Phil Vassar got his break in the mid-nineties when Engelbert Humperdink, of all people, recorded “Once In a While,” a song Vassar had co-written. The songwriter went on to write hits for Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina, Collin Raye, and others.

Brought up in Lynchburg, Virginia, Vassar didn’t become interested in music until his college years when he learned to play piano and started writing songs. After winning ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year honors in 1999, Vassar released his debut album as a performer. The self titled disc went Gold on the strength of four top ten singles. Vassar has recorded two follow-ups and kept himself busy as a judge on USA’s “Nashville Star” in its fifth and sixth seasons.