Uh we had a nice interview with Thomas Rhett. He's doing a lot of stuff with Hardies uh to they're teaming up and like doing good stuff for the community. So, they put him in touch with us. And uh I actually got to talk to him about a lot of stuff about if they're going to have another baby and stuff like that and you know because they just announced they're having a fifth baby but you know if you're five deep why stop there you know. >> Uh so >> yeah. Yeah. I mean and you have money. I mean that's a whole another story you know. So we have a lot coming up. Um you know but uh if you want to search for us just go to Taste of Country Nights on Demand wherever you get your favorite podcast. And thanks for checking us out.