NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 1 hitmakers Phil Vassar and Jeffrey Steele have teamed up for their newest collaboration, “Hillbillies in Hollywood,” available everywhere today. To stream and download “Hillbillies in Hollywood,” click HERE.
With its evocative lyrics and unique chords, the song captures the essence of two musicians reminiscing about their past and the cultural influences that shaped their music.
People.com exclusively premiered a first listen to “Hillbillies in Hollywood,” noting that it “is the perfect combination of Vassar and Steele’s East and West coast upbringings and their shared musical influences coming together in one nostalgic track.”
“Don’t let the song title fool you – this isn’t a hillbilly song. It’s crazy we both grew up on different coasts during the same era, yet we have similar musical influences. This song reflects on some of these influences like Queen, the Eagles, and Linda Ronstadt to name a few,” Vassar shared.
“I got with Phil to write one day and we started talking about growing up. I was telling him my crazy 70’s LA stories one after another and he was telling his and about his time spent in LA,” Steele added. He continued, “My ear kept hearing him play that five diminished chord to the six minor chord as we were talking and I instantly blurted out ‘last time I saw you girl, it was hotel california’ over it! From there, we were off and had this cool lyric going with no title and as we were reminiscing Phil said damn, we were just ‘hillbillies in hollywood.’”
For more information on Phil Vassar, visit PhilVassar.com and follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
ABOUT PHIL VASSAR
Phil Vassar’s reign of signature songs include 10 No. 1 singles and 27 Top 40 hits, including “Carlene,” “Just Another Day in Paradise,” “Six-Pack Summer,” “When I Love You,” and many more. Fans will have the opportunity to experience Phil’s captivating performances on his coast-to-coast Hits and Heroes tour. This tour offers a blend of intimacy and energy reminiscent of Phil’s early days, featuring his own hits as well as covers of songs by his musical influences. Phil’s songwriting career flourished in the mid-’90s when he secured a publishing contract with EMI, penning hits for artists like Collin Raye, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Jo Dee Messina, and Blackhawk. Recognized as ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999 and 2001, Phil’s success extended beyond his solo recording career, marked by nine albums, two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Trophies, and accolades such as ACM’s Top New Male Vocalist, all while delighting audiences with sold-out shows nationwide.
ABOUT JEFFREY STEELE
Six-time Grammy Nominee, Jeffrey Steele has been recognized by BMI for over 65 million airplays for hits he penned for a multitude of artists including Keith Urban, Eric Church, Zac Brown Band, Jimmy Buffett, Montgomery Gentry, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cher, 38 Special, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts and Van Zant, Joe Cocker, Little Feat ft. Bob Seger, Joe Bonamassa, Cascada and more. Among his many accolades over the past few years, Jeffrey Steele has been named to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, honored by the Country Music Hall of Fame as a Poet and Prophet, twice awarded BMI Songwriter of the Year and thrice the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Songwriter of the Year. CMA has twice awarded him the coveted “Triple Play Award” for three No. 1 songs in a year. His country and A/C mega-hits include a string of chart toppers including: “Raise ‘Em Up”, “Knee Deep”, “Here,” “My Wish,” “The Cowboy In Me,” “These Days”, “My Town”, “Something to be Proud of”, “Everyday” and the groundbreaking “What Hurts The Most,” nominated for Best Country Song at the Grammy Awards. Additionally, he has won over 35 BMI Country and Pop awards, was nominated for a Golden Globe and Critic’s Choice Award for Best Original Song “I Thought I Lost You” for the Disney/Pixar animated feature BOLT, performed by Miley Cyrus and John Travolta, been named one of Billboard Magazine’s top 5 writer’s 8 years in a row, as well as Music Row Magazine’s Songwriter of the Year Award. Steele’s latest full length album features performances with Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Jamey Johnson, John Rich and others. Steele has a string of collaborations on the horizon including the recently released “Who Knows Why” performed with iconic Songwriter and Composer Steve Dorff , “What Hurts The Most” with Gary Levox of Rascal Flatts and the upcoming “Hillbillies in Hollywood” with Phil Vassar.
