David Foster

David Foster
Replace this image male.svg
Background information
Birth name David Walter Foster
Born November 1, 1949 (1949-11-01) (age 59)
Origin Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Genre(s) pop, r&b, classical, gospel, adult-contemporary
Occupation(s) Record producer, composer, songwriter, arranger
Instrument(s) piano, keyboards, synthesizers
Years active 1974 - present
Label(s) Reprise Records/143 Records
Associated acts Skylark, Chicago
Website davidfoster.com

David Walter Foster, O.C., O.B.C., LL.D. (born November 1, 1949 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer-songwriter and arranger.[1].

Contents

Career

Foster was a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark whose song “Wildflower” was a top ten hit in 1972. He has worked as a producer with a wide range of musical stars, including Whitney Houston, Céline Dion, Cher, Chicago, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Michael Jackson, and Madonna (see "Artists produced," below).

He has produced debut albums for The Corrs,[2] Michael Bublé,[3] Renee Olstead, and Josh Groban, which were released under his own record label, 143 Records, and distributed through Warner Music. Foster helped launch the career of Kevin Sharp, after the two met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He was one of the executive producers of John Stevens' debut CD, Red.[4]

Foster composed the score for the film St. Elmo's Fire,[5] including "Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire" which hit #15 in US pop charts. Another song from the film, "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)", recorded by John Parr hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 7, 1985. He collaborated with then-wife Linda Thompson on the song "I Have Nothing" sung by Whitney Houston in the 1992 film, The Bodyguard. The couple was nominated for a Grammy Award and an Academy Award for Best Song for the song. Foster, along with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, composed "The Power of the Dream" as the official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics, with Thompson providing the lyrics (sung by Céline Dion). He also composed "Winter Games", the theme song for 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. "Winter Games" is the soundtrack for a fountain show at the Bellagio resort in Las Vegas as well as a fountain show at Sea World Orlando. In 2001, he produced an album of his own arrangement of Canada's national anthem, O Canada, with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Lara Fabian. In 2003, Foster won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for The Concert for World Children's Day. His song "I Will Be There With You" (sung with Katharine McPhee ) is being used by Japan Airlines to promote the introduction of new aircraft to its US flights.

During the 1990s he often performed acts with San Diego vocalist Warren Wiebe who he had discovered in the restroom of a hotel bar in 1987. In 1994 he had Wiebe put together a band called Millennium featuring Nita Whitaker and a few session vocalists but the deal with Foster's record company led to the group's demise. Warren was Foster's "mouth" on many of his videos but took his own life before he could release a solo album.

Television

In early 2001, Foster was in Popstars, a reality series that aired on WB. The series aimed at coming up with the next girl group and eventually became Eden's Crush (featuring Nicole Scherzinger). He and Linda Thompson wrote and produced several songs on their album.

Foster's home life was featured in a Fox staged[6] reality TV show called The Princes of Malibu, in which he attempts to force his two spoiled stepsons, Brandon and Brody Jenner, the children of Thompson and Olympian Bruce Jenner, to straighten their lives up and earn their own way.

In late April 2006, Foster appeared as a special guest on both American Idol (as a mentor) and Nashville Star (as a judge) two weeks apart. He was also a judge on Celebrity Duets, a FOX TV show. He also appeared on Star Tomorrow, where auditions were held in Los Angeles and New York for undiscovered talent. It aired only one [July 31, 2006] episode on NBC.

In July 2006, Foster made a brief appearance on The View as Star Jones's vocal coach. In August 2006, he was the musical director for JCPenney Jam: The Concert For American Kids, which aired on CBS and was later released in CD/DVD format. In November 2007, Foster appeared in Oprah's annual "Favorite Things" episode, performing with Josh Groban.

On March 12th, 2008, Foster accompanied Katharine McPhee on the Beatles' song "Something" on American Idol. After the song Foster announced that he and McPhee were working together on an album. He subsequently appeared on Access Hollywood with Michael Johns, who he invited to play in his one-night tribute concert, David Foster & Friends on May 23 2008 (also featuring his "hero" Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Katharine McPhee and Charice Pempengco) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip.[7]

In September 2008 singer Charice Pempengco joined Foster on the Oprah Winfrey television program with Celine Dion via satellite.

Personal

Married three times, Foster has five daughters: Allison, and Amy Foster-Gillies (b. 1973) by his first wife of ten years, B.J. Cook; Sara (b. August 24 1981), Erin (b. August 2, 1982), and Jordan (b. September, 1986), by his second wife of eight years, Rebecca.[8]

Foster married third wife Linda Thompson on June 27, 1991, and the two became a songwriting team, collaborating on several songs including "My Grownup Christmas List" (sung by Barbra Streisand) and songs from The Bodyguard movie soundtrack. Thompson filed for divorce Monday July 11, 2005, the day after a short-lived reality series, The Princes of Malibu premiered[9]

Daughter Amy Foster-Gillies is a songwriter who has collaborated with Michael Buble, among others. As of May, 2008, daughter Sara is engaged to Tommy Haas, professional tennis player.[10]

Artists produced

It has been said that Foster's songs have made "many famous singers into superstars.[11] Foster's work as a producer has been equally significant. He has produced the following singers and groups:

  • All-4-One
  • Ricardo Montaner
  • Al Jarreau
  • Kenny Loggins
  • Az Yet
  • Natalie Cole
  • Yolanda Adams
  • The Tubes
  • Michael Bublé
  • Chicago
  • Peter Cetera
  • Katharine McPhee
  • Air Supply
  • Heidi Montag
  • William Joseph (musician)

Discography

In addition to the numerous albums he has produced, the following are Foster's own solo or band works:

Singles

Awards and honors

In 1995, Foster became the recipient of the Order of British Columbia, the highest honour awarded in his native province of British Columbia. Foster became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2006.

Foster has won fifteen Grammy Awards (three for producer of the year) and has been nominated a total of forty-three times. He has been nominated three times for an Academy Award for Best Song and won the 1999 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for the song “The Prayer” from the film Quest for Camelot and he has been named BMI's "Songwriter of the Year".[12]

References

  1. ↑ "David Foster Current Biography at Executive Visions".
  2. ↑ The Corrs, The Pride of Ireland - family biography"
  3. ↑ Michael Bublé biography
  4. ↑ John Stevens debuts with Red
  5. ↑ St. Elmo's Fire credits, IMDB
  6. ↑ "Reality Blurred: "Princess of Malibu’s fakeness “was meant to play funny,” producer says"".
  7. ↑ David Foster's 'Idol' Surprise For Michael Johns
  8. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0287757/bio
  9. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0287757/bio
  10. ↑ Statement by David Foster on his PBS special "Hit Man" May 2008
  11. ↑ Producer and Songwriter David Foster. Oprah.com.
  12. ↑ David Foster at Peermusic

External links