In an interview with Taste of Country, singer Phil Vassar (60) said he died 2 times last year. He had a heart attack, and then a stroke.

“I dropped dead,” Vassar said. “I was dead for 30 minutes a couple times. No heartbeat. No heartbeat at all.”

He said he had a stroke three days after his heart attack and added, “I don’t remember any of it, but I know I wasn’t feeling well. And I just had genetic heart disease. Cause I wasn’t a drinker and a partier, or any of that. I worked out every day. You know, I kept feeling bad, so I kept really concentrating on my health and trying to — I never ate anything fried or anything like that. Never did. It just caught up with me, you know, the genes.”

After the stroke, the hospital staff had to ice Vassar down to send him to Atlanta. The country star said,  “So they iced me down and they said I was going, “Why was it so cold?” Cause you’re on ice, you know. So it was a weird thing, but I dropped dead. I was dead for 30 minutes a couple times – died. No heartbeat. No heartbeat at all.”

The Carlene singer does not really recall what it was like to die. He said, “I just wasn’t feeling good before. And I don’t remember. I was out doing a Christmas tour with Deana Carter right before all that happened.”

He was at his house with his wife when he had his heart attack. She called 911. He recalled, “ she started doing CPR until the crew got there and they brought me back. They had to shock me 11 times and cracked some ribs. Broke my ribs. But I don’t remember any of that. But they did a heck of a job getting me back, you know?”

Long story short, Vassar has made a good recovery. He said “ I’m back on tour. And I’m back, you know, doing what I always do. I’m not pounding it like I used to. I think I did 100 shows that one year … the year I croaked.”

He added, “I mean, thank goodness for medicine. I probably would not have lived a few years ago, but they now they can stint you and fix your — I mean, you think you’re doing everything right, and then it all goes wrong, right? It’s just weird that way. But that’s his life, I suppose.”

The country star is best known for his hit singles such as “Carlene” and “Just Another Day in Paradise.” Both hits were released in 2000. The latter became his first No. 1 hit as a performer.

Over the years, Vassar has released several albums, including “American Child” (2002), “Shaken Not Stirred” (2004), and “Prayer of a Common Man” (2008). His music often reflects themes of everyday life, love, and personal growth.