Inductee Profile
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At a glance
Born: November 1, 1949Where: Victoria, BC Interesting Note:
It has been said that Foster's songs have made "many famous singers into superstars."[14] Foster's work as a producer has been equally significant. He has produced, arranged, or played on albums with the following singers and groups:
* Clay Aiken
* Dwayne Ford
* Jay Graydon
* Tommy Bolin
* Céline Dion
* Andrea Bocelli
* Mariah Carey
* Whitney Houston
* Barbra Streisand
* Charice Pempengco
* Cher
* Christina Aguilera
* Josh Groban
* Renee Olstead
* Sheena Easton
* Takuya Kimura
* Kenny Rogers
* Michael Bush
* Michael Bolton
* Deniece Williams
* Night Ranger
* Prince
* Donna Summer
* Faith Hill
* SMAP
* Misia
* The Corrs
* Tim Feehan
* Vikki Moss
* Brandy
* Luis Miguel
* Peter Allen
* The Bee Gees
* Neil Diamond
* Gordon Lightfoot
* Earth Wind and Fire
* Lionel Richie
* Kenny G
* Destiny's Child
* Red Army Choir
* Vanessa Williams
* Anne Murray
* Olivia Newton-John
* Amy Holland
* Deborah Blando
* Lisa Marie Presley
* Lara Fabian
* Dolly Parton
* Julio Iglesias
* Jennifer Love Hewitt
* Michael Jackson
* Madonna
* Alice Cooper
* Gloria Estefan
* Blake Shelton
* George Harrison
* Rod Stewart
* Seiko Matsuda
* Laura Pausini
* Carman
* Addie MS
* All-4-One
* Ricardo Montaner
* John Parr
* Al Jarreau
* Kenny Loggins
* Az Yet
* Donovan
* Natalie Cole
* Yolanda Adams
* The Tubes
* Michael Bublé
* Chicago
* Peter Cetera
* Katharine McPhee
* Air Supply
* Paul McCartney
* Brian McKnight
* 'N Sync
* Kevin Sharp
* Peter Cincotti
* Chris Botti
* BeBe & CeCe Winans
* Average White Band
* Richard Marx
* Cheryl Lynn
* Paul Anka
* Seal
* Barry Manilow
* Boz Scaggs
* Toni Braxton
* Jessica Simpson
* Chaka Khan
* Earth Wind and Fire
* The Keane Brothers
* Bryan Adams
* DeBarge
* Daryl Hall and John Oates
* Clay Aiken
* Kelly Clarkson
* William Joseph
* Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
* Marilyn Martin
* Gary Barlow
* John Travolta
* Leann Rimes
* Monica
* Roger Daltrey
* Katherine Jenkins
* Heidi Montag
* Jordan Hill
* Plus One (band)
* Ronnie Hawkins
* Il Divo
* The Canadian Tenors
* Nicole Kidman
* Jackie Evancho
* Gary Wright
* Donnie Mc Clurkin
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 15 Grammy Awards (three for producer of the year) and has been nominated a total of 44 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” (sung by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion) from the film Quest for Camelot. He has been named BMI's "Songwriter of the Year". In June 2010, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
DAVID FOSTER
2002 INDUCTEE
View all inductees from 2002 »In 1984, David Foster made Canadian music history by assembling many of this country's top artists to record Tears Are Not Enough, a song he wrote with fellow British Columbians, Bryan Adams and Jim Valance, to aid African famine relief.
By that time, Foster was already on track to become one of the most successful and influential music producers since George Martin produced The Beatles. Since recording his first album in 1972 as a member of Skylark, the talented multi-instrumentalist was destined for success.
Although Skylark would disband after one year, the album produced three singles, including the number one Canadian and American hit, Wildflower. That song would sell over one million copies, and make Billboard's Top Ten in 1973. By then, Foster was already in Los Angeles performing as a keyboardist alongside notables such as John Lennon, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, George Harrison, and Barbara Streisand.
While lucrative, Foster soon grew tired of session work, preferring to write and produce his own music. In 1979, he won a Grammy Award for co-writing After the Love Has Gone for Earth Wind and Fire. It was to be the first of 14 Grammies, including three coveted Producer of the Year awards.
In 1985, he produced John Par's Man in Motion for the hit movie St. Elmo's Fire. Other top selling soundtracks produced by Foster include Ghostbusters and Footloose.
In 1993, he was named Billboard's Top Singles Producer and Top R&B Producer, while receiving the largest number of Grammy nominations, and winning Producer of the Year for Whitney Houston's soundtrack to The Bodyguard.
The heart and soul of Foster's work is diversity. Whether pursuing his solo career or producing platinum-hits for the likes of Celine Dion, Garth Brooks, Natalie Cole, Toni Braxton, Brandy, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, 'N Sync, or his latest discovery, classical pop singer Josh Groban, he likes to blend his work with the sounds and music of the street: rock, RandB, pop, soul, country, jazz, and classical.
A long time champion of children and advocate of their rights, Foster lends his musical skills to many charitable foundations and organizations. In 1985, he established the David Foster Foundation to assist families of children in need. To date, the foundation has raised several million dollars to assist children throughout Western Canada.
Canada's Walk of Fame Trivia:
Winter Games, from David Foster's The Symphony Sessions with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, was commissioned in 1988 for the Calgary Winter Olympic Games.
