(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey presents Pam Tillis & Phil Vassar: Holidays and Hits on Thursday, November 30, 2023 at 8:00pm. The country singer-songwriters will perform holiday hits and their hit songs. Tickets range from $29-$99.
Pam Tillis is a singer/songwriter whose compositions have been covered in Country, R&B, bluegrass, and rock as well as an actor with a long list of film, TV, and stage credits. Pam is the daughter of Country Music legend Mel Tillis and multi-media artist Doris Tillis. Tillis’ 1991 debut country album, Put Yourself In My Place, went gold and yielded two No. 1 and two Top 5 singles. Her next three albums—Homeward Looking Angel, Sweetheart’s Dance, and Greatest Hits, were all certified platinum. She achieved six No. 1 songs during the ‘90s Country explosion, including “Shake the Sugar Tree,” “Mi Vida Loca,” “When You Walk In The Room,” “In Between Dances,” “Don’t Tell Me What To Do,” and her signature song, “Maybe It Was Memphis.”
Tillis is currently finding a lot of satisfaction mentoring young performers and artists, including those in her all-female acoustic trio, The Rose Rustlers (Haley Sullivan and Carson McKee). “I love mentoring,” she says. “I find myself working with so many Millennial musicians now. They’re accomplished players; none of them need help in the talent department. I’m just trying to pass on some of the things I’ve learned from 30 years of touring and how to navigate a very tough industry.”
As Tillis stops to count her blessings, she reflects on the bonds she’s made from teaming up with some other female veterans of Country Music, including her fellow ‘90s chart toppers Lorrie Morgan, Suzy Bogguss, and Terri Clark. Morgan and Tillis have recorded and toured together as “Grits and Glamour,” and Bogguss and Clark frequently tour with Tillis under the banner “Chicks With Hits,” swapping songs and stories, as only legends-in-the-making can. “I’ve made lifelong friends from these tours,” she says. “It’s the kind of camaraderie I couldn’t find when I was the only gal on the bill with a bunch of male artists.”
The Grammy® winner and Grand Ole Opry member’s talents extend far beyond her recording career—she’s an accomplished actor with an impressive list of credits, including the films The Thing Called Love and The Neon Highway; the Broadway production of Smokey Joe’s Café; and TV shows LA Law, Diagnosis: Murder, Promised Land, Drag Race, Nashville, and Fairwood.
Tillis’ latest album, 2020’s Looking For A Feeling, finds her doubling down on one of her first loves— songwriting. She wrote seven of the 11 tracks. Some of her most formative musical years were in the late ‘70s—and the album reflects that ‘70s Country Rock flavor. The many threads of her influences were loosely woven together by hit Country writer/producer Jimmy Ritchey (Mark Chesnutt, Jake Owen) on some tunes and Nashville rocker/producer Joe Pisapia (k.d. lang, Guster) on others.
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.
Vassar’s songwriting career blossomed in the mid-’90s when he landed a publishing contract with EMI and penned hits for Collin Raye (“Little Red Rodeo”), Alan Jackson (“Right on the Money”), Tim McGraw (“My Next Thirty Years,” “For a Little While”), Jo Dee Messina (“Bye Bye, Alright”), and Blackhawk (“Postmarked Birmingham”). He signed a record deal of his own with Arista in 1998 and was named ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 1999 and 2001.
Phil Vassar’s Songs From The Cellar TV Show airs on the Circle Network and features artists, songwriters, entertainers, and athletes. Each show features conversations and musical collaborations with some of today’s biggest stars. Phil’s laid-back style and quick wit brings out interesting and entertaining stories with every guest. If fans miss Songs From The Cellar episodes, they can catch up on the SFTC Podcast, streaming on American Songwriter Network, Pandora, Spotify, or wherever fans enjoy their podcasts.
Vassar was racking up hits on the radio long before his solo recording career that has seen the release of nine albums, two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Trophies, ACM’s Top New Male Vocalist, and sold-out shows across the country.
For tickets, more information, or group discounts, call State Theatre Guest Services at 732-246-SHOW (7469) or visit online at STNJ.org. State Theatre Guest Services, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open by phone and email only, Tuesday through Friday from 11:00am to 5:00pm. For in-person purchases, Guest Services is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00pm to 4:30pm. Additional ticket and transaction fees may apply.
After major renovations, State Theatre New Jersey celebrated its 100th Anniversary in December 2021 in a fully renovated theater including newly renovated lobbies, all new restrooms, upgraded HVAC systems, a new elevator for access to all levels, and brand-new theater seats. Originally built as a silent film and vaudeville palace, State Theatre’s historic significance was honored by PBS by featuring it in its documentary series, Treasures of New Jersey, in the fall of 2018. “Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey” can be streamed online.
Today, State Theatre is the largest performing arts center in Central New Jersey and has welcomed more than six million people through its doors since reopening as a nonprofit performing arts center in 1988. State Theatre New Jersey is a cornerstone of the cultural vitality of Middlesex County and averages a total economic impact on New Brunswick and the surrounding area of more than $18 million a year. The mainstage programs have featured high-caliber artists such as Diana Ross, Tony Bennett, Kevin Hart, Ringo Starr, Melissa Etheridge, John Leguizamo, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Program offerings include Broadway, orchestra, family, dance, comedy, rock/pop, jazz, Performances for Schools, and Sensory-Friendly Performances.
State Theatre New Jersey’s programs are made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.
