Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It's Scott Stevens and today it's my pleasure to welcome
a true hometown hero. Platinum selling singer songwriter Phil Vesser
is back in Lynchburg as part of his twenty five
Years of Paradise tour, celebrating a quarter century since his
brickout hit Just another day in Paradise, and Hey, is
an old God. I'm proud to say I played that
(00:23):
when it was brand new. Heck, I played one before that, Carleen,
when it was brand new. I played songs he wrote
for other people before that were when they were brand new.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Well. Phil's journey is nothing.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Short of inspiring, and now he's bringing the energy, the music,
and the memories to the historic Academy Center right here
in Lynchburg.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Phil, it's great to have you back in the studio.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
How you doing, Scott, I'm great, brother. How are you doing, man,
it's good to hear your voice.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Well, thank you, I'm doing well.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I know that we both have had our little share
of health scares in the last few years. You had
the heart thing, I was fortunate enough to survive. I
have a stroke with minimal you know, minimal damage is
kind of a wake up call. All right, boy, you
better start eating a little better and taking good care
of that one body you've got.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
You know, it's funny, Scott. You know, I never I
didn't drink, I didn't do drugs. I ate chicken spinach
every day. And I'm still the one that had the
stroke and the heart attack. So you know what, Apparently
my doctor told me, he said it doesn't matter. He said, look, man,
you just had bad jeans, but you survived it. And
you know now I feel great and I'm just I'm
(01:30):
just having a good time. Now. I get to come home,
and I'm really excited about coming to Lynchburg and see
my mom and my sisters and a bunch of my friends.
And it's exciting, you know, to get to do this
because you love it now and I do more than ever.
You know. It's just it's not like I have to
pound a pavement like I used to.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, well, you know, coming to Lynchburg, the greater Lynchburg
area for that matter, to do a concert is kind
of like a concert and kind of like a family reunion.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
I think exactly what it is. I know, I've got
a lot of folks coming to meet and greet and
I think we're going to actually go across the street
and have a big, you know, sort of after show party,
and then, you know, just to say hi to everybody
that I haven't seen in a long long time. And
(02:17):
I'm I'm excited, man, I really really am. Scott.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Well, you do sound excited, but you also sound pretty relaxed.
And I think I've heard you talk about feeling a
lot more grateful and maybe a little calm these days.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
So how does that show up in.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Your performances, and certainly how does that show up in
your songwriting?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
You know what it's it's it's kind of fun to
be at this point where I'm not worried about you know,
you're always working new singles, You're always making new albums,
writing new songs. You got to do this, you got
to do that, and and you know, the labels put
so much pressure on you to you know, to keep up,
to try to you know, write songs. I couldn't get
(02:58):
a record deal for so long. And you know, once
Tim mcgron, Alan Jackson and Jody was seeing all these
people started cutting my songs and having hits with them,
then the labels finally said, well, you know, you should
do a record. I said, I've been trying to do
a record for ten years, dude, and you've been keeping
me from doing it. So but anyway, you know, you
(03:21):
just have to do do what you do. And you know,
I really love I really love my job. I really
love to make music and play and make people happy,
and hopefully I always do. I don't. That's why I
don't do many sad songs like God, it's have fun
and uh, you know, not not be too deep. And
(03:42):
you know, I'm just saying, you know, I'm just saying,
it's not that I don't write those songs. It's just
I just keep them, you know, I don't. I don't
do them a lot. You know, I've wanted everybody to
have a good time. And you know, there's a couple
of songs. You know, I've had a couple of hit
songs that were sad. But you know, it's just what
it is, you know, you just you just try to
put on a good show and make people smile. That's
(04:04):
what we will.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
You're using the title with just Another Day in Paradise
to talk about this tour, which I think is great
twenty five years ago, which I can't believe by the way,
I mean, I know it's from your perspective as the artist,
as the writer, as the performer. On the other side
of the microphone is a guy like me who let's see,
in ninety nine. In two thousand, I was in Blacksburg.
(04:27):
I was working at a country station there and I
can still I was doing a morning show and I
can still remember.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Playing the song.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
I can remember when Carlene came out, and you know,
I remember asking our music director, Jack Douglass at the times,
like Jack, what is this?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Who is this? Phil? What is it?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
He said, Dude, he's from Virginia and he wrote this
song for Joe d and it's a good song and
it's going to be a hit. And I was like,
all right, all right, fine, and man, fell in love
with the music from that day forward.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Good stuff. Then you're calling it just another day paradise.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
So you know, what does that song mean to you today,
all these years later?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
You know what? It's so funny stuff because I was
in you know, I was in the middle of writing crazy.
You know, I was writing with As a matter of fact,
I was in La writing with Mac Davis, you know,
the great Mac Davis who's gone now, yeah, and I
was writing with Mac and uh, Carlene was, you know,
already in the top five, and the label calls when
(05:28):
I was out there, they said, well, you we need
to get you to go ahead and do a video
because videos were a big thing back then. And and uh,
he said, well you got to do a video for
for for your next single, just another day in Paradise.
I said, well, well okay. So I mean I ended
up being out there for a long time and you know,
she's getting the in the treatment for the video and
(05:50):
going over with the director and it was such as
it was such a crazy, crazy time. But we did
the video and of course it was such a vicky
and you know, it's you know, it's kind of weird
to go back all those decades later and think about
these things that happened, and you know, the good things,
(06:11):
the bad things, and but I mean, it's I'm just
blessed to be alive at this point, and I'm very thankful,
and I'm really excited to get home. Man. I really
am excited to see my family and my friends. And
it's good. It's good stuff, you know. Yep.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
The time of this interview, of course, is Friday, the
twenty fourth. As we're recording this, the show is coming
up Monday. So whether you're hearing this on wyy D today,
which we'll have clips of that on wyy D today,
or if you're hearing this on the podcast, you got
to act quick to get quick to get those tickets
now when they come see you. For folks who haven't
(06:50):
seen you, I don't know that there's anybody in the
greater Central Virginia area that hasn't seen you. But your
your set list. You know, most of these artists, they
come in with a set list and it's pretty much
the same every night, but yours is kind of the
kind of the opposite of that.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
You know, well, we we try to just figure out
right before the show what we're going to start with,
and you know, it's just kind of a free for
all for there. You know. From there, we we have
a sort of a guideline. You know, we have a
bunch of like fifteen or twenty songs on a list,
and then I just start listening to the audience and
they'll start screaming out a song and we just I said, okay,
(07:27):
let's do that, and it really makes it fun. I mean,
this week's been a lot of fun. I've been, you know,
we're up north and working our way down and it's
been a great market. And these these are great, great,
great shows. And I love the Academy. I did I
did a I did an event there, a private event
(07:49):
not long ago, so I got to come home for that.
And man, it's just such a it's such a great
great I mean, Linchburg has changed so much, isn't it crazy?
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Yeah, downtown it's.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Still change beautiful.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's great. Scott, I'll tell you what, man,
were you? You know, it's just so great to come home.
You know, just just just see all your see all
your friends and your family and and laugh a lot
and smile a lot and talk about the old times and.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
And absolutely, you know, absolutely well. You mentioned writing with
Mac Davis back in the day. You've mentored other rising stars,
like a guy named Matthew Ramsey of Old Dominion. I mean,
what do you look for in emerging songwriters and artists?
Speaker 1 (08:35):
What advice do you give them? Somebody like Matthew for example, Well, you.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Know, Matt is, he's a special guy. Man. I love that.
I love that band. And and you know, when when
I'm when I first met him, and I just said, man,
this this guy's great, you know, and I was excited
just to be just to be part of it, you know,
and uh, you know, I I just you know, he
(09:00):
did some shows with me early on, and of course
I'm so excited about, you know, going on tour with
those guys next year. Was so great that Matt called
and said, hey, man, once't you go to once you
go on tour with us next year? And I'm like, well,
the old guys it's coming back around.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Oh man, I was gonna say, I've been he they
opened for you and you're playing with them, and it's
full circle, man, it really is.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
It's it's really it's really special man. And I'm very
thankful that they you know, they called up and and
asked me to be a part of it, and uh,
you know, it's just it's just really really cool when
when something like that comes to Fruition. You know, you
work so hard and and you just you know, you
(09:44):
just try to do your thing and and and hopefully
it comes back around eventually, you know. So I'm letting
playing now again. It's just it's very special. I don't
take it for granted I was. I think I was
beaten into the ground for so long. I just toured
and toured and toured for so long for decades, and
and it was just you know, of course I wasn't healthy,
(10:06):
and I didn't know it. You know, you're working out
every day and you didn't know your arteries were clogged,
you know, from from genetics and and but anyway, I
just feel so so different now, Scott, you know, I
feel so I feel like a I feel like a
different person. And uh, and it's exciting to go into
next year. You know, know we're going to be out
(10:27):
on the road with those guys and and you know,
just just knocking it down. Here we go again.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
That is awesome.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Can't wait for that, But can't wait for this Monday.
Academycenter dot org. Academycenter dot org. You go there to
get your tickets.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Last I heard it's not sold out, but I'm pretty
sure it will.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
So I wouldn't come home. Yeah, I wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I wouldn't wait, right, So, uh, Phil, looking forward to
the show on Monday, buddy, and uh.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
As always talk to you. Yeah, yeah, definitely. I hope
I get to see you, Bro.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
I hope I get to see you. Am I going
to see you on Monday? Or what's going on? Do
you know?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Yes, I'm trying my best to work it out.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
You know it is. I'm not guing.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
So many things going on. I don't know how you're
doing all of it.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Well.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
You know, we run a few radio stations and we
just do the best we can. But if I can,
if I can get there, I definitely will. And folks,
hang on if you're hearing this on the radio, right
after the break, the namesake for the tour, just another
Day in Paradise, We've got it for you, right after
the break on wy Id and Phil. Buddy, stay in
touch regardless of whether I see you Monday or not.
(11:35):
I hope to see you out with Old Dominion next year.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Me too, Buddy, Me too. Thank you, Scotti, thank you,
Hey, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It's Scott Stevens and today it's my pleasure to welcome
a true hometown hero. Platinum selling singer songwriter Phil Vesser
is back in Lynchburg as part of his twenty five
Years of Paradise tour, celebrating a quarter century since his
brickout hit Just another day in Paradise, and Hey, is
an old God. I'm proud to say I played that
(00:23):
when it was brand new. Heck, I played one before that, Carleen,
when it was brand new. I played songs he wrote
for other people before that were when they were brand new.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Well. Phil's journey is nothing.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Short of inspiring, and now he's bringing the energy, the music,
and the memories to the historic Academy Center right here
in Lynchburg.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Phil, it's great to have you back in the studio.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
How you doing, Scott, I'm great, brother. How are you doing, man,
it's good to hear your voice.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Well, thank you, I'm doing well.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I know that we both have had our little share
of health scares in the last few years. You had
the heart thing, I was fortunate enough to survive. I
have a stroke with minimal you know, minimal damage is
kind of a wake up call. All right, boy, you
better start eating a little better and taking good care
of that one body you've got.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
You know, it's funny, Scott. You know, I never I
didn't drink, I didn't do drugs. I ate chicken spinach
every day. And I'm still the one that had the
stroke and the heart attack. So you know what, Apparently
my doctor told me, he said it doesn't matter. He said, look, man,
you just had bad jeans, but you survived it. And
you know now I feel great and I'm just I'm
(01:30):
just having a good time. Now. I get to come home,
and I'm really excited about coming to Lynchburg and see
my mom and my sisters and a bunch of my friends.
And it's exciting, you know, to get to do this
because you love it now and I do more than ever.
You know. It's just it's not like I have to
pound a pavement like I used to.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, well, you know, coming to Lynchburg, the greater Lynchburg
area for that matter, to do a concert is kind
of like a concert and kind of like a family reunion.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
I think exactly what it is. I know, I've got
a lot of folks coming to meet and greet and
I think we're going to actually go across the street
and have a big, you know, sort of after show party,
and then, you know, just to say hi to everybody
that I haven't seen in a long long time. And
(02:17):
I'm I'm excited, man, I really really am. Scott.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Well, you do sound excited, but you also sound pretty relaxed.
And I think I've heard you talk about feeling a
lot more grateful and maybe a little calm these days.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
So how does that show up in.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Your performances, and certainly how does that show up in
your songwriting?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
You know what it's it's it's kind of fun to
be at this point where I'm not worried about you know,
you're always working new singles, You're always making new albums,
writing new songs. You got to do this, you got
to do that, and and you know, the labels put
so much pressure on you to you know, to keep up,
to try to you know, write songs. I couldn't get
(02:58):
a record deal for so long. And you know, once
Tim mcgron, Alan Jackson and Jody was seeing all these
people started cutting my songs and having hits with them,
then the labels finally said, well, you know, you should
do a record. I said, I've been trying to do
a record for ten years, dude, and you've been keeping
me from doing it. So but anyway, you know, you
(03:21):
just have to do do what you do. And you know,
I really love I really love my job. I really
love to make music and play and make people happy,
and hopefully I always do. I don't. That's why I
don't do many sad songs like God, it's have fun
and uh, you know, not not be too deep. And
(03:42):
you know, I'm just saying, you know, I'm just saying,
it's not that I don't write those songs. It's just
I just keep them, you know, I don't. I don't
do them a lot. You know, I've wanted everybody to
have a good time. And you know, there's a couple
of songs. You know, I've had a couple of hit
songs that were sad. But you know, it's just what
it is, you know, you just you just try to
put on a good show and make people smile. That's
(04:04):
what we will.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
You're using the title with just Another Day in Paradise
to talk about this tour, which I think is great
twenty five years ago, which I can't believe by the way,
I mean, I know it's from your perspective as the artist,
as the writer, as the performer. On the other side
of the microphone is a guy like me who let's see,
in ninety nine. In two thousand, I was in Blacksburg.
(04:27):
I was working at a country station there and I
can still I was doing a morning show and I
can still remember.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Playing the song.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
I can remember when Carlene came out, and you know,
I remember asking our music director, Jack Douglass at the times,
like Jack, what is this?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Who is this? Phil? What is it?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
He said, Dude, he's from Virginia and he wrote this
song for Joe d and it's a good song and
it's going to be a hit. And I was like,
all right, all right, fine, and man, fell in love
with the music from that day forward.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Good stuff. Then you're calling it just another day paradise.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
So you know, what does that song mean to you today,
all these years later?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
You know what? It's so funny stuff because I was
in you know, I was in the middle of writing crazy.
You know, I was writing with As a matter of fact,
I was in La writing with Mac Davis, you know,
the great Mac Davis who's gone now, yeah, and I
was writing with Mac and uh, Carlene was, you know,
already in the top five, and the label calls when
(05:28):
I was out there, they said, well, you we need
to get you to go ahead and do a video
because videos were a big thing back then. And and uh,
he said, well you got to do a video for
for for your next single, just another day in Paradise.
I said, well, well okay. So I mean I ended
up being out there for a long time and you know,
she's getting the in the treatment for the video and
(05:50):
going over with the director and it was such as
it was such a crazy, crazy time. But we did
the video and of course it was such a vicky
and you know, it's you know, it's kind of weird
to go back all those decades later and think about
these things that happened, and you know, the good things,
(06:11):
the bad things, and but I mean, it's I'm just
blessed to be alive at this point, and I'm very thankful,
and I'm really excited to get home. Man. I really
am excited to see my family and my friends. And
it's good. It's good stuff, you know. Yep.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
The time of this interview, of course, is Friday, the
twenty fourth. As we're recording this, the show is coming
up Monday. So whether you're hearing this on wyy D today,
which we'll have clips of that on wyy D today,
or if you're hearing this on the podcast, you got
to act quick to get quick to get those tickets
now when they come see you. For folks who haven't
(06:50):
seen you, I don't know that there's anybody in the
greater Central Virginia area that hasn't seen you. But your
your set list. You know, most of these artists, they
come in with a set list and it's pretty much
the same every night, but yours is kind of the
kind of the opposite of that.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
You know, well, we we try to just figure out
right before the show what we're going to start with,
and you know, it's just kind of a free for
all for there. You know. From there, we we have
a sort of a guideline. You know, we have a
bunch of like fifteen or twenty songs on a list,
and then I just start listening to the audience and
they'll start screaming out a song and we just I said, okay,
(07:27):
let's do that, and it really makes it fun. I mean,
this week's been a lot of fun. I've been, you know,
we're up north and working our way down and it's
been a great market. And these these are great, great,
great shows. And I love the Academy. I did I
did a I did an event there, a private event
(07:49):
not long ago, so I got to come home for that.
And man, it's just such a it's such a great
great I mean, Linchburg has changed so much, isn't it crazy?
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Yeah, downtown it's.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Still change beautiful.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's great. Scott, I'll tell you what, man,
were you? You know, it's just so great to come home.
You know, just just just see all your see all
your friends and your family and and laugh a lot
and smile a lot and talk about the old times and.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
And absolutely, you know, absolutely well. You mentioned writing with
Mac Davis back in the day. You've mentored other rising stars,
like a guy named Matthew Ramsey of Old Dominion. I mean,
what do you look for in emerging songwriters and artists?
Speaker 1 (08:35):
What advice do you give them? Somebody like Matthew for example, Well, you.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Know, Matt is, he's a special guy. Man. I love that.
I love that band. And and you know, when when
I'm when I first met him, and I just said, man,
this this guy's great, you know, and I was excited
just to be just to be part of it, you know,
and uh, you know, I I just you know, he
(09:00):
did some shows with me early on, and of course
I'm so excited about, you know, going on tour with
those guys next year. Was so great that Matt called
and said, hey, man, once't you go to once you
go on tour with us next year? And I'm like, well,
the old guys it's coming back around.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Oh man, I was gonna say, I've been he they
opened for you and you're playing with them, and it's
full circle, man, it really is.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
It's it's really it's really special man. And I'm very
thankful that they you know, they called up and and
asked me to be a part of it, and uh,
you know, it's just it's just really really cool when
when something like that comes to Fruition. You know, you
work so hard and and you just you know, you
(09:44):
just try to do your thing and and and hopefully
it comes back around eventually, you know. So I'm letting
playing now again. It's just it's very special. I don't
take it for granted I was. I think I was
beaten into the ground for so long. I just toured
and toured and toured for so long for decades, and
and it was just you know, of course I wasn't healthy,
(10:06):
and I didn't know it. You know, you're working out
every day and you didn't know your arteries were clogged,
you know, from from genetics and and but anyway, I
just feel so so different now, Scott, you know, I
feel so I feel like a I feel like a
different person. And uh, and it's exciting to go into
next year. You know, know we're going to be out
(10:27):
on the road with those guys and and you know,
just just knocking it down. Here we go again.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
That is awesome.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Can't wait for that, But can't wait for this Monday.
Academycenter dot org. Academycenter dot org. You go there to
get your tickets.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Last I heard it's not sold out, but I'm pretty
sure it will.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
So I wouldn't come home. Yeah, I wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
I wouldn't wait, right, So, uh, Phil, looking forward to
the show on Monday, buddy, and uh.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
As always talk to you. Yeah, yeah, definitely. I hope
I get to see you, Bro.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
I hope I get to see you. Am I going
to see you on Monday? Or what's going on? Do
you know?
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Yes, I'm trying my best to work it out.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
You know it is. I'm not guing.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
So many things going on. I don't know how you're
doing all of it.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Well.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
You know, we run a few radio stations and we
just do the best we can. But if I can,
if I can get there, I definitely will. And folks,
hang on if you're hearing this on the radio, right
after the break, the namesake for the tour, just another
Day in Paradise, We've got it for you, right after
the break on wy Id and Phil. Buddy, stay in
touch regardless of whether I see you Monday or not.
(11:35):
I hope to see you out with Old Dominion next year.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Me too, Buddy, Me too. Thank you, Scotti, thank you,
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!