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The man with the Midas touch

By on August 30, 2010

David Foster is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.  The fifteen-time Grammy-winning musician-songwriter-producer has created more stars than the Big Bang; and in his forty years in the industry, has launched the careers of such names as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Andrea Boccelli, and Michael Bublé. The songs he penned have consistently reached the top of the charts for several decades, making timeless superstars of the singers. 

 

The reason for his success?  "It was my parents’ discipline, and my family, growing up," says Foster. 

 

The Canadian hit-maker grew up on a small island in Victoria, British Columbia, in a working-class household, but was taught not to let his environment hinder his ambitions.  "My parents raised me to realize my potentials. They taught me what’s right and wrong, and how to live my life: not deviating from my goals, although there are many distractions in life."

 

It was no surprise that Foster’s goals were music-oriented, as that has  always been in the Foster genes: his father was a musician, and his daughter, Amy Foster-Gillies, would eventually go on to be a prolific songwriter in her own right, penning hits for Destiny’s Child and Bublé, as well.  So it wouldn’t come as a surprise that Foster’s goals were musical.

 

Foster first entered the music world in the early ’70s as keyboardist for Canadian pop group Skylark; and although the band was short-lived, Foster’s skills almost instantly made him a highly in-demand session musician for the likes of Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, and John Lennon. Several years later, he delved into songwriting and producing and was immediately hired to work with Earth, Wind, and Fire.

 

But Foster’s ultimate rise to fame came as he ventured into composing film scores; his score for the staple ’80s teen flick St. Elmo’s Fire topped the charts.  (The film’s main theme remains a Japanese Foster favorite.)

 

"It was interesting, how I came up with the idea behind [the theme from] St. Elmo’s Fire.  I’m not one to get inspired by looking at sceneries – but I do love beautiful sceneries.  That said, they don’t often inspire me to write songs. But while I was driving down the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, I had the melody in my head. At the time, I didn’t have a phone or a device to record it – back then, we didn’t have cell phones.  But if it’s a good melody, you should be able to remember it for at least thirty minutes. As soon as I got home, I played the melody on the piano, and the song was written soon."

 

Foster’s work in film soundtracks led him to work on that of The Bodyguard, the 1992 love story that catapulted Whitney Houston to stardom, giving her her signature hit in Foster’s reworking of Dolly Parton’s "I Will Always Love You".

 

"Before I worked on [the film], Quincy Jones invited me to his home and said, ‘You’re about to work on the most important project of your life’.  He was right," Foster said.  "As far as producers go, Quincy is my hero."

 

Since then, Foster has gone on to discover chart-topping talents, such as Dion, Bublé, and Josh Groban; his most recent discovery, however, is 18-year-old Filipina songstress Charice.

 

"[She is] a rising star in the Philippines, a really strong singer. Watching her reminds me of when I first saw Celine," Foster reminisces, having heard the Quebecois sing at a small show in Montreal.  "It was unbelievable. Celine’s voice was all that reached my ears. Charice, like her, will be big."

 

With a career spanning forty years, how does Foster view the evolution of the music scene?

 

"There is great music being made today, but the lyrics are lacking – they’re not even something I can call ‘simple’."  That said, Foster still enjoys some of the newest hits. "I think Katy Perry’s ‘California Girls’ is great.  I heard it with my children, and I started listening to it," he laughs.  "There are still people out there making great music."

 

Foster has been hard at work lately with his latest concert, "David Foster & Friends", which is set to make a stop in Tokyo next month, with Peter Cetera, Natalie Cole, Ruben Studdard, the Canadian Tenors, and his latest protégé Charice on board to celebrate the David Foster songbook.

 

"With the members the concert has now, I can perform the songs I’ve written, so it’ll be exciting," says the hit-maker, returning to Japan for the first time in sixteen years.  "I’m often told by listeners that it’s almost like they’re hearing the soundtrack to their lives. I’m sure that if you hear my music in concert, you’ll share that experience."

 

INFO

David Foster & Friends

 

Oct 19-20,7pm at the Tokyo International Forum, Hall A. Tickets are ¥11,500-¥13,500 and can be purchased now at Lawson Tickets (0570-084-003), Ticket Pia (0570-02-9966), or Kyodo Tokyo [(03) 3498-9999].

About Martin Leroux