Artist Information
Vassar arrived in Nashville in 1987. He put his college business courses to good use by saving enough money to purchase a restaurant and club. He also used the venue as a place to showcase his music. He found success writing with famed songwriter Skip Ewing; the collaborated on a song called "Mary Go Round." Vassar's calendar soon began to fill with writing appointments with other accomplished Nashville writers. He soon signed a publishing deal with EMI where he penned hits for Grand Ole Opry member Alan Jackson, Collin Raye, Tim McGraw, and Jo Dee Messina. In 1999, Vassar was named ASCAP's songwriter of the year in recognition of his accomplishments.
Pleased with the inroads in made in the songwriting community, Vassar wanted more. He wanted to sing and perform his own songs. Arista Records gave him that chance with a recording contract and his self-titled debut album in 2000. "Carlene," the album's first single, landed in the Top 5. The follow-up single, "Just Another Day in Paradise," became Vassar's first No. 1 hit as a singer of one of his songs. His second album, American Child, arrived in 2002. Shaken Not Stirred led to the No. 1 hit "In a Real Love" in 2004.
In 2006, Vassar released Greatest Hits, Vol. 1, a collection of his own hits as well as his own vocal spin on the hits he's written for other artists. The album's first single, "Last Day of My Life," reached No. 2 at country radio. In December 2009, Vassar released Traveling Circus.
Vassar continues to churn out incisive, soulful lyrics and infectious melodies that capture the heart and soul in the unique and special way that only he can, and his latest single, “Love Is Alive,” is no exception. Written with frequent co-writer, the award-winning Tom Douglas (“The House That Built Me,” “Little Rock,” "I Run To You"), the new release is the foundation for a much-anticipated new album that will hit stores on Rodeowave.
