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David Foster: Music Lover
By Ryan JohnsonIntro. To Music 1010, sec. 48
David Foster: Biography
Composer, singer, musician, songwriter, and producer.
Born November 1, 1949 on Vancouver Island, B.C.
Father was a maintenance worker, mother was a housewife
Foster was the only boy of 7 children
David Foster: Biography
Began piano lessons at 4 years old
Able to replay note for note an entire song he heard 2 or 3 times by age 7
By age 10, was an accomplished classical pianist
“I owe much of my success to my classical foundation” (Foster 32).
David Foster: Biography
By age 11, moved past classical music into popular music of the 50s
Middle school band teacher allowed him to switch instruments he learned several instruments
David Foster: Biography
At 12 years, created rock-n-roll dance band
At 13, made more money than his father with gigs
At 13, received scholarship to Univ. of WA Summer Music Program for high school students
David Foster: Biography
Traveled to London with band and did gigs at 16 years old
Father passed away when he was 18 after telling him to pursue his dream of music.
David Foster: Biography
At 19, moved with band, Skylark, to L.A.
Skylark got a record deal with Capitol Records
Song, “Wildflower” made #9 on the Billboard charts
Band broke up, he stayed in L.A.
David Foster: Biography
At 24, B.J., his wife and agent, had their 1st child
1st “real job” with a paycheck was playing piano for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry and Meat Loaf.
David Foster: Biography
Helped arrange music for George Harrisson and Barbara Streisand.
Career morphed from studio pianist to producer.
David Foster: Biography
Numerous producing invitations from celebrity musicians.
Won awards for work with Lionel Richie, Peter Cetera, Barbra Streisand
Left: Foster and Barbra Streisand
David Foster: Biography
In 1985 he “scored the music for ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’” and produced songs for movies: Footloose, Ghostbusters, Pretty
Woman, and Three Men and a Baby (Foster 107).
David Foster: Biography
1990s, introduced to Celine Dion 1992, worked with Whitney Houston
on The Bodyguard soundtrack.
Till present, has worked with Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Natalie Cole, and many more famous musicians.
David Foster: Composition History
“Hard Habit to Break”
released in 1984 Foster produced and arranged performed by Chicago On album, Chicago 17 been re-made by All-4-One, R&B
group Foster worked with
David Foster: Composition History
“Love Theme From St. Elmo’s Fire” Foster composed, produced and
arranged recorded in 1985 by Atlantic
Recording Corporation. found on the St. Elmo’s Fire
Soundtrack song reached #15 on the Billboard
Charts in 1985
David Foster: Composition History
“Love Theme From St. Elmo’s Fire” Song and album were nominated for
3 Grammy awards for: Best Instrumental Composition Best Pop Instrumental Performance Best Album of Original Score Written for
a Motion Picture (Foster 220).
David Foster: Composition History
“I Have Nothing” released in 1992 by Arista Records performed by Whitney Houston
written by both Foster and his third wife, singer and songwriter, Linda Thompson
released on The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack
Left: Foster and Houston at 1992 Grammy Awards
David Foster: Composition History
“I Have Nothing” Nominated for:
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals (credited to Foster and William Ross)
Best Song Written Specifically for Motion Picture or TV in 1993 (credited to Foster and Linda Thompson).
The Bodyguard Soundtrack won Record of the Year in 1993.
David Foster: Listening Guide:“Hard Habit to Break”
Song has 4 verses, a Chorus, Bridge, Chorus w/add-on, and a Fadeout.
in quadruple/simple meter, in the major key, with a conjunct melody.
Two main vocalists (guitarist Bill Champlin and Peter Cetera) trade off singing the 4 verses of the song.
Vocals are in a high tenor key (relatively high for male vocals), and blend with the synthesizer playing.
*see Notes for timings and details
David Foster: Listening Guide:“Hard Habit to Break”
Chorus is in duple meter, not quadruple like verses 2-beat rhythm creates tension Tempo picks up Dynamics-higher pitch at second half
Verse 3, changes back to quadruple/simple meter
Link to video featuring Cetera and Champlin
*see Notes for timings and details
David Foster: Listening Guide:“Love Theme From St. Elmo’s Fire”
Song is in quadruple/simple meter
Is instrumental, or a musical poem that has 2 themes A & B) that are alternately played.
Various synthesized sounds: Saxophone, violins, piano, drums, cello/strings
Link to video
*see Notes for timings and details
David Foster: Listening Guide:“I Have Nothing”
Song is in quadruple/simple meter, major key
Song has Intro, 4 Verses, Pre-chorus and Chorus
Includes synthesized and “real” instrumental sounds, along with vocals to create varied dynamics.
Link to music video
*see Notes for timings and details
Works Cited
Blue Desert: the Home of West Coast Music. David Foster. 2010. Web. 26 Sept 2010.
Chicago. Chicago: the Band. 2010. Web. 26 Sept 2010.
Foster, David. Hitman. New York: Pocket Books: A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2008. Print.
Imdb.com, Inc. Biography for David Foster. 2010. Web. 26 Sept 2010.
Warner Bros. Records. Hit Man: David Foster & Friends. WB, 2007. Web. 25 Sept. 2010.