Phil Vassar was born in Lynchburg, Virginia and won a track scholarship to James Madison University, where he first began to take music seriously. He moved to Nashville, learned to play piano and sang his original material in clubs. One club patron and fan brought Vassar's demo tape to his father, crooner Engelbert Humperdinck, and Humperdinck wound up recording "Once in a While" in 1996. Vassar's songwriting career blossomed from there, as he penned hits for Collin Raye, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messin, and BlackHawk. He was named ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999. His self-titled debut album was released in 2000, and the lead single, "Carlene," shot into the country Top Five. Follow-up "Just Another Day in Paradise" went all the way to number one. "Six-Pack Summer" also reached the Top Ten, and yet another single from the album, "That's When I Love You," became Vassar's third Top Five hit. American Child was released in 2002. The title track gave Vassar yet another Top Five single. Prayer of a Common Man appeared in 2008. In 2011, Vassar released the single "Let's Get Together," which hit the top 40. On March 18, 2013, Vassar released his twenty-second single, "Love is Alive," a mandolin-infused uptempo song. He delivered the album American Soul in 2016. Phil Vassar continues to hit the road and perform.