July 9, 2025 • 23 mins
Join your host Lynn Hoffman for this episode of Music Saved Me with Phil Vassar.
Country music star Phil Vassar has penned the soundtrack to countless lives with his heartfelt hits—but when a sudden heart attack and stroke nearly took his own, music became his lifeline. In this episode of Music Saved Me, Phil opens up about his remarkable journey from the top of the charts to the edge of survival, and back again. He shares the songs that carried him through recovery, the lessons learned from facing mortality, and how his passion for music took on new meaning after his health crisis. It’s a candid, inspiring conversation about resilience, gratitude, and the healing power of a melody.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Music Saved Me, and you know, are some of my
heroes like Marl Haggard, And I mean I got to
meet these guys and hang out with them.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
And loved them.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You know, they were just like my friends, and as
a young songwriter, they were very, very supportive.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Hello, I'm Lynn Hoffman. And on today's episode of Music
Saved Me, we welcome a true country music powerhouse, Phil Vasser.
Now for more than twenty five years, Phil's heartfelt songwriting
and energetic performances have made him a beloved figure in
the world of country music, with hits like just Another
Day in Paradise, one of My Favorite music videos, and
(00:39):
American Child resonating with fans across generations. He has racked
up ten number one hits, twenty seven top forty songs,
nine albums, as well as being an award winning singer songwriter.
He's writing hit songs for artists like Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw,
Jody Messina and since we're talking about awards, I read
he even won a Best Actor Award and the Long
(01:00):
Island International Film Festival. This man is a triple threat,
and he's known for his signature piano driven country sound,
blending heartfelt storytelling with infectious melodies. Today, Phil shares his
remarkable journey of survival, gratitude, and resilience, and talks to
us about the songs that carried him through his darkest moments,
the faith and community that lifted him up, and how
(01:24):
his near death experiences have given new meaning to every
lyric he writes in every note he plays. Phil Vasser,
Welcome to Music Save Me. It is wonderful to have
you on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
How you doing Lynn, Thanks for having me well.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Thank you for being here. And you know, I read
I want to talk to you about personal connection to
music and how it helped you to heal. But first
I was reading a little something about your past. You're
known for your obviously incredible piano playing, but I read
you actually started your love affair with music on a guitar,
which so how did that end up switching? And was
(01:59):
it always come for music and how did you figure
that connection out?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
You know, it was always just music, I think, you know,
back back then.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
I mean, of course, my dad was in music and
he loved to sing and do all these things. So
it was you know, set on my doorstep, you know,
when I was young, you know, and I started playing
guitar a little bit, and but.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Then one of my great aunts.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Passed away and gave us this piano and brought it
over to the house. And it's an old eighteen hundred
upright piano. It's really cool and I still have that
in a warehouse somewhere in Virginia somewhere. But I just
fell in love with the piano, and I mean it's
(02:48):
just I just love it. And of course in Nashville,
everybody's like, well, you know, you're a piano player, You're
never going to do anything here.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
So I mean it was.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
I kept getting that all over and over again, and
even from record labels, from of course, from publishing companies,
and of course, you know, it doesn't matter what you're
right on, you know whatever. It just took me a
while so I couldn't really get a deal. I finally
got a publishing deal, and then I was, you know, I.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Was just sort of frustrated.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
So I started playing live, and I had this great following,
you know, I had a great, great live following, and
then all these record labels and McGraw and Jody Messina,
all these people would come into my bar. Alan Jackson,
even the publishing companies and the record labels started coming
into because it was packed and you know, you just
(03:42):
couldn't get in.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
It was one of those things where it was sort
of I really was really.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Blessed because, you know, starting my own bar, and it
was just I was it was work, you know.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
And what was the name of the bar.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
It was called the Hard Day's Hard Day's Nightclub. And
because I was a I'm a big, big Beatles fan
and anyway, so it was.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
It was great and you proved them wrong because you
went into country music with a piano, so I did.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And then you know, then all these then Jody or
whoever would machine it would come in the in my
bar or whatever.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Who did that bye bye song? Or who did I'm
all right.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Or you know, and then thirty you know, my next
thirty years, all these songs Mike McGraw recorded, and and
it was it was an interesting time and.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
It was a it was like I struggled for so long.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
And then it was just like a windfall, you know,
and so I just was really uh, and then all
the record labels wanted to give me a record deal.
You need to do a record. I'm like I've been
trying to do a record for twenty years and you're
and you've you know, now you want me to do
a record or fifteen years or whatever it was. And uh,
(04:59):
but I I couldn't wait. I was glad. And then
of course, you know, Carlene came out just on d
in Paradise and it was a it was a big hit,
hit record, and you know, so it's been you know,
twenty five years of this craziness, you know, so it's
been great.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
I think it's amazing that you proved everybody wrong and
that you were vindicated with wanting to make the album,
because there's nothing there's no better feeling than that, especially
when you're creating art. Really everything's so subjective, right that, Phil,
Can you share a time in your life when music
truly saved you and helped you through a difficult moment
(05:38):
or gave you hope when you needed it most.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Well, I mean when I had my heart attack, you know,
I was I could always find solace and just walking
over to the piano and playing music, even when in
the craziest times, you know, the worst times, but I
always thinking that was the worst of times. It was
the best of times. You know that that that's you know,
(06:01):
but it really was. It was it just blew up
and finally everybody kind of got it. It was like
everybody got the joke right. And then I just started
having hits and hits and hits and hits, and and uh,
you know some of my hero like Alan Jackson, and
you know some of my dear dear friends, you know,
Kenny Chesney and then.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Uh and uh Tim McGraw, and I mean.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
It was just it was sucking Colin Ray and I just, uh,
you know a lot of.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Great things happened.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
I mean a lot of things didn't happen, you know,
but but I finally got what I always wanted, and
that was a record deal, and and got a chance
to tour, and that's my favorite. You know, playing live
is always going to be my favorite. I do love
to write songs, and you know, it can be tenuous,
you know, it's it's sometimes, you know, songwriting, especially if
(06:53):
you're you know, you get stuck on a song. Some
songs you write it takes years to write it, you know,
and some and and but I always found that the
biggest my biggest hits I always wrote in twenty or
thirty minutes.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
You know, it was just always it's.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Like that's okay, this is this is it in my
next thirty years. I mean I could't even write it
fast enough. You know. It was you know, it was
my birthday, right, it was my thirtieth birthday. I was like, man, wow,
you know. So it's like certain things kind of give
you a jolt emotionally, and uh, you know, just in
(07:29):
the in Paradise was one of those songs to you know,
we we wrote that, Me and my buddy Craig Wiseman
wrote that song together and and and we wrote it
and it was so fast and you know, but it
was one of those things where we you know, it
was we I almost didn't get there. I mean it
was one of those days. You know, I had a
(07:50):
house emergency like I always do because I have, you know,
one hundred and three year old houses, you know, and
which I love. I love that, but you know, it's
it's a labor of love. And but the songs were great,
and and I had some incredible co writers you know
that I loved in a very small group, right, but
(08:13):
they were my best friends. And I've lost some of
those guys in the last five years. And it's I'm
still heartbroken about it, you know, and and but it's
it's been a it's been a crazy time.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Well you know, during during some of those times that
were a little bit more on the difficult side going through,
did your relationship with music ever change?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
I don't know if my relationship with music ever changed.
And you know, I think once again, I would always
I loved like the Eagles. I loved you know, Glenn
fry and and Don Henley, and I loved like bands.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Like Queen, you know, being back.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
I always go went back and listen to the Beatles
records and some of my favorite songs, and and uh,
you know, it was just it was it was amazing,
you know. But I think music always got me through
tough times.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I found that.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And you know, some of my heroes like More Haggard
and I mean I got to meet these guys and
hang out with them and and loved them. You know,
they were just my friends and and as a young songwriter,
they were.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
They were very, very supportive.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
And I said, man, you just got to stop listening
to those you know, those assholes or whatever.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
They would they would always tell me that, you know, said, look,
you got to listen to you.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
He said, you're great. So you're great, and you.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
You got to start believing in yourself, you know, blah
blah blah. And it was really it just uh it was.
It just touched me in my soul, right, So I
just said, look, this is I like this.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I don't care if you like it. I like it.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
And and uh and I had a great following, and uh,
you know, audiences would come in and hear me do
my own song. They hear me do I'm all right,
they hear me do bye bye. They hear me do
all the songs, and everybody hate them in town. The publishers,
they hated him and ended up once they got out.
They were huge number one songs. And you know what
(10:10):
it was. It was good to kind of there you go, yeah, exactly,
and it was it was a great time. And you
know what, you can't blame people for being stupid. They
just are sometimes.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
You know, many of your songs are deeply personal, as
you just mentioned some of the names of them, but
they're also super relatable. Do you find that songwriting is
a form of therapy or an emotional rap?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Absolutely? And I swear I think it's for me.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
It is you know, for for anybody good songwriter that
I mean, you know of I was going through a breakup.
I was going through a divorce when I wrote above Bye.
I mean just stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
You know. It's just you know, you know, relationships are.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Hard and we all have we all have them, and
they're very hard sometimes and they still are, but you know,
you just you just kind of try to I don't
know that it's I could vent with my words and
my songs, you know, and I could do that, and.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
That was.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I don't know it was it was I saved my money.
I've saved a lot of money on therapy. I think
it did just by just by writing songs and making
money instead of spending it.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Yeah, And a lot of times people don't know exactly
who you're writing about and if it's someone else that
you're observing or yourself, but you put a lot of
yourself into your music. Now. The Music Saved Me podcast
is about bringing conversations about mental health, you know, out
of the shadows through music and the healing power of music.
And also I think through these conversations too, realizing that
(11:50):
we're all more alike than we are different and I'm
just curious how you've approached mental health practices in your
own life and has music always played a role in
your journey in terms of working through things that happened
to you, Because life is ninety or ten percent what
happens to you ninety percent how you deal with it.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Exactly, And I think I think yes, And in a
lot of ways, I mean, I have, you know, my
therapy is my writing my songs. Sometimes I can just
I mean, the sadest songs you know, I've ever Rose
Bulk on my first record. I still listen to it
and it's just like it tears me up because it's like.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
It was so emotional writing. You know, a song like
that about.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
A relationship, a breakup of divorce is what I was
going and and some you go through all these emotions,
you're so upset when it's new. And then bye Bye,
you know, Bye Bye is a song where I was
finally just like pissed off and it was like, you know,
it was kind of a kiss my ass kind of song,
and and you know, it's just it's very therapeutic, you know,
(12:54):
to deal with it in that way instead of you know,
you know, you want to somebody but that's not a
good idea.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
No, No, strangling the pen with your fingers is probably smart.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
That's the way to do it.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
That's what we do for the piano strangle.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
I've beat some pianos to death. I'll tell you that that.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Well, hopefully not the one that your grandmother lives.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
No, it's it's a beautiful piano. I'm trying.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
I've got to get it, you know, redone. It's it's
a beautiful old piano.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
And uh, you know, but I.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Have I mean, look, I mean i've got I've got
grand pianos in my bedroom, in my living I mean,
I've got Wow.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
But yeah, I mean I would write.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
I mean, i'm very very add I'm way better now
since I had an art attack.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
I can be honest with you.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
But I have a lot more patience and and and
all that. But I think, you know, for me, i'd
walk from you know, I've got one over here. I've
got one over here, I've got one in my bedroom.
I've got one of the in my barn. It's like
I have different places I can go to to sort
of event and yeah, and it's it's cool that way,
(14:06):
you know. But I I'm very thankful that I have
an outlet like that, you know, I mean, working out
has definitely been one of my outlets.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
And and you know.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
That worked out every day, every day, every day and
then had a heart attack and died. So you know,
it's weird, you know, And and you know, you don't
know that you're genetically flawed. You know, those things don't
really rear their ugly head until it's it's too late.
And but it was, it was I actually did survive it,
(14:37):
and and now I'm very grateful, and I think of
life differently, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Yeah, And I love your idea of basically putting a
piano in every room, so no matter where you turn,
you're inspired and it may be a different setting. I'm
just curious, though, have you ever felt pressured? You know,
you're a celebrity and you're out there in a public figure.
Have you ever felt pressure to hide any of the
struggles that you've had in life? And how have you
(15:03):
overcome it? If you if you did feel that pressure.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Well, you know, I think you know, uh, whenever you're
you air your dirty laundry in front of them, you
know a lot of people would hear about you know,
your I was going through divorce or going through this
or going through that, you know, and it's always it's
always hard, you know, it's hard. It's always hard to
(15:28):
I mean, it's hard to face it anyway. But then
you have people coming at you and asking you questions
and this and that, and uh, you know, I think
for me, honestly, I would sit in a room dark room,
my bedroom or my whatever, my barn or.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Wherever I'd go.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
I always had a place that I could could talk
about things. And my songwriters are my therapists, you know.
If I would write with there my not just my friends,
but they're my best friends and they're my deep and
I've lost a lot a lot of those guys in
the last three or four five years, you know, and
and and I miss them, you know, I miss them
because I had a real like Merle Haggard, and you
(16:06):
think about Charlie Black and some of these guys that
they were my I don't know, they're almost my songwriter
soulmate kind of guys. And we had such a great run,
you know, we had a lot of hits together and
and and you know, we changed each other's lives, you know,
and that's what friends really help you do that, you know.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Yeah, they do, they sure do. And speaking of friends,
not that all of your fans are personal friends, but
I've read that you really thrive on having a connection
with your fans, and it's really important to you. Actually,
I believe the words were extremely important to you. Why
is the connection with you and your fans so important?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Well, I just think I learned a lot from them.
I get a lot of I get a lot of feedback, positive, negative,
all of it, you know, And and you know, sometimes
you don't want to hear it. But it's not just
your fans, but it's like they're like your family in
a way.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
And I never had a big family, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
I have my mother still and my two sisters, and
so it's never very big family, you know. And I
lost my dad young, you know. So I think you just,
I don't know, you find you find your people, you know,
in the world, and it was for me it was
(17:29):
my writers and and you know, you got people you
can really you can talk to and cry with or
you know, whenever you're going through a situation. And I
did a lot through you know, divorce and marriage and
death and all these things that I've you know, I've
(17:49):
had to, you know, go through life, and that's part
of life, and you know, but you you find folks
that sort of help you get through.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
That, that's for sure. How old were you when your dad.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Passed, Well, it was before any of my hits, before
you know, he was always you know, I mean I
thought my dad was. He was tough, you know. And
but of course, moving to Nashville to be a songwriter,
you just need to you need to get a job
and do this.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
And oh, he didn't think you were going to make
it work. He had no you know, he didn't.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah, he was a singer and he wanted to.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
I mean, I think I think ultimately when my dad
passed away, I went to the house and to where
my dad was living and then and he had a
cassette tape of my music playing, so he was listening
to it.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
So, you know, I think I think he was proud.
I really do.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
I think he you know, he had a messed up
childhood too. You know, we all come from somewhere and
sometimes it's not very pleasurable, you know, let's just say.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
That's for sure.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Yeah we are, you know, and I think that's true. Right.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Well, and again That's the reason why I love doing
the show, because you know, you always find out how
much we all do really have in common with each other,
more than we ever would know. How does it make
your how does it make your you feel when your
fans really, I mean, when you're this source of comfort
and healing for them with your music.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Well, it's awesome. You know, you have a relationship with them.
And I've had a twenty five thirty year relationship with
a lot of these folks that I've known for years
and years, and it's very it's comforting to know that
you have those folks too, and I depend on them
more than they know, right, you know. And you know,
(19:42):
the music business is brutal. It's really brutal, you know.
You it's hard when you write something, you pour your
heart into something, even like thirty years, I mean some
of the biggest hits I've ever had that were like
that soul will never make it. Nobody wants to hear
about turn thirty, you know, and that's a music guy,
you know. And of course I've gotten to tell these
guys just kiss off at some point, and which has
(20:03):
been great.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
You know, when when you.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Well, but that's because you kept going because you kept
you didn't let them stop you from your dream. And
that that's a huge part of it though, because a
lot of people get that said to them and then
they just give up.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
I know, and they turned they turned their back on
their life, you know. And you can't you can't listen
to people.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
You know. You've got to listen to people that you love.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
And you trust, you know, And and uh, that's why
sometimes like when my dad was like, you don't need
to good to night, I mean, I think he was proud,
but it was hard for him to let go. And
I think he knew how tough it was. He said,
I don't want you to go through that, and in
his way, that was you know. Of course, my mother
has was always my biggest fan, right you know, And
(20:46):
and and having your mother and my sisters, you know,
they've always been there too. It's been great. And you
know it's uh, you just learned to take take advice
from people that really count. You know that that you
know it's good to take that, take listen, take it
and then do your make your decision right.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
That's so smart, that's very very smart. I just just
like you. Everybody told me you don't want to get in.
You've got to be a doctor or a lawyer, or
you don't want to get into the radio and television
all that. It's so difficult. And I thought, you know what,
that's like lighting a fire under my ass to prove
them wrong, you know, And that was it.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
So even the ones that love you help you, but
in ways that you wouldn't expect, right, and.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
That is inspiring when people tell you. I mean, I
think just proving people wrong is sort of is its own,
you know force.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
I knew every day.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
I knew I was doing something right when people would
come to my club and you couldn't get in, you know,
you couldn't even you know, you tried, and and it
was we were succeeding, you know, I was, I was
doing that. One of my buddies is a of course
Italian chef, but had he ran the restaurant and I
did the club, and we'd had Steve Winwood and Donna Summers.
(22:06):
I mean, all these guys would come into my bar,
and that was way back in the day, you know,
and before I was, before I'd made it as a
as a writer or an artist.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
And they came in, they were. They were supportive and
they were so great.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
And you know, Nashville was just a really, really cool community.
And I just knew I made the right decision, you know,
and that was in the right place.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Yeah, you were. And still I still know Dad is
smiling down on you like my dad. I know now
that they you know, yeah, they raised us right. I
could talk to you for hours longer, but I want
to say thank you for all the charitable stuff you
do with musicians on call. I know you go to
the hospitals and play for people and you're very giving
(22:50):
in that way. And so we love musicians on call.
We've we've worked with them as well. So thank you
for that. Thank you for all you doing. Good luck
with everything in the future. Thank you, and thank you
for coming on music save me and and please come back.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Oh well anytime anytime. I love doing it.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
And uh, this has been fun today, so you know
anytime you want.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Me all right sounds well, don't say that because I'm
going to call you.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Well, come on, all right.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Thank you so much, Bill.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Absolutely, and thank you. Thank you
Music Saved Me, and you know, are some of my
heroes like Marl Haggard, And I mean I got to
meet these guys and hang out with them.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
And loved them.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You know, they were just like my friends, and as
a young songwriter, they were very, very supportive.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Hello, I'm Lynn Hoffman. And on today's episode of Music
Saved Me, we welcome a true country music powerhouse, Phil Vasser.
Now for more than twenty five years, Phil's heartfelt songwriting
and energetic performances have made him a beloved figure in
the world of country music, with hits like just Another
Day in Paradise, one of My Favorite music videos, and
(00:39):
American Child resonating with fans across generations. He has racked
up ten number one hits, twenty seven top forty songs,
nine albums, as well as being an award winning singer songwriter.
He's writing hit songs for artists like Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw,
Jody Messina and since we're talking about awards, I read
he even won a Best Actor Award and the Long
(01:00):
Island International Film Festival. This man is a triple threat,
and he's known for his signature piano driven country sound,
blending heartfelt storytelling with infectious melodies. Today, Phil shares his
remarkable journey of survival, gratitude, and resilience, and talks to
us about the songs that carried him through his darkest moments,
the faith and community that lifted him up, and how
(01:24):
his near death experiences have given new meaning to every
lyric he writes in every note he plays. Phil Vasser,
Welcome to Music Save Me. It is wonderful to have
you on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
How you doing Lynn, Thanks for having me well.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Thank you for being here. And you know, I read
I want to talk to you about personal connection to
music and how it helped you to heal. But first
I was reading a little something about your past. You're
known for your obviously incredible piano playing, but I read
you actually started your love affair with music on a guitar,
which so how did that end up switching? And was
(01:59):
it always come for music and how did you figure
that connection out?
Speaker 2 (02:03):
You know, it was always just music, I think, you know,
back back then.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
I mean, of course, my dad was in music and
he loved to sing and do all these things. So
it was you know, set on my doorstep, you know,
when I was young, you know, and I started playing
guitar a little bit, and but.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Then one of my great aunts.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Passed away and gave us this piano and brought it
over to the house. And it's an old eighteen hundred
upright piano. It's really cool and I still have that
in a warehouse somewhere in Virginia somewhere. But I just
fell in love with the piano, and I mean it's
(02:48):
just I just love it. And of course in Nashville,
everybody's like, well, you know, you're a piano player, You're
never going to do anything here.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
So I mean it was.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
I kept getting that all over and over again, and
even from record labels, from of course, from publishing companies,
and of course, you know, it doesn't matter what you're
right on, you know whatever. It just took me a
while so I couldn't really get a deal. I finally
got a publishing deal, and then I was, you know, I.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Was just sort of frustrated.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
So I started playing live, and I had this great following,
you know, I had a great, great live following, and
then all these record labels and McGraw and Jody Messina,
all these people would come into my bar. Alan Jackson,
even the publishing companies and the record labels started coming
into because it was packed and you know, you just
(03:42):
couldn't get in.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
It was one of those things where it was sort
of I really was really.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Blessed because, you know, starting my own bar, and it
was just I was it was work, you know.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
And what was the name of the bar.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
It was called the Hard Day's Hard Day's Nightclub. And
because I was a I'm a big, big Beatles fan
and anyway, so it was.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
It was great and you proved them wrong because you
went into country music with a piano, so I did.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And then you know, then all these then Jody or
whoever would machine it would come in the in my
bar or whatever.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Who did that bye bye song? Or who did I'm
all right.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Or you know, and then thirty you know, my next
thirty years, all these songs Mike McGraw recorded, and and
it was it was an interesting time and.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
It was a it was like I struggled for so long.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
And then it was just like a windfall, you know,
and so I just was really uh, and then all
the record labels wanted to give me a record deal.
You need to do a record. I'm like I've been
trying to do a record for twenty years and you're
and you've you know, now you want me to do
a record or fifteen years or whatever it was. And uh,
(04:59):
but I I couldn't wait. I was glad. And then
of course, you know, Carlene came out just on d
in Paradise and it was a it was a big hit,
hit record, and you know, so it's been you know,
twenty five years of this craziness, you know, so it's
been great.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
I think it's amazing that you proved everybody wrong and
that you were vindicated with wanting to make the album,
because there's nothing there's no better feeling than that, especially
when you're creating art. Really everything's so subjective, right that, Phil,
Can you share a time in your life when music
truly saved you and helped you through a difficult moment
(05:38):
or gave you hope when you needed it most.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Well, I mean when I had my heart attack, you know,
I was I could always find solace and just walking
over to the piano and playing music, even when in
the craziest times, you know, the worst times, but I
always thinking that was the worst of times. It was
the best of times. You know that that that's you know,
(06:01):
but it really was. It was it just blew up
and finally everybody kind of got it. It was like
everybody got the joke right. And then I just started
having hits and hits and hits and hits, and and uh,
you know some of my hero like Alan Jackson, and
you know some of my dear dear friends, you know,
Kenny Chesney and then.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Uh and uh Tim McGraw, and I mean.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
It was just it was sucking Colin Ray and I just, uh,
you know a lot of.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Great things happened.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
I mean a lot of things didn't happen, you know,
but but I finally got what I always wanted, and
that was a record deal, and and got a chance
to tour, and that's my favorite. You know, playing live
is always going to be my favorite. I do love
to write songs, and you know, it can be tenuous,
you know, it's it's sometimes, you know, songwriting, especially if
(06:53):
you're you know, you get stuck on a song. Some
songs you write it takes years to write it, you know,
and some and and but I always found that the
biggest my biggest hits I always wrote in twenty or
thirty minutes.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
You know, it was just always it's.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Like that's okay, this is this is it in my
next thirty years. I mean I could't even write it
fast enough. You know. It was you know, it was
my birthday, right, it was my thirtieth birthday. I was like, man, wow,
you know. So it's like certain things kind of give
you a jolt emotionally, and uh, you know, just in
(07:29):
the in Paradise was one of those songs to you know,
we we wrote that, Me and my buddy Craig Wiseman
wrote that song together and and and we wrote it
and it was so fast and you know, but it
was one of those things where we you know, it
was we I almost didn't get there. I mean it
was one of those days. You know, I had a
(07:50):
house emergency like I always do because I have, you know,
one hundred and three year old houses, you know, and
which I love. I love that, but you know, it's
it's a labor of love. And but the songs were great,
and and I had some incredible co writers you know
that I loved in a very small group, right, but
(08:13):
they were my best friends. And I've lost some of
those guys in the last five years. And it's I'm
still heartbroken about it, you know, and and but it's
it's been a it's been a crazy time.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Well you know, during during some of those times that
were a little bit more on the difficult side going through,
did your relationship with music ever change?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
I don't know if my relationship with music ever changed.
And you know, I think once again, I would always
I loved like the Eagles. I loved you know, Glenn
fry and and Don Henley, and I loved like bands.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Like Queen, you know, being back.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
I always go went back and listen to the Beatles
records and some of my favorite songs, and and uh,
you know, it was just it was it was amazing,
you know. But I think music always got me through
tough times.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I found that.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And you know, some of my heroes like More Haggard
and I mean I got to meet these guys and
hang out with them and and loved them. You know,
they were just my friends and and as a young songwriter,
they were.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
They were very, very supportive.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
And I said, man, you just got to stop listening
to those you know, those assholes or whatever.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
They would they would always tell me that, you know, said, look,
you got to listen to you.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
He said, you're great. So you're great, and you.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
You got to start believing in yourself, you know, blah
blah blah. And it was really it just uh it was.
It just touched me in my soul, right, So I
just said, look, this is I like this.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I don't care if you like it. I like it.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
And and uh and I had a great following, and uh,
you know, audiences would come in and hear me do
my own song. They hear me do I'm all right,
they hear me do bye bye. They hear me do
all the songs, and everybody hate them in town. The publishers,
they hated him and ended up once they got out.
They were huge number one songs. And you know what
(10:10):
it was. It was good to kind of there you go, yeah, exactly,
and it was it was a great time. And you
know what, you can't blame people for being stupid. They
just are sometimes.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
You know, many of your songs are deeply personal, as
you just mentioned some of the names of them, but
they're also super relatable. Do you find that songwriting is
a form of therapy or an emotional rap?
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Absolutely? And I swear I think it's for me.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
It is you know, for for anybody good songwriter that
I mean, you know of I was going through a breakup.
I was going through a divorce when I wrote above Bye.
I mean just stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
You know. It's just you know, you know, relationships are.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Hard and we all have we all have them, and
they're very hard sometimes and they still are, but you know,
you just you just kind of try to I don't
know that it's I could vent with my words and
my songs, you know, and I could do that, and.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
That was.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I don't know it was it was I saved my money.
I've saved a lot of money on therapy. I think
it did just by just by writing songs and making
money instead of spending it.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
You know.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Yeah, And a lot of times people don't know exactly
who you're writing about and if it's someone else that
you're observing or yourself, but you put a lot of
yourself into your music. Now. The Music Saved Me podcast
is about bringing conversations about mental health, you know, out
of the shadows through music and the healing power of music.
And also I think through these conversations too, realizing that
(11:50):
we're all more alike than we are different and I'm
just curious how you've approached mental health practices in your
own life and has music always played a role in
your journey in terms of working through things that happened
to you, Because life is ninety or ten percent what
happens to you ninety percent how you deal with it.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Exactly, And I think I think yes, And in a
lot of ways, I mean, I have, you know, my
therapy is my writing my songs. Sometimes I can just
I mean, the sadest songs you know, I've ever Rose
Bulk on my first record. I still listen to it
and it's just like it tears me up because it's like.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
It was so emotional writing. You know, a song like
that about.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
A relationship, a breakup of divorce is what I was
going and and some you go through all these emotions,
you're so upset when it's new. And then bye Bye,
you know, Bye Bye is a song where I was
finally just like pissed off and it was like, you know,
it was kind of a kiss my ass kind of song,
and and you know, it's just it's very therapeutic, you know,
(12:54):
to deal with it in that way instead of you know,
you know, you want to somebody but that's not a
good idea.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
No, No, strangling the pen with your fingers is probably smart.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
That's the way to do it.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
That's what we do for the piano strangle.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
I've beat some pianos to death. I'll tell you that that.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Well, hopefully not the one that your grandmother lives.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
No, it's it's a beautiful piano. I'm trying.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
I've got to get it, you know, redone. It's it's
a beautiful old piano.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
And uh, you know, but I.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Have I mean, look, I mean i've got I've got
grand pianos in my bedroom, in my living I mean,
I've got Wow.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
But yeah, I mean I would write.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
I mean, i'm very very add I'm way better now
since I had an art attack.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
I can be honest with you.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
But I have a lot more patience and and and
all that. But I think, you know, for me, i'd
walk from you know, I've got one over here. I've
got one over here, I've got one in my bedroom.
I've got one of the in my barn. It's like
I have different places I can go to to sort
of event and yeah, and it's it's cool that way,
(14:06):
you know. But I I'm very thankful that I have
an outlet like that, you know, I mean, working out
has definitely been one of my outlets.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
And and you know.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
That worked out every day, every day, every day and
then had a heart attack and died. So you know,
it's weird, you know, And and you know, you don't
know that you're genetically flawed. You know, those things don't
really rear their ugly head until it's it's too late.
And but it was, it was I actually did survive it,
(14:37):
and and now I'm very grateful, and I think of
life differently, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Yeah, And I love your idea of basically putting a
piano in every room, so no matter where you turn,
you're inspired and it may be a different setting. I'm
just curious, though, have you ever felt pressured? You know,
you're a celebrity and you're out there in a public figure.
Have you ever felt pressure to hide any of the
struggles that you've had in life? And how have you
(15:03):
overcome it? If you if you did feel that pressure.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Well, you know, I think you know, uh, whenever you're
you air your dirty laundry in front of them, you
know a lot of people would hear about you know,
your I was going through divorce or going through this
or going through that, you know, and it's always it's
always hard, you know, it's hard. It's always hard to
(15:28):
I mean, it's hard to face it anyway. But then
you have people coming at you and asking you questions
and this and that, and uh, you know, I think
for me, honestly, I would sit in a room dark room,
my bedroom or my whatever, my barn or.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Wherever I'd go.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
I always had a place that I could could talk
about things. And my songwriters are my therapists, you know.
If I would write with there my not just my friends,
but they're my best friends and they're my deep and
I've lost a lot a lot of those guys in
the last three or four five years, you know, and
and and I miss them, you know, I miss them
because I had a real like Merle Haggard, and you
(16:06):
think about Charlie Black and some of these guys that
they were my I don't know, they're almost my songwriter
soulmate kind of guys. And we had such a great run,
you know, we had a lot of hits together and
and and you know, we changed each other's lives, you know,
and that's what friends really help you do that, you know.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Yeah, they do, they sure do. And speaking of friends,
not that all of your fans are personal friends, but
I've read that you really thrive on having a connection
with your fans, and it's really important to you. Actually,
I believe the words were extremely important to you. Why
is the connection with you and your fans so important?
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Well, I just think I learned a lot from them.
I get a lot of I get a lot of feedback, positive, negative,
all of it, you know, And and you know, sometimes
you don't want to hear it. But it's not just
your fans, but it's like they're like your family in
a way.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
And I never had a big family, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
I have my mother still and my two sisters, and
so it's never very big family, you know. And I
lost my dad young, you know. So I think you just,
I don't know, you find you find your people, you know,
in the world, and it was for me it was
(17:29):
my writers and and you know, you got people you
can really you can talk to and cry with or
you know, whenever you're going through a situation. And I
did a lot through you know, divorce and marriage and
death and all these things that I've you know, I've
(17:49):
had to, you know, go through life, and that's part
of life, and you know, but you you find folks
that sort of help you get through.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
That, that's for sure. How old were you when your dad.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Passed, Well, it was before any of my hits, before
you know, he was always you know, I mean I
thought my dad was. He was tough, you know. And
but of course, moving to Nashville to be a songwriter,
you just need to you need to get a job
and do this.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
And oh, he didn't think you were going to make
it work. He had no you know, he didn't.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah, he was a singer and he wanted to.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
I mean, I think I think ultimately when my dad
passed away, I went to the house and to where
my dad was living and then and he had a
cassette tape of my music playing, so he was listening
to it.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
So, you know, I think I think he was proud.
I really do.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
I think he you know, he had a messed up
childhood too. You know, we all come from somewhere and
sometimes it's not very pleasurable, you know, let's just say.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
That's for sure.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Yeah we are, you know, and I think that's true. Right.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Well, and again That's the reason why I love doing
the show, because you know, you always find out how
much we all do really have in common with each other,
more than we ever would know. How does it make
your how does it make your you feel when your
fans really, I mean, when you're this source of comfort
and healing for them with your music.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Well, it's awesome. You know, you have a relationship with them.
And I've had a twenty five thirty year relationship with
a lot of these folks that I've known for years
and years, and it's very it's comforting to know that
you have those folks too, and I depend on them
more than they know, right, you know. And you know,
(19:42):
the music business is brutal. It's really brutal, you know.
You it's hard when you write something, you pour your
heart into something, even like thirty years, I mean some
of the biggest hits I've ever had that were like
that soul will never make it. Nobody wants to hear
about turn thirty, you know, and that's a music guy,
you know. And of course I've gotten to tell these
guys just kiss off at some point, and which has
(20:03):
been great.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
You know, when when you.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Well, but that's because you kept going because you kept
you didn't let them stop you from your dream. And
that that's a huge part of it though, because a
lot of people get that said to them and then
they just give up.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
I know, and they turned they turned their back on
their life, you know. And you can't you can't listen
to people.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
You know. You've got to listen to people that you love.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
And you trust, you know, And and uh, that's why
sometimes like when my dad was like, you don't need
to good to night, I mean, I think he was proud,
but it was hard for him to let go. And
I think he knew how tough it was. He said,
I don't want you to go through that, and in
his way, that was you know. Of course, my mother
has was always my biggest fan, right you know, And
(20:46):
and and having your mother and my sisters, you know,
they've always been there too. It's been great. And you
know it's uh, you just learned to take take advice
from people that really count. You know that that you
know it's good to take that, take listen, take it
and then do your make your decision right.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
That's so smart, that's very very smart. I just just
like you. Everybody told me you don't want to get in.
You've got to be a doctor or a lawyer, or
you don't want to get into the radio and television
all that. It's so difficult. And I thought, you know what,
that's like lighting a fire under my ass to prove
them wrong, you know, And that was it.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
That's it.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
So even the ones that love you help you, but
in ways that you wouldn't expect, right, and.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
That is inspiring when people tell you. I mean, I
think just proving people wrong is sort of is its own,
you know force.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
I knew every day.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
I knew I was doing something right when people would
come to my club and you couldn't get in, you know,
you couldn't even you know, you tried, and and it
was we were succeeding, you know, I was, I was
doing that. One of my buddies is a of course
Italian chef, but had he ran the restaurant and I
did the club, and we'd had Steve Winwood and Donna Summers.
(22:06):
I mean, all these guys would come into my bar,
and that was way back in the day, you know,
and before I was, before I'd made it as a
as a writer or an artist.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
And they came in, they were. They were supportive and
they were so great.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
And you know, Nashville was just a really, really cool community.
And I just knew I made the right decision, you know,
and that was in the right place.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Yeah, you were. And still I still know Dad is
smiling down on you like my dad. I know now
that they you know, yeah, they raised us right. I
could talk to you for hours longer, but I want
to say thank you for all the charitable stuff you
do with musicians on call. I know you go to
the hospitals and play for people and you're very giving
(22:50):
in that way. And so we love musicians on call.
We've we've worked with them as well. So thank you
for that. Thank you for all you doing. Good luck
with everything in the future. Thank you, and thank you
for coming on music save me and and please come back.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Oh well anytime anytime. I love doing it.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
And uh, this has been fun today, so you know
anytime you want.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Me all right sounds well, don't say that because I'm
going to call you.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Well, come on, all right.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Thank you so much, Bill.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Absolutely, and thank you. Thank you
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