David Foster

**David Walter Foster OC OBC** (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer and record producer. He is the ex-husband of Yolanda Hadid and is well known for appearing in the Bravo reality series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

## Early Life

Foster was born in Victoria, British Columbia to parents Maurice and Eleanor Foster. He has one sister, Jaymes Foster.

In 1963, at the age of thirteen, he enrolled in the University of Washington music program. In 1965 he auditioned to lead the band in an Edmonton nightclub owned by jazz musician Tommy Banks. Banks mentored Foster in jazz, producing records, and music business. After a year there, he decided to move to Toronto to play with Ronnie Hawkins. In 1966, he joined a backup band for Chuck Berry. In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles with his band Skylark.

## Career

### 1971-1999

Foster was a keyboardist for the pop group Skylark, discovered by Eirik Wangberg. The band's song "Wildflower" was a top ten hit in 1973. When the band disbanded, Foster remained in Los Angeles and together with Jay Graydon he formed the band Airplay. In 1975, he played on George Harrison's album Extra Texture. He followed that up by playing the Fender Rhodes and clavinet on Harrison's album Thirty Three & 1/3 a year later. In 1976 Foster joined Guthrie Thomas on Thomas' second Capitol Records album, Lies and Alibis, with Ringo Starr and a host of many other famed performers. Foster was a major contributor to the 1979 Earth, Wind and Fire album I Am, as a studio player and arranger, as well as being a co-writer on six of the album's tracks, the most noteworthy being the song "After the Love Has Gone", for which Foster and his co-writers, Graydon and Bill Champlin, won the 1980 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.

Foster worked as an album producer on albums for The Tubes: 1981's The Completion Backward Principle and 1983's Outside Inside. Foster cowrote such songs as "Talk to Ya Later", co-written with Tubes singer Fee Waybill and Steve Lukather from Toto, the Top 40 hit "Don't Want to Wait Anymore," and the number 10 U.S. hit "She's a Beauty". The 1980 Boz Scaggs album Middle Man saw Foster cowrite and play keyboard on some of Scaggs's most successful songs, including "Breakdown Dead Ahead", "Jojo", and "Simone", followed by "Look What You've Done to Me" from the film Urban Cowboy.

Foster was a major contributor to Chicago's career in the early and middle 1980s, having worked as the band's producer on Chicago 16 (1982), Chicago 17 (1984 - their biggest selling multi-platinum album), and Chicago 18 (1986). As was typical of his producing projects from this time period, Foster was a cowriter on songs such as the U.S. Chart No. 1 hit "Hard to Say I'm Sorry", "Love Me Tomorrow" (U.S. No. 22), "Stay the Night" (U.S. No. 16), and "You're the Inspiration" (U.S. No. 3). These four songs were cowritten with the band's bassist Peter Cetera. Foster also helped Cetera co-write (along with Cetera's wife Diane Nini) his U.S. No. 1 solo hit "Glory of Love" in 1986. Foster cowrote Kenny Loggins's songs "Forever" (U.S. No. 40), from the 1985 album Vox Humana, and "Heart to Heart" (U.S. No. 15), from the 1982 album High Adventure. Foster also worked with country singer Kenny Rogers on the hit albums What About Me? (1984) and The Heart of the Matter (1985), the latter of which featured "The Best of Me" a song co-written by Richard Marx that was covered by Cliff Richard in 1989, resulting in a number-two UK hit.

In 1985, Rolling Stone magazine named Foster the "master of ... bombastic pop kitsch". That year, Foster composed the score for the film St. Elmo's Fire, including the instrumental "Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire", which hit No. 15 on the US pop charts. Another song from the film, "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)", recorded by John Parr, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 7, 1985. In the following years, Foster continued turning out occasional film scores, including for the Michael J. Fox comedy The Secret of My Success (1987), which featured a song co-written by Foster titled "The Price of Love", a track of which was performed by Roger Daltrey from the album Can't Wait to See the Movie, which Foster also produced, and the Jodie Foster-Mark Harmon film Stealing Home, both of which spawned soundtrack albums with prominent Foster-penned contributions. 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 also appeared in the film's Oscars scene as the conductor and an Academy member. In 1985 Foster also co-wrote and produced "Tears are Not Enough", which reached top 15 status. It was produced by Foster and recorded by a group of Canadian artists such as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bryan Adams and others in similar fashion to the UK's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and the U.S.'s "We are the World".

Foster composed "Winter Games", the theme song for 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. "Winter Games" is also the soundtrack for fountain shows at the Bellagio resort in Las Vegas.

In 1995, Foster signed a deal with Warner Brothers that enabled him to set up his own boutique label, 143 Records, as a joint venture with Warner. Foster gave the responsibility for running the label to then manager Brian Avnet. One of the label's first signings was a then-little known Irish folk-rock band, The Corrs, for whom he produced their debut album. By 1997, Foster had come to the realisation that, in the American market at least, "logo labels" like 143 were in a "bad spot" and as a result, Foster sold the label back to Warner and became a senior vice president at the corporation. Foster, along with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, composed "The Power of the Dream", the official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics. Foster also produced the Diane Warren songs "Un-Break My Heart" sung by Toni Braxton, "Because You Loved Me" sung by Celine Dion, and "Have You Ever?" sung by Brandy.

### 2000s

Foster produced major-label debut albums for Josh Groban (2001), Michael Bublé (2003), Renee Olstead (2004), and Charice (2010), which were released under his 143 Records.

In 2001, Foster collaborated with Lara Fabian and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra to record English-language, French-language, and bilingual (French/English) versions of the Canadian national anthem, "O Canada", for a promotion of the Canadian government. Foster, with his then-wife Thompson, composed "Light the Fire Within", sung by LeAnn Rimes for the 2002 Winter Olympics. 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), has been used by Japan Airlines to promote the introduction of new aircraft to its U.S. flights.

The 2001 film The Score, starring Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando, features a Diana Krall recording, "I'll Make it Up as I Go". This song, which accompanies the film's ending credits, was composed by David Foster (together with his daughter Amy Foster-Gilles), and was used in the film.

In 2005, Foster, his daughter Amy Foster-Gillies, and Beyoncé wrote "Stand Up For Love" as the anthem to the World Children's Day, an annual worldwide event to raise awareness and funds for children's causes. Over the years, more than $50 million has been raised to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities and other children's organizations.

In 2008, Foster held a one-night concert called Hitman: David Foster & Friends at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas featuring Foster presiding center stage at the keyboard, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Katharine McPhee, Celine Dion, Blake Shelton, Brian McKnight and Charice. Marking his incredible 35-year career, this offers spectacular performance of songs written by and/or produced by him. Other highlights range from early hits like St. Elmo's Fire Love Theme, recalled here by Kenny G; and “Man in Motion,” performed by American Idol hottie Michael Johns, through foot stompin’ disco with Cheryl Lynn's “Got to Be Real,” to the neo-jazz swing of Michael Bublé's “Feeling Good.” The 16-year-old talented singer from Philippines, Charice who is known for her appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show has definitely stolen that evening by stunningly performing Houston's hit: "I Will Always Love You" and "I Have Nothing".

In 2009, it was revealed by songwriter Diane Warren that she had worked with Foster to produce tracks for Whitney Houston's upcoming album and the singer's comeback single would be the Foster-produced "I Didn't Know My Own Strength".

### 2010s

On December 15, 2011, it was confirmed that Foster would become the Chairman of Verve Music Group.

In 2013, Foster produced Mary J. Blige's first Christmas album A Mary Christmas released October 15. The album includes 12 classics such as swing-styled "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" it also features artists such as: Marc Anthony, Jessie J, The Clark Sisters, Barbra Streisand and Chris Botti. Foster produced Andrea Bocelli's album, Passione, released in January. The album is a collection of Mediterranean love songs featuring duets with Jennifer Lopez, Nelly Furtado, and a virtual duet with Edith Piaf.

Foster also produced an album with Bryan Adams called Tracks of My Years released in 2014.

Foster left Verve in 2016 in a label reorganisation.

Foster has been writing a musical about Betty Boop with Susan Birkenhead, along with a musical with Jewel, based on Amy Bloom's novel Lucky Us.

### Television Appearances

In 1992, Foster went to Indonesia to record the TV show David Foster's Twilight Orchestra on the national television station RCTI. In early 2001, Foster appeared in Popstars, a WB reality series aimed at coming up with the next girl group. The result was Eden's Crush (featuring Nicole Scherzinger). Foster and Linda Thompson wrote and produced several songs on their album.

In 2005, his and Linda Thompson's home life was featured in a Fox-staged reality TV show, The Princes of Malibu, in which he attempted to teach his spoiled stepsons, Brandon and Brody Jenner, the children of Thompson and Olympian Caitlyn Jenner, to straighten their lives up and earn their own way.

In late April 2006, he appeared as a guest mentor on American Idol and as a guest judge on Nashville Star. In 2006, he was a judge on the FOX TV show Celebrity Duets and appeared on Star Tomorrow, for which auditions were held in Los Angeles and New York for undiscovered talent.

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's "The Concert For American Kids". Also in 2006, Foster was featured in Under the Desert Sky, Andrea Bocceli's live album and DVD of a pop concert held in Las Vegas. In 2007, Foster was featured in Bocelli's Vivere Live in Tuscany, a live album and DVD of a pop concert performed at Bocelli's Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico, Tuscany in July. In November 2007, Foster appeared in The Oprah Winfrey Show's annual "Favorite Things" episode, performing with Josh Groban.

In September 2008, singer Charice joined Foster on The Oprah Winfrey Show with Celine Dion via satellite; and on October 31, he and Andrea Bocelli appeared on Oprah again together, where he stated that Bocelli was his "favourite singer on the planet".

In December 2008, Foster was featured in a PBS special titled Hit Man: David Foster & Friends, a concert featuring live performances by Foster and numerous other performers.

Later in 2011, he was featured in Andrea Bocelli's live album, Concerto: One Night in Central Park (also known as Live in Central Park) and in Bocelli's four PBS Specials. Bocelli also performed during Foster's Hit Man special.

In late 2012, Foster appeared in an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. His wife, Yolanda Foster, was added to the cast of season three of the reality TV show.

In 2015, Foster joined the panel of judges for Asia's Got Talent. In 2017 and 2019, he returned as judge with Anggun, Mel C, and Vanness Wu for the second season and third season with Anggun and Jay Park.

In 2019, PBS Hosted "An Intimate Evening with David Foster", which was also offered to viewers as a DVD, and available to the public on CD, and download. The show included his wife Katharine McPhee, tenor Fernando Varela, Pia Toscano, Loren Allred, and Shelea.

### The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

In 2012, his wife joined the cast of the Bravo reality television series for the third season and appeared in Season 4, 5 and 6. David has also been featured on the show.

## Personal Life

### Marriages and Children

Foster had his first child when he was twenty years old, Allison Jones (born 1970). He placed her for adoption and reconnected with her when she was 30.

Foster has been married five times. He married his first wife, singer B.J. Cook and together they have one daughter: Amy Skylark (born 1973). The couple divorced.

He married his second wife, Rebecca Dyer on October 27, 1982 and together they have three daughters: Sara (born 1981), Erin (born 1982) and Jordan. The couple also divorced in 1986.

He married his third wife, actress Linda Thomspon in 1991. The couple divorced in 2005. He was the stepfather to her two sons from her first marriage to Bruce (now Caitlyn Jenner): Brandon and Brody Jenner.

He married his fourth wife, model Yolanda Hadid on November 11, 2011. The couple also divorced in 2017. He was the stepfather to her three children from her first marriage to Mohammad Hadid: Gigi, Bella and Anwar Hadid.

He married his fifth wife, Katharine McPhee on June 28, 2019 and together they have one son.

He has seven grandchildren.

### Philanthropy

Foster created the David Foster Foundation, which supports children in need of medical transplants. Foster is also an ardent supporter of Israel, raising money for their military at fundraisers as recently as 2018.

In the Juno Awards 2019, David Foster was honoured for his philanthropic work due to his own foundation supplying money to charities and Canadian families in need of life saving transplants.

## Family

**Wives and Partners**

* B.J. Cook (Ex-wife)
* Rebecca Dyer (Ex-wife; 1982-1986)
* Linda Thompson (Ex-wife; 1991-2005)
* Yolanda Hadid (Ex-wife; 2011-2017)
* Katharine McPhee (Wife; 2019-present)

**Children**

* Allison Foster
* Amy Skylark
* Sara Foster
* Erin Foster
* Jordan Foster
* 1 Unknown Son
* Brandon Jenner (Former Stepson)
* Brody Jenner (Former Stepson)
* Gigi Hadid (Former Stepdaughter)
* Bella Hadid (Former Stepdaughter)
* Anwar Hadid (Former Stepson)

**Grandchildren**

* 7 Unknown Grandchildren

**Parents**

* Maurice Foster
* Eleanor Foster

**Siblings**

* Jaymes Foster

## Awards and Nominations

See Also: David Foster Awards and Nominations