Country Singer Phil Vassar Says He Died ‘A Couple Times’ After Suffering Heart Attack, Stroke

Phil Vassar attends the 52nd annual ASCAP Country Music awards in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 3, 2014. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Country music artist Phil Vassar has recounted a frightening health scare he experienced last year in which he nearly lost his life during a back-to-back heart attack and stroke.

“I dropped dead. I was dead for 30 minutes, a couple times—died,” he told Taste of Country in an interview published Aug. 8. “No heartbeat. No heartbeat at all.”

Vassar, 62, said the harrowing ordeal happened in early 2023, noting that he first suffered a heart attack while at his home in Nashville, Tennessee.

“If I hadn’t been with somebody ... [trails off]. But anyway, she was on her toes enough to call 911,” he recalled. “She started doing CPR until the crew got there and they brought me back.”

The “Just Another Day In Paradise” singer said the paramedics who responded to his friend’s 911 call performed CPR and shocked his heart with a defibrillator 11 times, cracking and breaking some of his ribs in the process.

“But I don’t remember any of that,” he offered. “But they did a heck of a job getting me back, you know?”

Vassar was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he suffered a stroke three days later. He was subsequently transported to a medical facility in Atlanta, Georgia, that specializes in cerebral vascular accidents.

Reflecting on how he was feeling prior to his health emergencies, Vassar said he was tired a lot and often struggled to get out of bed.

“I just know I wasn’t feeling well,” he told the publication, sharing that he had previously been diagnosed with a genetic heart disease.

“I wasn’t a drinker and a partier, or any of that. I worked out every day. You know, I kept feeling bad, so I kept really concentrating on my health,” he continued. “I never ate anything fried or anything like that. Never did. It just caught up with me, you know, the genes.”

New Outlook on Life

Over a year after being released from the hospital, Vassar has seemingly made a full recovery.

In June, the musician teamed up with singer-songwriter and longtime friend Jeffrey Steele to debut a new song, “Hillbillies in Hollywood.” The single serves as Vassar’s first new release since experiencing his near-fatal heart attack and stroke episodes last year.

Speaking with People that month, Vassar said he was feeling better than he had ever felt in years. However, he remarked that his previous health scare had shifted his perspective on life and, in turn, his music.

“When you go through something as life-changing as a heart attack, you become more introspective and sentimental,” Vassar explained. “I want to put out music that reflects that.”

“I have a lot of energy and a brand-new outlook on life that I’m bringing on the road and I am ready to throw down,” he added.

The musician got his start in the music business in the late ‘90s as a songwriter, writing hits for various country music greats, including Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson.

Vassar went on to sign his first record deal with the Arista Nashville label, releasing his debut self-titled album in 2000, which features hit singles “Carlene,” “Just Another Day in Paradise,” and “That’s When I Love You.”

The country star was recognized for his talent as a country singer not long after the release of 2000’s “Phil Vassar,” garnering the Academy of Country Music’s award for “Top New Male Vocalist” in 2002.

Vassar released his sophomore album, “American Child,” that same year. Subsequent albums include “Shaken Not Stirred” (2004), “Prayer of a Common Man” (2008), “Traveling Circus” (2009), “Noel” (2011), “American Soul” (2016), and “Stripped Down” (2020).

In July, Vassar and Steele released their latest collaboration, “Like A Man’s Supposed To.” In a press release, the former said the upbeat, saxophone-infused song had a “Huey Lewis vibe to it.”

“‘Like A Man’s Supposed To’ was just that thing that happens when two players start talking about grooves and old songs,” said Steele. “When Phil hit those first chords, we were off—it’s the quintessential ‘I broke your heart a million times, but this is the last chance I will ever need,’ song.”

Vassar is currently on his “Hits & Heroes Tour,” performing some of his greatest hits around the country, with upcoming shows scheduled throughout the fall and into the new year, per his website.