← Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Loading summary
Transcript37 lines
- [00:00]
Annabe
This is an iHeart podcast life's messy. We're talking spills, stains, pets and kids. But with Annabe, you never have to stress about messes again. @washablesofas.com Discover Annabe sofas the only fully machine washable sofas inside and out starting at just $699. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics, that means fewer stains and more peace of mind. Designed for real life, our sofas feature changeable fabric covers allowing you to refresh your style anytime. Need flexibility? Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly. Perfect for cozy apartments or spacious homes. Plus, they're earth friendly and built to last. That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch. Upgrade your space today. Visit washablesofas.com now and bring home a sofa made for life that's washable. Sofa offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.
- [01:05]
Phil Vassar
Ugh. Come on.
- [01:06]
Annabe
Why is this taking so long?
- [01:08]
Phil Vassar
This thing is ancient.
- [01:09]
Annabe
Still using yesterday's tech upgrade to the ThinkPad X1 carbon ultralight. Ultra powerful and built for serious productivity with Intel Core Ultra processors, blazing speed and AI powered performance, it keeps up with your business, not the other way around. Whoa, this thing moves. Stop hitting snooze on new tech. Win the tech search@lenovo.com Lenovo Lenovo unlock AI experiences with the ThinkPad X1 carbon powered by Intel Core Ultra processors so you can work, create and boost productivity.
- [01:39]
Phil Vassar
All on one device.
- [01:43]
Annabe
Please welcome aboard the Johnson family.
- [01:46]
Phil Vassar
The whole fam's here for the Disney Cruise. So you know we came to play and listen. The adults are gonna have a ball. First we're chilling in the infinity pool, onto massages at Sense's Spa, then gliding into Star Wars Hyperspace lounge for a to. We're even gonna kick back with Mickey on Disney's private island. That's how we get down. Cause Disney Cruise Line is where we came to play.
- [02:13]
Buzz Knight
Taking a Walk what happens when a country music hitmaker opens up about the stories behind the songs and the life that inspired them? You get a conversation that's as honest, heartfelt and surprising as the music itself. I'm Buzz Knight and on this episode of Taking a Walk, we're joined by Phil Vassar, the piano playing Storytel teller whose chart topping hits have become the soundtrack to so many lives. Phil pulls back the curtain on his journey from writing songs for Nashville legends to singing his own truths on stage and shares how life's highs and lows have shaped his music and his perspective. Get ready for behind the scenes stories, a few laughs, and a fresh look at what it means to turn real life into unforgettable songs. Please sit tight. Hopefully a couple minutes from our sponsors and then we'll be right back with Phil Vassar on taking a walk. Mr. Phil Vassar, welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [03:19]
Phil Vassar
Taking a Walk.
- [03:23]
Buzz Knight
Well, since we call this, this show Taking a Walk, let me ask you, Phil, if you could take a walk with somebody, living or dead, someone may be affiliated in the side of music. Doesn't have to be, but that's always nice. If you got a music person in mind, who would you take a walk with? And. And where would you take that walk?
- [03:47]
Phil Vassar
Good grief, man. It's. There's a lot of people I'd like to take a walk with. My dad would be great at this point, you know, I mean, you know, there's. There's heroes, you know, you think about, you know, some. I mean, there's. I could, I could. I've got a big list, you know, but a lot, A lot of my musical heroes, you know, I tell you, Taking a Walk, I always loved, I mean, Nat King Cole. I mean, I loved him. I was a huge fan. My, My grandmother listened to that music and, and I was such a fan. And I always, I was like, man, he's amazing. And anyway, I listen to him all the time. I mean, you know, it kind of picks me up and makes me feel good, you know, that's kind of music I love.
- [04:34]
Buzz Knight
And what an icon he certainly was in, what a career he built. And I think, I think it would be fascinating kind of understanding not only his creative process, but certainly the trials and tribulations that he, that he went through as well.
- [04:54]
Phil Vassar
Absolutely. And, and he was brilliant, man. I mean, the guy spoke like six languages fluently. And I'm just, you know, I was, it's inspired me. He's very inspiring even to this day, I think about what he's done and what he did, you know, especially at that time in, in this country, you know, and, and, you know, it's been. We've seen a lot go. Go on in the last, you know, 250 years of this, just as this country, you know, and it's, it's. And I grew up, of course, you know, you, you're on the East Coast, I guess, right? You're. You're in. So I mean, I grew up in Virginia and my, my. I grew up next to, you know, Thomas Jefferson's house. I mean, in my neighborhood. Right. One of his, you know, it was very, very cool to just. So I always thought a lot about history. I was a kind of a history buff and you know, Jamestown and all that stuff. I mean we used to go see that stuff when we were kids and of course I went to James Madison University and, and, and it was, it was such a. I don't know, it's, it's. I'm blessed that we got to do that. I mean there's too many different parts of the country. But I, I loved being kind of an east coaster because, you know, all that old history and I loved it.
- [06:14]
Buzz Knight
Well, we're going to talk about the live show and the tour in a little bit. 25 years of paradise tour. And we're going to also talk about, you know, some other things going on for you in, in 2025. But I do want to ask you, Phil, many of your songs, they capture really everyday life and, and family. Where do you find the inspiration for such relatable lyrics?
- [06:41]
Phil Vassar
Well, for my family, my kids, you know, it's so funny, you know, how of course I've got a 21 and a 25 year old daughters and they're my life, you know, it's just so weird. And of course they were, they were born in the middle of all this craziness, you know, of my career and. But I mean, I wouldn't change it, you know, for anything. I just now, you know, I had my health scare and that was a rough couple of years. But now that I'm feeling better, I love now that I can kind of talk to them as adults, you know, that we can be. Because it was such a, you know, whenever you're raising children, of course it's very tumultuous and, and you know, you, you don't really have time to sort of stop and smell the roses, you know, and, and I really do appreciate it now.
- [07:42]
Buzz Knight
You know, you started out as a songwriter in Nashville. You had hits for, for Tim McGraw and Jody Messina, among others. Can you recall what it was like hearing your songs on the radio for the first time sung by somebody else?
- [08:00]
Phil Vassar
Well, I'll tell you one thing, it was, it was incredible. You know, of course I think my first huge hit was Colin Ray, Little Red Rodeo. And I never forget how, how stupid they thought the song was the record label and really had to go to bat for that song. And you know, it's just amazing our business. I think about all these people that are in power, you know, whatever, and they're just, they, they couldn't freaking tip. They couldn't Smell a hit if it was on their. Sitting on their freaking nose. I mean, they just couldn't. And it's like, you know, you have to deal with all these. I mean, I. I don't have a negative attitude. Well, yeah, I do. I mean, it's just. It's just a. You know, and. And a lot of people say, yeah, I miss that. I say, you're an idiot. You know that? You are. You're an idiot. So. And then I've gotten to say that pro to a lot of people. You know, I mean, not. Not that I don't hate them, but say me, what is wrong with you? You can't hear, you know. You know, this song was a number one song, a huge number one song. Or this song was I'm All Right. Nobody would cut that, you know, my next 30 years. They had talked about how stupid it was, how nobody wants to talk about turning 30. I'm like, they don't. Why? You know, so anyway, it was. You know, I wrote the song on my 30th birthday. I wrote it that day, played it that night in a bar, and everybody went crazy. And I knew it was. I knew it was good, right? That. That's how you get. I was lucky. I got to play my. My club and. And I got sort of. I got to know whether it was good or not. You know, that was always what I said. I said, you know, I'd play the song, and then if somebody went play some Skinner, I was like, okay, mark that one off. That wasn't good, you know, but you know what. And then, you know, then I'd do a song you'd like I'm all right, or finally I had to do it every night or do it two times a night or whatever. Everybody's singing along and. And that's what I loved. I loved that. I loved that. That's sort of it. Instant gratification, right? You know? You know, whether it's good or not.
- [10:12]
Buzz Knight
You know, one of the things that's so cool is how fans just absolutely adore your covers of Billy Joel and Elton John. What draws you to. And do you have a favorite song by them that you love to perform?
- [10:29]
Phil Vassar
Well, I mean, I. Billy Joel, Ellen John there, my. And. And even, you know, Queen, who I loved, you know, was, you know, such a. You know, such a great piano player, too. I mean, that for some reason, the piano spoke to me. And that's what I loved about Nat King Cole. I mean, that guy could rock a piano. He was a freak show. I mean, how he could play. And, you know, I. I just loved it. I loved Jackson Brown and, you know, it was. But also I really loved James Taylor. I mean, James Taylor was one of my muses, you know, and. And so I, I just think that you, you know, I grew up with the Eagles and, And, you know, Don Henley and Glenn Frey and those guys were just. I mean, I listened to him yesterday. I. What in the world. You know, we were so lucky to be part of that. You know, growing up, listening to, hearing that, you know, and the Beat and of course, the Beatles and, you know, and I've gotten to, you know, hang out in Abbey Road, and I was there when. When George Martin passed away, I was in England doing my European tour. I was in London that day, and he. Everybody was bringing flowers to. To Abbey Road, and, And it was.
- [11:50]
Buzz Knight
Very moving, you know, as. As you were telling me about these amazing influences. And I'm going back to. To. To Billy Joel again here, who, you know, has his own health scare that he's. He's dealing with. If you could speak directly to Billy Joel right now, which, who knows, maybe someone's turning him on to this podcast because they're a fan of Phil Vassar's. What message would you sen about what he's going through?
- [12:21]
Phil Vassar
Well, I sure hope he gets better soon. Billy, I love you, man. You're my hero, and you're why I do what I do. I mean, song songs like Summer Highland Falls, and I mean, not just Piano man or, you know, I try to pay homage to, you know, my heroes, which are Billy Joel, you know, James Taylor, Elton John, some of these guys, but. But none more than. Than Billy Joel. He changed my world, changed my life, and I think put me on that path. It was like. It's like a professor, right? You know, you. You learn from a teacher, and he was my teacher. He was. And I could ever thank him enough, really, you know, and I think he's just incredible and, you know, and being such a humongous star going through senior life, played out through all these, you know, Christie Brinkley, the things that, that you go through. I mean, I kind of. In such a small, smaller way, I have kind of out in my own life, you know, going through divorces publicly and all this stuff, it's just. It's tumultuous. You know, it's very. I don't know, it's very humbling. You know, that's what, you know, I think that's what the world does, and that's what life does. It definitely Humbles you and you learn a lot from. From it, you know, from your tribulations and your trials and. And I think that's man. And you write a lot of songs because of them.
- [13:48]
Buzz Knight
So you'll be heading out on the road 25 years of paradise tour. It's going to have obviously, a lot of the great covers from Legends and everything. You'll be changing the. The set lists. Set lists regularly as well, which I know you're. You're proud of. Talk about how exciting it is going out, out in the road, connecting with your fans in person.
- [14:12]
Phil Vassar
Well, I mean, that's your. That's. That's your gratification. That's when you, you just. You're very thankful for you. You know, it's. You work so hard, you know, you do all this stuff and you lay the groundwork for all these things for these records, and then you get to. Then you record the records and some of them just flop and some of them are huge, and there's nothing you can do about that stuff. But the fans are loyal, you know, from the beginning to the, to the end. And I love meeting these folks and seeing them on the road and I can't wait to get. Get out in the next couple and, I don't know, kind of thank them for that.
- [14:54]
Buzz Knight
And you're going to be creating some new music in conjunction with going out from time to time as well.
- [15:01]
Phil Vassar
You know what we are. We've been in the studio actually, you know, cutting about eight. Eight or nine new songs and. And some of the songs that, that I did record and never got a chance really. And I've kind of revisited those songs and, and, you know, seeing what everybody thinks about it, you know, I. Now at this point, you don't have to do what somebody says. I mean, you. Well, you couldn't go in and cut this for you. You know, you always had somebody telling you what to do. Now I don't. And it's pretty. It's pretty freeing. And I, I really appreciate my life now. Now that I don't have to worry about what somebody that doesn't know anything about anything is telling me what to do.
- [15:43]
Buzz Knight
Oh, I love that. That is such a special feeling, for sure. Talk about how important, Phil, it is for you to be mentoring young songwriters and giving back to the music community.
- [15:57]
Phil Vassar
Well, I think, you know, as a now I'm an elder statesman. It's like, what happened. I was always the kid, right? You know, and. But, you know, bringing these guys like, like the Old Dominion guys and, and Seeing them, you know, from their inception to the, you know, to bringing them to Nashville and to helping them, you know, it just, they're flourishing, they're just thriving and they're blowing it up and so successful. And I'm proud of them, you know, and, you know, I'm just thankful, thankful for that.
- [16:27]
Buzz Knight
In closing, I love this quote of yours and I want you to reflect on it because I think it's so beautiful about music and what you do and what you do so well. Your quote, if a song sparks a reaction, that's all you're looking for.
- [16:44]
Phil Vassar
It's true. I mean, that's what you. Whether it can be good or bad, you know? Right. I mean, I think. And that's what music is about. It. It's, you know, you're trying to convey an emotion, you know, you're trying to, to reach someone. You know, whether it's about, you know, your song, about your dog or your kids or your wife or your girlfriend or your politics. It could be anything, you know, and that's a really cool thing because you, you, when you play a song in a live concert situation, you know, you get reaction and that's, that's the, it's the best, you know, that's what, that's when, you know, really, I mean, that's when, you know, if this song really grabs somebody and, and pulls, pulls emotions out of them, you know, and I think that's what. We're very, very blessed to be able to do that.
- [17:39]
Buzz Knight
Oh, man, I'm blessed to talk to you on Taking a walk, Phil. And we are so grateful for the music that you have given us through your incredible career and that you continue to give us. And thank you for being with us on the podcast, Phil Vassar.
- [17:56]
Phil Vassar
It's my pleasure, my friend. Thank you so much and let's do it again soon. I love this. This is great. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.
- [18:20]
Annabe
Let your imagination take flight with an AI powered PC from Lenovo. Whether it's creating digital art, designing new software, or building a portfolio for a future career. Our PCs are powered by Intel Core Ultra processors to help students unlock smarter learning and unleash their creativity. That's the power of Lenovo. With intel inside, all you have to do is choose the one that fits your passion. Head to lenovo.com to shop AI PCs and find your perfect companion. Plus get 5% off when you create an education account. Every case that is a cold case.
- [18:57]
Phil Vassar
That has DNA right now in a.
- [18:59]
Annabe
Backlog will be identified in our lifetime on the new podcast America's Crime Lab. Every case has a story to tell and the DNA holds the truth.
- [19:08]
Phil Vassar
He never thought he was going to get caught and I just looked at my computer screen, I was just like, ah, gotcha. This technology's already solving so many cases.
- [19:19]
Annabe
Listen to America's Crime Lab on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Join iHeartRadio and Sarah Spain in celebrating the one year anniversary of iHeart Women's Sports. With powerful interviews and ins analysis, our shows have connected fans with the heart of women's Sports. In just one year, the network has launched 15 shows and built a community united by passion podcasts that amplify the voices of women in sports. Thank you for supporting iHeart women's sports and our founding sponsors E L F Beauty, Capital One and Novartis. Just open the free iHeart app and search iHeart Women's Sports to listen now. This is an iHeart podcast.