| Daniel Foster | |
|---|---|
| Born | Washington, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Morgan State University, Baltimore, |
| Occupation | DJ,Radio producer |
| Spouse | Lovina Foster, née Okpara (second wife) |
| Children | Joshua, Daniella, Tochukwu |
Daniel 'Dan' Foster - popularly known as The Big Dawg and Top Dawg [1] - is an American radio presenter based in Lagos, and in 2007 he was an Idol series judge.[2]
Foster was brought up in Washington by his widowed father - his mother had died when he was ten - but partly raised in Baltimore by his grandmother.[3] As a teenager, Foster was a rebellious young man, but soon joined the Marines and attended Morgan State University, Baltimore, where he studied Broadcasting and Drama.
After working as a broadcaster for several American radio stations including Mix 106.5, Foster moved to Nigeria and joined Cool FM Lagos in 2000, quickly became popular with Nigerian listeners, although he was constantly criticised for his constant use of the word "Ikebe" (Nigerian pidgin for derriere).[2] A year later, he received an award for Best Radio Presenter of the year. He won the 2003, 2004, and 2005 Nigeria Media Merit Awards for 'Best Radio Personality'.He has also been recognised by the City People Awards: a respected organisation known for recognising outstanding individuals who have touched the lives of citizens in the community, they have named him “Media Person of the year” in 2004 and again in 2005.[2]
In 2001, Foster featured in the Nollywood movie Face of a Liar,[3][4] and in 2007, it was announced that he was to feature as a judge on Idols West Africa, alongside Nigerian Dede Mabiaku and Ghanaian Abrewa Nana. During the show's run he was compared to American counterpart Randy Jackson, although he received some criticism for not showing up at the Ghana auditions.[5] He was also the creator and director of the Cool Fm Praise Jam concerts that have taken place since 2004, with a total of over 22, 000 people in attendance.[6] In September the following year, Foster left Cool FM for a new radio station Inspiration FM, which is funded by the owner of one of the countries biggest banks.[7]
Foster has a son, Joshua from his previous marriage, and had dated model Linda Ikeji.[8] In 2009, his wife gave birth to daughter Daniella.[9]
At Inspiration - also known as "the new sound of Family Radio" - he has embraced his new role as an inspirational broadcaster, and Head of Broadcasting and Programmes.[3][10]