GAC Discovers "Origins" of Phil Vassar

Phil Vassar photo by Jim Wright, courtesy of Universal Records South.

April 18, 2008 - Phil Vassar went back to the beginning for a very private concert recently in which he performed at a recording studio on Nashville's historic Music Row.

"I cut my first two records at Ocean Way Studios, and I've always wanted to come back and perform a concert here," he told an intimate audience. "I'm just so happy GAC let us do this."

The concert is one of the highlights of Origins: Phil Vassar — Prayer Of A Common Man, the first installment in a new GAC series that debuts May 3. Origins will take the viewer to the places that were significant in the development of some of country music's top talents, providing a visual insight into the way they shaped themselves into the artists we experience on albums, in concerts and in videos.

For Phil's episode, Origins returns to some of the important places in Lynchburg, Va., where Phil grew up — including 419 Lakewood, the boyhood home he referenced in the lyrics of his 2002 hit "American Child." The location footage balances live renditions of such familiar titles as "Carlene," "In A Real Love" and "Love Is A Beautiful Thing," as well as new material from his forthcoming album, including "I Would" and "Crazy Life."

"Even though many of the songs I write are fiction, they are historical fiction because they are based upon real emotional sparks — if only a small one — from a long, long time ago," Phil says. "I wrote 'Crazy Life' about 14 years ago, and I put it on the new album as the last song. It just seemed like where I am and what I feel right now."

Origins: Phil Vassar — Prayer Of A Common Man" will debut at 9 p.m. ET May 3.