COUNTRY Tour reunites Vassar, Johnson

Both Phil Vassar and Carolyn Dawn Johnson left home and traveled a distance to live in Nashville, home of country music.
By JOHN PATRICK GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Before his success as a country songwriter and recording artist, Phil Vassar co-owned a Nashville nightspot, the Hard Day's Night Club.
It was there that Vassar would showcase his talent, sharing the stage with his partner, SixWire singer-guitarist Steve Mandile.
Occasionally, the club's bartender-waitress would be asked to take a break from charging for draft beer and sing a number or two.
Carolyn Dawn Johnson enjoyed those opportunities as much for the ability to expose her own vocal and writing talent to the locals, her peers and industry types as well as the camaraderie that grew between the artists.
"Phil had a die-hard fan base there," said Johnson, who took a break from writing songs for her next album in order to do this phone interview.
"Sometimes Phil would be, 'Come on up.' People knew I was up there, so they wouldn't get mad if they wanted a drink. Get up there and jam, come back and get back to work. Yeah, it was fun.
"I looked forward to it, getting up onstage every night with those guys. They were all so good. We also had writer's night during the week. Sometimes, I'd get up and sing. Sometimes, I was part of the writer's group. It was a free environment for me. I was always around music."
At that time, Vassar and Johnson were looking for their big breaks. He gave up his final year at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., to move to Nashville in 1987 and be in the country genre's capital.
Johnson is a transplant as well, traveling thousands of miles from her home, where as a child in Deadwood, Alberta, Canada, she dreamed of music stardom.
Songwriting
Vassar's name became established thanks to songwriting credits for Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw and JoDee Messina. Johnson also contributed material for Messina as well as Chely Wright.
"I love the songwriting community so much. It's how I broke into this business," said Vassar. "All the mainstream labels were, 'We know you're a piano player. That's never going to work in Nashville.'
"Then my songs started becoming big hits, and it really did help. I'm really thankful that my career was cultivated in the songwriting community."
By 2000 Vassar released his self-titled debut album. His warm voice and well-crafted material -- a blend of his affection for Nashville artists as well as pop acts -- immediately bonded with country fans. Four singles reached the top 10, and the album achieved gold status.
When the subject of how Nashville's new crop of artists seem to be influenced as much by George Jones as George Harrison, Vassar answered in a manner that reflected his inspiration.
"Bruce Springsteen, I don't care what genre he's in, he's probably one of the best songwriters in the world. Billy Joel's the same way. James Taylor. Willie Nelson. Merle Haggard. I don't think you can deny that any of these guys are just awesome musicians, great songwriters."
While he traveled around the nation promoting his debut and supported acts such as Kenny Chesney and Kenny Rogers, Johnson readied her own release, "Room with a View."
More success
Like her friend and onetime boss, she quickly found an audience. "Room" swept into the top 10 its first week of release. Then, each artist won the "Top New Vocalist" award for his or her respective gender at last May's Academy of Country Music awards.
The ascendancy to the top realm of country acts continued when Vassar released his sophomore effort, "American Child," nearly three months ago. It debuted in the top five on the Billboard Top Country Albums sales chart.
With the clout he's acquired as a writer, recording artist and performer, Vassar wanted to do something special with his first headlining tour. He decided to reunite with his Hard Day's Night associates on the Club Paradise Tour.
"It seems so natural to do it with all of us," he said. The show aims to give audiences a taste of those Hard Day's nights with bars located onstage, a DJ playing tunes between acts and the likely possibility that Vassar and Johnson will interact with opening act SixWire, which is now promoting its own debut on a major record label.
Johnson commented, "It feels like it's the right thing to do for us, to go out there and support each other. It's a lot more fun to be touring with acts that you can talk to and hang out with."
Since Vassar sold his interest in the club, which was then torn down, it's the closest these artists will have to reliving the good ol' days while enjoying the good times of the present.