A Heart Attack & Stroke Nearly Led To Phil Vassar’s Death In Early 2023
Country singer Phil Vassar suffered a major heart attack and stroke in early 2023. He had just finished his Christmas tour with Deana Carter and started feeling unwell.
“…I kept feeling bad, so I kept really concentrating on my health and trying to— I never ate anything fried or anything like that. Never did. It just caught up with me, you know, the genes,” Vassar said during a recent conversation on the Taste of Country Nights: On Demand podcast.
Vassar explained he “had genetic heart disease,” which led to the major medical episode that occurred in early 2023. He said he was at home when everything happened.
Vassar suffered a heart attack, followed by a stroke a few days later.
“…they brought me back,” he said. “They had to shock me 11 times and cracked some ribs. Broke my ribs. But I don’t remember any of that. But they did a heck of a job getting me back, you know?”
Vassar Died Twice & Had “No Heartbeat At All”
Vassar went into detail about the serious nature of his situation. He revealed that he died twice and didn’t have a heartbeat for some time.
“So they shot me straight down to Atlanta,” he said. “Stroke protocol, all that stuff. So they iced me down and they said I was going, ‘Why was it so cold?’ Cause you’re on ice, you know. So it was a weird thing, but I dropped dead. I was dead for 30 minutes a couple times – died. No heartbeat. No heartbeat at all.”
When asked what it felt like to die, Vassar responded:
“Everybody was like, you know, ‘Hey, what was it like going, did you go through a tunnel?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I don’t remember anything.'”
Miraculously, Vassar pulled through and made a remarkable recovery. He’s now back to touring and making music, though at a slightly slower pace than before.
“And I’m back, you know, doing what I always do. I’m not pounding it like I used to. I think I did 100 shows that one year … the year I croaked,” he said.
Vassar remarked that he “feel[s] great,” and now has a newfound appreciation for music…and for life.
In addition to having his own hits, such as “Little Red Rodeo,” “Just Another Day in Paradise,” and “In a Real Love,” Vassar has also penned chart successes for other artists. Some of the singers he’s written songs for include Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, and Kenny Chesney.
We’re relieved to hear that Vassar is feeling better and making music again. Listen to his new song, “Like a Man’s Supposed To,” with Jeffrey Steele below.