David Foster

Extracted Attributes

• Full Name

  David Walter Foster

• Key Works

  I Will Always Love You, I Have Nothing, The Prayer, After the Love Has Gone, Hard to Say I'm Sorry, Wildflower

• Citizenship

  Canada, United States

• Occupations

  Record producer, composer, arranger, musician

• Date of Birth

  1949-11-01

• Grammy Awards

  16

• Place of Birth

  Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

• Grammy Nominations

  45

• Foundations Founded

  David Foster Foundation (1986)

Timeline

• Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. (Source: Wikidata)

  1949-11-01

• Achieved a Top 10 US hit with the song 'Wildflower' as part of the band Skylark. (Source: Web search)

  1973-01-01

• Contributed to Earth, Wind & Fire's album 'I Am' and co-wrote 'After the Love Has Gone', winning a Grammy Award. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1979-01-01

• Produced Chicago's comeback album 'Chicago 16'. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1982-01-01

• Established the David Foster Foundation to support families of children needing organ transplants. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1986-01-01

• Appointed Senior Vice President of Warner Music Group. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1997-01-01

• Inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. (Source: Web search)

  1998-01-01

• Assumed the role of Chair of Verve Records, serving until 2016. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2012-01-01

• Honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Source: Web search)

  2013-05-01

• Premiered the career documentary 'David Foster: Off The Record' at the Toronto International Film Festival. (Source: Web search)

  2019-09-01

• Composed 'Boop! The Musical', which premiered in Chicago. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2023-01-01

• Composed 'Boop! The Musical', which made its debut on Broadway. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2025-01-01

David Foster

David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian and American record producer, composer, arranger, and musician. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 45 nominations across four decades (the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s). Across the last fifty years, Foster has composed and produced some of the most successful songs of each decade, with multiple songs reaching the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and other individual genre charts.. He has also been nominated three times in the Best Original song category at the Academy Awards. Foster has contributed to material for prominent music industry artists across various genres. Some of the notable songs he has been involved with include: "I Will Always Love You," "I Have Nothing," "The Prayer," "After the Love Has Gone," "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," "Hard Habit to Break," "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)," "Glory of Love," "Winter Games," "Grown-Up Christmas List," "Best of Me," "Look What You've Done to Me," "She's a Beauty", "Somewhere," and “Wildflower.” Foster served as senior vice president of Warner Music Group from 1997, then he chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. In recent years, Foster composed Boop! The Musical, which premiered in Chicago in 2023 and debuted on Broadway in 2025. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music.

Web Search Results

• David Foster | Biography | Research Starters | EBSCO Research

  Back Browse Subject Areas # David Foster David Foster is a renowned Canadian musician, record producer, and songwriter, celebrated for his impactful contributions to the music industry. Born on November 1, 1949, in Victoria, British Columbia, Foster developed a passion for music from a young age, starting piano lessons at five and later studying at the University of Washington. He gained early recognition as a member of Chuck Berry's backup band and co-founded the successful band Skylark, known for the hit "Wildflower." [...] ## Full Article ### David Foster Record producer Born: November 1, 1949 Place of Birth: Victoria, British Columbia Contribution: David Foster’s work as a record producer and songwriter for such musical greats as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Chicago, Michael Bublé, and Earth, Wind & Fire earned him many awards and nominations. Foster developed a love of music at an early age and capitalized on his talents, becoming one of the music industry’s most prominent figures. ### Early Life and Education [...] In 2011, Foster took on the new role of chair of Verve Music Group, a record label owned by Universal Music Group and specializing in adult contemporary music. As chair, Foster is responsible for overseeing the label’s creative operations. In recognition of his achievements in the fields of songwriting and producing, Foster was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May of 2013. He has won five Juno Awards and sixteen Grammy Awards. He is a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, and the US Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Order of British Columbia and an Officer of the Order of Canada.

• David Foster - Canadian Music Hall Of Fame

  # David Foster Inducted in 1998 B.C.-native David Foster has become one of the most successful music producers and composers in the world as well as a famously generous philanthropist. Foster was born in Victoria on November 1, 1949. His musical career started early, with piano lessons at age five that led to enrollment in the University of Washington’s music program at thirteen. By age 16 he was playing piano with Chuck Berry, and had a Top 10 US hit (“Wildflower”) with his band Skylark in 1973. The band’s success did not last, though, and when the other members decided to return to Canada, Foster decided to stay in Los Angeles.

• David Foster

  Foster was a major contributor to the career of jazz rock band Chicago "Chicago (band)") in the early and mid-1980s, serving as the band's producer on _Chicago 16_ (1982), _Chicago 17_ (1984), and _Chicago 18_ (1986). The three albums were highly successful and the group's unexpected comeback surprised everyone. Foster co-wrote several of the band's biggest hits with the band's bassist, Peter Cetera and outside songwriters, including "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (US No. 1), "Hard Habit to Break" (US No. 3), "You're the Inspiration" (US No. 3), and "Will You Still Love Me? "Will You Still Love Me? (song)")" (US No. 3). Entrusted with the task of reviving Chicago, Foster asserted his own style from the outset. He worked primarily with Cetera, with whom he shared similar views, and kept his [...] In 1986, Foster established the David Foster Foundation. The impetus for its creation came from his encounter with a young girl awaiting a liver transplant. After fulfilling her modest wish, he became profoundly aware of the importance of a child's life, which inspired him to create the foundation. To raise funds for the foundation, Foster has organized more than 100 benefit events over several decades, often persuading friends and colleagues to participate. Since its first grant, Foster and other donors have supported more than 1,500 families through the foundation, helping cover both medical and non-medical expenses. In 2022, the foundation provided assistance to 20% of Canadian families whose children received liver, kidney, heart, or lung transplants. In recognition of his efforts, [...] In 1979, Foster was a major contributor to Earth, Wind & Fire's album _I Am "I Am (Earth, Wind & Fire album)")_, as a keyboardist, arranger and composer. He was a co-writer on six of the album's tracks, such as "After the Love Has Gone", for which he and his co-writers, Jay Graydon and Bill Champlin, won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards.( Foster has often referenced this album in interviews because it made such a strong impression on him( In the same year, he formed the band Airplay "Airplay (band)") with Jay Graydon; the group released its only album the following year.(

• David Foster - Horatio Alger

  # David Foster Class of 2009 Producer, Composer, and Arranger Reprise Records / 143 Records You have to fight for what you believe in. David Foster was born in 1949 in Victoria, capital of the Canadian province of British Columbia. At five, he began piano lessons, and it quickly became apparent that his talents far surpassed those of other children his age. At 13, he enrolled in the University of Washington's Summer Music Program. Three years later, he left school to join the backup band for rock-and-roll legend Chuck Berry. At age 18 and in the midst of his burgeoning career in popular music, Foster lost his father.

• Biography - David Foster

  An official feature documentary on his career and life debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) September 2019. David Foster: “Off The Record” is an up close and personal look at the extraordinary career of a producer, composer, and entertainer who has helped sell more than a half billion records working with some of the most successful artists of all time. Powerful and sometimes humorous, the film follows Foster’s relentless ambition, hunger, and rise to the top, as he becomes an iconic producer and songwriter. [...] For his remarkable work, Foster has won 16 Grammy Awards, including three for Producer of the Year, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and racked up three Oscar nominations for “Best Original Song.” He has also earned a reputation as a keen spotter of new talent, playing a key role in the discovery and career launches of Celine Dion, Josh Groban, and Michael Bublé. [...] In 2015, Foster became a celebrity judge on the smash hit TV show Asia’s Got Talent. Billed as the biggest TV show in the world, it is broadcast throughout Asia into 20 countries and just completed his third season. In 2019, he became the anchor judge on World’s Got Talent in China – the first international entertainer to hold a major TV position in China. The show airs on Friday nights primetime to 150 million viewers. Foster is the Global Grand Brand Ambassador for AirAsia. “In Asia, audiences believe that the person who writes and produces the songs is as important as the person who sings them,” Foster says. “So when you play a song that you’ve written and the entire 10,000-seat arena sings every word, that’s pretty thrilling.”

• Award

  Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

• Image

  

• Gender

  male

• Educated At

  University of Southern California

• Instance Of

  Q5

• Occupation

  actor

• Citizenship

  Canada

• Date Of Birth

  11/1/1949

• Place Of Birth

  Victoria