Born, in Lynchburg, Virginia, Phil Vassar grew up in a home where his mother stayed at home caring for him and his two younger sisters, and his father was a singer who enjoyed local and regional success, performing in a restaurant he owned and at outside venues. Although intrigued by music as a child, Vassar's interests began leaning more towards playing ball than playing scales. In high school, he began running track, which helped him land an athletic scholarship at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va.