Phil Vassar Dodges Politics

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

Oct. 22, 2008 — With the election less than two weeks away, it’s tough to avoid the swamp of news about the campaigns of John McCain and Barack Obama, and plenty of musicians have gotten sucked into the fray.

One who has not is Phil Vassar. Phil says he prefers candidates who "tell the truth and not just say stuff to get themselves elected," but he refuses to endorse any individuals.

"As far as campaigns go, I never really wanna get involved in that," he told Dial-Global. "I just think it's silly. I think a lot of celebrities do it just because they think it's cool and everybody thinks it's hip to be supporting this candidate or that candidate. And I just think in the end they just look like idiots, I really do. I'm really disappointed ... when I see some of my heroes, they back a candidate or something. I say, 'You know what? That's great. Just make good music.'"

Among the artists who’ve gotten out on the stump in favor of McCain are Gretchen Wilson, who’s performing at a Wednesday rally in Cincinnati; and the Bellamy Brothers, who make their second appearance for the ticket Thursday in Beaver Falls, Pa. Hank Williams Jr. and Lee Greenwood have also played at campaign events for the Republican ticket.

The Democrats have had their supporters in Music City, too. This week’s club circuit boasted a three-night series of shows called Obamarama, with Hal Ketchum, Michael Johnson and a number of songwriters, including Jon Vezner ("Where’ve You Been"), Larry Weiss ("Rhinestone Cowboy"), Danny Flowers ("Tulsa Time") and Angela Kaset ("Something In Red").