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Phil Vassar Biography
Those who best understand Phil Vassar – good-time, whirling-dervish-on-the- piano, hardest-working-man-in-country-music Phil Vassar – also understand the ongoing evolution of his mostly self-penned music. And Prayer Of A Common Man, his fifth album and first for Universal Records South, adds several more layers of artistic expression to his deepening repertoire.
The Virginia-born singer, songwriter and musician took his seat as country's leading piano man with the success of songs like "Just Another Day In Paradise" and "Six-Pack Summer," and his penchant for pure musical escapism continues. Vassar's heart-swelling embrace of life's richest blessings is also apparent, especially on lead single "Love Is A Beautiful Thing." At the same time, his writing has grown more introspective and personal, as "This Is My Life" and the title track can attest.
"I can look back on songs I've written, kind of smile and remember what I was going through at the time," Vassar says. "But it's a different life for me now. Experience changes you and affects what comes out in your writing."
As the cares of the world work on him, Vassar finds the pull of home growing stronger, which gave weight to the choice of "Love Is A Beautiful Thing" as his album's first single. "It reminds me of growing up back home in Virginia," he says. "It really paints a portrait of Americana. Every time I hear that second verse about giving away your daughter at her wedding it makes me tear up. In a way, the song reminds me of every family reunion or get-together we had in my family."
Devotion to family is one of the reasons Vassar has become increasingly contemplative and emotional with his music. He considered his place in the world with "American Child," addressed hard questions of faith in "This Is God" and explored that which truly brings meaning in his most recent smash, last year's "Last Day Of My Life."
Vassar's early success led to one of the most unique hits packages to come out of Nashville in recent years. With only three studio albums under his belt, Vassar offered up Greatest Hits Vol. 1, which was split between hits he's had as an artist, as well as new recordings of the smash singles he'd written for others.
Phil has achieved a long list of Top 20 hits on country radio include 9 #1 songs throughout his career. He scored hits with Alan Jackson ("Right On The Money"), Tim McGraw ("For A Little While," “My Next 30 Years”), Jo Dee Messina ("Bye Bye," "I'm Alright") and BlackHawk ("Postmarked Birmingham"). His self-titled artist debut bowed in 2000 on Arista/Nashville, and the hits continued to pile up: "Carlene," "Rose Bouquet," "That's When I Love You," "In A Real Love" and more. He was named ASCAP's songwriter or writer/artist of the year multiple times.