By
Linda Spielman
|
.
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, has always been known for its steel mills, diverse ethnic
communities, and prides itself on its love of Rock N Roll. For a town like  Pittsburgh
to embrace country music, it was extremely gracious to one of country music’s
newest, talented artists, Phil Vassar. His performance at the Dollar Bank
Jamboree was a highlight to the town’s vast assortment of touring acts
this summer.
Although Vassar has only released his freshman
album, his lyrics & melodies have been heard around the world through
the voices of such names as Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina, Alan Jackson &
Collin Raye. The pairing of those voices & Vassar’s lyrics have nabbed
him slots in the coveted #1 on the Billboard Charts. They have also awarded
him such honors as 1999’s “ASCAP Songwriter of the Year”, as well as honoring
him for his composition in conjunction with 1999’s  “ASCAP
Song of the Year” for “Bye Bye” by Jo Dee Messina. His songwriting talents
have been recognized by other industry heavyweights as “Billboard”, “Music
Row Magazine”, “Gavin” and “ R & R”.
Not too bad of a resume for a guy from
Lynchburg, Virginia. Vassar grew up in your typical All-American Family;
raised with traditional values, he was a star athlete in high school and
was exposed to a wide range of musical influences. A former high school
quarterback, Vassar embarked on a business degree in college with some
influence from his father, but got derailed when he started taking classes
in music  theory,
history & business. As Vassar recalls, “College was a good time, but
eventually I was ready to get started with my music. I was ready to get
on with my life.”
Arriving in Nashville in 1987 to make his
mark, Vassar did what all-aspiring musicians do, struggled to get his big
break. From bartending, to owning his own restaurant, Vassar was constantly
writing songs along the way. In the late 90s Nashville took notice in a
big way. With his songs being recorded by some of the most popular names
in country music, it was only a  matter
of time that the man behind the words would be in front of the spotlight
performing his own material. After signing his label deal with Arista,
Vassar’s career has been nothing but icing on an already tasty cake.
Most of today’s cowboys arrive in a town
slinging their six strings on their back, riding their modern day horse
(the tour bus), or at least the stereotype has it. Don’t expect that from
a Phil Vassar show. Vassar’s weapons of choice…his piano (which he is found
dancing on top of during the show), a great band, his ever abounding energy,
his obvious love for being in front of a crowd, and yes his tour bus. His
lyrics are what has drawn the crowd to the show by exposing life’s everyday
ups & downs, heartaches & struggles, and the enjoyment of the simple
things. There are others involved behind those lyrics than just Vassar.
“I do write alone sometimes, but the songs on this album were written with
my friends. We might hang out & have lunch and sit all day and not
write a word, or we may  write
a hit single. But the song is a by-product of that time together,” as Vassar
explains. All 11 tracks on his self-titled debut album were co-written
by Vassar, and found his hardest decision was which of the many songs to
include in the final product.
Phil Vassar’s free concert in which he
opened for Wynonna a midst of 15,000 plus fans was nothing less than energized
times ten. He included all his songs, which he had written for other artists,
his #1 hit “Just Another Day In Paradise”, the poignant “Rose Bouquet”,
plus many other of the album’s tracks. “Six Pack Summer” seemed like the
anthem of the evening because the show took place on one of the city’s
nicest days of the summer thus far. It was a perfect East Coast summer
day and the song just seemed a perfect addition to the mix. One can’t help
but want to put the CD in their car, turn up the volume, roll down the
windows and enjoy the summer. To wind down the end  of
his set, Vassar covered Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”, doing it much justice.
Phil Vassar’s music and energized shows
have made him a very busy man this year. His summer concert schedule has
him juggling dates with Jo Dee Messina, Kenny Chesney, Chely Wright, with
quickie shows like the Pittsburgh show with Wynonna. Chances are he is
coming to your town soon, so be sure to catch him live if you can!
.
More Phil Vassar
Visit
the Official Phil Vassar Web Site
Listen
To/Purchase Phil Vassar Music
Check
on Phil Vassar Tour Dates
Linda Spielman is the iconoFAN
Network contributing writer/photographer.
Live Photos by Linda Spielman
Copyright 2001 Linda Spielman / Iconoclast Entertainment Group. All
Rights Reserved by Copyright holders. |
