Don’t Get Caught Up In Your Success: Interview with Country Music Star Phil Vassar

I recently went one on one with country music star Phil Vassar.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your story and what you have learned from your journey to date. First things first, though, what is something about you that your fans do not know?

Phil: A lot of people have the impression that being an artist is a glamorous lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong, it has its perks, and I wouldn’t trade this for anything else. But it’s also a very grueling lifestyle. I am so grateful and thankful that I get to do what I love so much and make a living at it!

The truth of the matter is that I enjoy living a simple lifestyle. I love to exercise and it is important to me to make healthy lifestyle choices.  I don’t drink or party – and those things don’t necessarily align with the life of a country music artist. I guess that it’s fair to say I am just a good ole homebody at heart.

Adam: What is something you have witnessed up close or experienced up close that would shock fans?

Phil: When I was between high school and college, I had considered becoming a doctor.  I have always had a fascination with medicine and the human body. So, when I was in college, I got a job working in a morgue assisting with autopsies and loved it! However, I ended up choosing music as my career destination due, in part, to the years and expense required to go to medical school. Plus, I realized that music was really my first love.

Adam: What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your development and success?

Phil: Failure and rejection definitely made me stronger and more determined to succeed.  You learn to grow a coat of Teflon around you, and not let that mess with your head. It is so important to enjoy the highs and lows of the industry and accept that you are going to experience both. An artist is really only as valuable as their last hit song – it’s as simple as that.  So, you cannot ever take your success for granted.  Don’t get caught up in the trap that you will always be a success – you can fall off that cliff any second! You learn to live and die by the charts. I just keep doing my thing because I love it so much. But I have to remind myself constantly to adjust my expectations as I continue to do it.

Adam: In your experience, beyond natural talent, what are the common qualities among those who have been able to enjoy success as performing artists?

Phil: Well, luck certainly plays a huge part in it. There are so many artists out there who have so much talent who never get signed! You have to work really hard.  No one else is going to do that for you. You need to make a strong commitment to yourself to hang in there.  Part of it is being in the right place at the right time. You need to make the right connections. An important point of difference is that you must stand out from the crowd and be a unique entertainer.

Adam: What are the best lessons you have learned through your career that are applicable to those who will never earn a living as a performer?

Phil: Again, first and foremost, it’s the harsh reality of the music industry.  You really are only as good as your last hit song. That’s a tough pill to swallow but it’s the way it is. So that said, save your money. You are going to want to make it last beyond your career because you just never know how long it’s going to last. Don’t get caught up in your success. 

Also, this life is not as glamorous as it may appear to people. It definitely has its peaks and valleys -- and highs and lows.  Never forget who you are or what it took to get here because it can be here today and gone tomorrow – in the blink of an eye! I’ve been really fortunate that I have been able to enjoy a long career as a performer.  Number one – I do it out of sheer love for the music. Everything else is icing on the cake.

Adam: Who have been the biggest influences in your life and why?

Phil: My family loved music while I was growing up. My Dad was a professional singer. That was really my first exposure and influence with music – and I loved it too! I also fell in love with songwriting at a young age. Some of my other influences as I was growing up were John Lennon and Paul McCartney of The Beatles, Tom Petty, Earth Wind & Fire, The Eagles, Stevie Wonder, and Merle Haggard. My three favorites were James Taylor, Elton John, and Billy Joel.

Growing up, we did not have a lot of money and therefore could not afford to do a lot or go anywhere. When I’d listen to Billy Joel, for example, I would be transported to New York City in my mind, and dream of what it would be like to be there. It was very exciting to me.  Later on, I toyed with the decision to move to either New York City, Los Angeles, or Nashville.  I ended up deciding to make the move to Nashville to pursue a career as a songwriter.

Back in the day, the radio stations played more of a diverse selection of music than they do today. So, you were able to listen to a blend of all styles of music on the same station versus today – where radio stations devote themselves to primarily one genre of music.  I would say that’s why my style is such a montage of different styles of music.

Adam: Who are the best leaders you have been around and what have you learned from them?

Phil: I will have to say that Joe Galante and Tim Dubois have both been amazing leaders and mentors for me. When I was signed to their record label, they let me be me. They didn’t try to mold me into what their vision of me should be. That’s really rare in the music industry – to allow an artist to find their own identity.  But that was their style with all of their artists.  They always stood by my independent vision of me. They were both so passionate about music which was contagious throughout their organization. They were exceptional businessmen and I feel very blessed to have been mentored by them.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Phil: To adjust to the highs and lows that will undoubtedly experience in this industry – don’t set yourself up for disappointment. Let things roll off your back.  Take one day at a time and just be cool.

Adam: What can anyone do to pay it forward?

Phil: For me personally, I like to advocate for important causes, organizations, and charities that are dedicated to making life for the people they a helping a better experience for them.

Right now, I’m advocating for Alzheimer's disease as my mother has recently been diagnosed with it. I wrote a chapter in the book ‘Truth, Lies & Alzheimer’s – Its Secret Faces’ by authors Lisa Skinner and Douglas Collins called “Bringing Mom Home.”  I am pleased to be a part of this book and telling my story hopefully can help other people manage their own challenges with Alzheimer’s.

I’ve learned so much about the disease that I was not aware of prior to her diagnosis. It is such a devastating disease for not only the person living with it but also for the family members and caregivers. From what I have learned, the number of people who are projected to develop Alzheimer’s is going to triple over the next 25 years or so worldwide if a treatment or cure is not found. I need to do my part.

I do my annual Phil Vassar Golf Classic Tournament to raise money for the Miller Home for girls in my hometown – Lynchburg, Virginia. I also add my voice to raising voices against hunger, supporting hometown teens, doing Christmas 4 Kids fundraisers, and I proudly support our military and its members. I have helped to raise funds for the American Cancer Society, the Stars for Wishes Gala, and the Ronald McDonald House.

I also enjoy mentoring other artists who are coming up the ranks to help them fulfill their potential by imparting my knowledge and experience onto them. That way, they don’t have to make the same mistakes that I did. And believe me, I have made a lot of them!


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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