A-list Lineup of Musical Guests Makes This a “Starry” Night
NEW YORK–(Business Wire)–
Everyone`s favorite “Hitman” David Foster joins Great Performances superstar
Andrea Bocelli for a new Christmas concert of holiday classics airing on
Thanksgiving night. Showcasing Bocelli`s unmistakable soaring vocals are lush
new arrangements infused with the distinctive Foster touch. The inspiring
concert performance, recorded at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, also features
special musical guests Natalie Cole, Mary J. Blige, Reba McEntire, Welsh
mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, The Muppets and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Among the featured songs highlighted will be “White Christmas,” “Oh Holy Night,”
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” “The Christmas
Song,” “What Child is This” and many more. Andrea Bocelli and David Foster: My
Christmas will be broadcast in the New York City/tri-state viewing area on
THIRTEEN`s Great Performances series in HD on Thanksgiving night, Thursday,
November 26 at 8 p.m. EST, with additional broadcasts continuing in December on
PBS stations nationwide (check local listings).

Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG -
one of America`s most prolific and respected public media providers.

The My Christmas concert is the ultimate holiday musical experience from Andrea
Bocelli, showcasing the tenor in performances of traditional carols and other
favorites in English, with a few additional selections in Italian and German.
Regarding Christmas music, the star remarks, “I have long dreamed of recording a
holiday album that captures the beautiful traditions of the holiday season.
Every year, these songs have brought incredible joy to me and my family, and it
is my hope to give back that same joy by making this album.” Of her experience
singing Elvis Presley`s “Blue Christmas” with Bocelli during the taping, country
music star Reba McEntire told the Toronto Sun, “I sat there in awe. I just loved
it. (His voice) is rich like frosting on a cake - decadent. It`s so full. I
stood there right beside him and just watched him.”

An iconic figure in music who has sold more than 60 million albums to date,
Bocelli continues to defy categorization, age barriers and labels of any kind.
In concert or on the opera stage, he has sung with everyone from Luciano
Pavarotti and Placido Domingo to Bono and Celine Dion. In addition to his solo
Great Performances concert programs, Bocelli`s many memorable television
appearances include the Oscar and Grammy Awards telecasts, mentoring contestants
on American Idol and performances at the Official Ceremonies of the Olympic
Games, all of which have propelled Andrea Bocelli into becoming a global
household name in contemporary popular music.

The national PBS broadcast of Andrea Bocelli and David Foster: My Christmas is
produced by THIRTEEN for WNET.ORG.
 

 

 
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From abs-cbnNEWS.com:

REDWOOD CITY, CA – Garnering 15 Grammys (and an unprecedented 44 nominations), seven Canadian Juno Awards, an Emmy, three Oscar nominations and countless monster recording hits with the world’s greatest singers in a career spanning 40 years doesn’t just happen to anyone. Unless, you’re a born “Hit Man” named David Foster.

Continuing the success of David Foster and Friends last May at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, TC Entertainment and ABS-CBN International’s The Filipino Channel (TFC) have signed a contract to promote 2009 Hit Man David Foster and Friends in its North American tour.

The US tour includes Chicago, IL (Oct 21); New York, NY (Oct 23); Newark, NJ (Oct 24); Boston, MA (Oct 25); Atlanta, GA (Oct 28); Tampa, FL (Oct 30); Hollywood, FL (Nov 1); Los Angeles, CA (Nov 5); San Jose, CA (Nov 6); and Vancouver, BC (Nov 8).

TFC is the official Asian Media Partner for Television.

In Foster’s recording studio in Los Angeles, TFC Production Manager John-D Lazatin sat down for an exclusive one-on-one interview with Foster.

Here are gems from the Hit Man:

TFC: Is there a difference between David Foster the composer/artist and the producer?

Foster: When I go to the doctor’s office and they ask for occupation, I still put musician. I’ve been playing piano since I was 5. All the time, all the things that’s been happening in my life since I started playing piano have always been a result of my being a musician and that’s how I think of myself.

TFC: I read your book, “Hitman: Forty Years Making Music, Topping the Charts, and Winning Grammys.” Lesson number one is “Always go with what you love.” Is that always true?

Foster: The phenomenon that exists in this country and probably the whole world is that when a child turns 17, he or she all of a sudden is forced to make the biggest decision in his or her life: what am I gonna train for as a living for the rest of my life? So at 17, they go, “Hmm, do I wanna try medical school, do I wanna be a lawyer?” But you know, not everybody has a passion at 17. So, most people end up doing what they’re taught to do, not what they love to do. I was one of the fortunate ones that got to do what I love doing. By age 10, I knew what I love to do and I knew that was how I’m gonna make my living. So, my recommendation is always try to go for what you love, not what you’re taught to do.

TFC: If you were not a musician, what would you be?

Foster: I’ve always joked that if I were not a musician, if I had to be a shoe salesman, I’d like to be the best shoe salesman on the planet. I love airplanes. I’m a pilot. I would have loved to be a professional pilot. Had I had more talent in the athletic world, I would have loved to be a hockey player because I played hockey when I was a kid and I was pretty good but not good enough to be a pro. There are other avenues, but the main thing is the discipline that I have as a musician and as a songwriter-producer. That discipline that I learned at a really early age I would have applied to anything. Maybe my gift wasn’t even music; maybe my gift was that I’m disciplined.

TFC: What’s the secret in staying in this industry? How can you stay for 40 years in this business?

Foster: I don’t know if there’s a secret in staying in any industry. The music industry is very youth driven. As you may have read in my book, I credit the man named Ronnie Hawkins for teaching me that you need to sometimes retreat and attack in another direction. The 70s for me was great - I was a musician, everybody wanted me. I became a producer in the 80s and it went great. Then at the end of the 80s, my career just kinda tanked and all of a sudden I wasn’t making hits anymore for a couple of years. You have two choices at that point: you can keep banging your head against the wall and pushing forward in that same direction, or you can do this (hand motions towards another direction) and I did that – I did Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable” album which ended up being a huge hit. That thrust me into the 90s where I had great run with Celine, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, etcetera. At the end of the 90s, that same thing happened: I came up against the wall. All of a sudden, my sound wasn’t on the radio anymore so I went around and did Bocelli, Bublé and Grobin.

TFC: Do you believe in luck?

Foster: My mother taught me that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. I don’t think I believe in luck because they say that luck is when hard work meets opportunity. And I do believe in that because I think you always have to be prepared. There’s been so many times in my life where I’ve been somewhere and a singer has come up to me and said, wow, I really like you to hear my stuff and whatever and I say, okay, give me a CD. Oh, I don’t have one on me. I’ll say, okay, sing for me. Oh, I don’t know what to sing. That’s crazy! Be prepared. Luck is opportunity meeting hard work.

TFC: What did you know about Filipino artists before you met Charice?

Foster: Before I met Charice, I knew that the Philippines and the Filipinos were great lovers of music and especially, it seems great lovers of my particular kind of music. The first time I heard of a Filipino artist that I loved was Lea Salonga. She sang so beautifully in “Mulan”. And of course she was cast in “Miss Saigon”. She was incredible and we actually almost worked together. And then this new kid from Journey got everyone’s attention. But I’ve always believed, at least for the last 5 to 6 years, from my trips to Asia, that the next huge big star will be Asian. I believe that Charice is the one. It just makes sense. There’s a billion-and-a-half Asians. Twenty or thirty years ago with the Japanese, they used to copy American music. But in the last 10 years or so, the Asians have really found their own sound. It’s just not copying anymore. They have such rich heritage to draw from, thousands of years of music to draw from. And I think it’s all coming out. You see that in Charice, she’s so well-rounded. I believe she’s the next big star.

TFC: After Charice, are you watching out for other performers from the Philippines?

Foster: I’ve yet to go to the Philippines but I’m excited to go there. I want to know more about this country and this culture that has embraced American music for so many years. It’s really no different from what England did in the beginning. England in the beginning copied American music. The Beatles’ favorite artists were Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. They took it and made it their own and I believe that’s what’s happening to the Filipino community now, too. They love the American culture and the American music scene. But they’re now taking it and making it their own. So, I’m sure if you drill down the Philippines, you’re gonna find a lot more talent. But I don’t look for talent though, talent finds me.

TFC: What’s your idea of David Foster and Filipino Friends?

Foster: What would be exciting is for one is to have some of the local artists perform with me and sing my songs. Because the David Foster and Friends traditionally, at least with the last two or three concerts, and the tour I’m about to do in 12 cities in America is my music so that is sort of what it’s all about. So, having Filipino artists, young or old, singing my music will be a lot of fun plus I think we should have a talent search and find somebody - a complete unknown - that could win a spot to open the show.

TFC: How long have you known about The Filipino Channel?

Foster: I knew about The Filipino Channel. My friends Michael and Millie (Gurfinkel) have told me first about it and it’s spectacular what you guys do. It’s amazing – the coverage has been incredible. I’d like to say to all the Filipino communities across America that I am going on tour in October and November and, of course, I will be bringing Charice. I would love for all of you to come out and see the show. Come and support me which would be great, but most importantly, come and support Charice because I believe that Charice is going to be the next national treasure for the Philippines.

Canadian Press
By Nick Patch (CP) – Oct 21, 2009

TORONTO — It’s not often that an aspiring first-time novelist gets the benefit of direct feedback and advice from Oprah Winfrey.
So when the talk-show queen and publishing-industry saviour recommended Amy Foster change the setting of her first book, “When Autumn Leaves,” from Massachusetts to her native British Columbia, Foster listened.
“You can’t deny Oprah,” Foster said in a recent telephone interview. “When Oprah tells you to do something, you do it.”
Then again, Foster isn’t your typical first-time novelist.
The daughter of Canadian superproducer David Foster, Amy is an accomplished songwriter in her own right, having penned tunes for Josh Groban, Diana Krall, Destiny’s Child and Andrea Bocelli.
Her most famous collaborations have been with Michael Buble, including “Haven’t Met You Yet,” the first single from his latest record, “Crazy Love.”
That album was released Oct. 9 and has been No. 1 on the album charts in the two weeks since in both Canada and the United States. “When Autumn Leaves” was released Oct. 6.
So yes, Foster has had a pretty good month.
“It’s like a whirlwind,” said the 36-year-old. “It’s the best time. It’s amazing. I couldn’t have planned it any better.”
Foster and Buble met through her father years ago, when Buble had just moved to L.A. and was searching for a record deal.
Now, she says he’s “like my brother” and that they’re best friends. She calls him brilliant and says he’s one of the hardest-working people in the business.
And Buble has reciprocated that support.
“He goes around everywhere … and buys copies of my book and then hands them out to strangers in airports,” Foster said. “He’s just so loyal that way. He’s a really good dude. I think he’s the type of person that doesn’t feel threatened by other people’s success, he wants everybody to be successful.
“So if I’m successful too, that makes him really happy.”
She would certainly seem to be off to a good start in her publishing career. “When Autumn Leaves” (The Overlook Press) is just the first in a series that Foster says will ultimately number 14 books. She’s nearly completed the next three books.
The first novel centres on Autumn, a shopkeeper and member of a sisterhood of witches who oversee Avening, a quaint little fictional town nestled off the coast of British Columbia. A promotion within the sisterhood means Autumn needs to select her successor from a group of 13 local women, each of whom possesses a latent magical ability.
“I think that is really the big overarching metaphor, is that we all have these gifts, and sometimes it just takes a spark to let the magic inside of us - god, that sounds so cheesy - but to let the magic inside of us, to reveal it to the rest of the world,” Foster said.
“I really hope it is empowering for women. I really hope that women read this and feel like there’s potential inside of them that’s lurking that they might not have known. That they’re stronger than they think they are.”
And Avening, an impossibly picturesque hamlet, is an integral part of the book’s charm.
“The idea for the town was I wanted to create a place that if I went there, I would want to stay there and live there forever,” she said.
That’s where Winfrey came in.
Foster met her once, in scenic Desolation Sound, B.C. (”I blurted that I was writing a book, and I acted like a complete moron because it was Oprah,” Foster recalls.)
Winfrey, admiring her sweeping surroundings, couldn’t understand why Foster chose Massachusetts for the book’s setting.
“She said: ‘So you wrote a book about magic that takes place in New England. I thought you said you were from here. Did you go to school in New England?’ I said no,” remembered Foster, who moved back to B.C. from Nashville earlier this year.
“So she said, ‘So you wrote a book about magic and you didn’t set it here, in the most magical place on earth, where you’re actually from?’
“It wasn’t like lightning bolts or anything came out of the sky when she said it - it wasn’t threatening at all - but it was a very kind suggestion.”
Foster’s father, on the other hand, doesn’t have much advice for her as she enters a new stage of her career.
“He gives me lots of advice, but he’s a musician, he’s a rock star, I don’t know how much of a reader he is,” she said.
Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

November 1st is David Foster’s birthday !
Best wishes from his fan base,

please post your b-wishes here

David Foster and Charice performing “Note to God” - CBS’ The Early Show

Watch CBS News Videos Online

 
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Katherine Jenkins’ new album Believe is out in the UK on October 26. You can hear it all week on Telegraph.co.uk ahead of its release.

Released by Warner Bros., it is produced by David Foster, who is credited with a role in the success of Josh Groban and Michael Buble.
Foster has also worked with some of the biggest voices in pop music, such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand.

“Last year when the opportunity to work with David came up, for me it was a dream come true,” said Jenkins.
“I’ve always loved his style, what he brings to the music, and it’s been an absolutely amazing experience working with him. This is the album I’ve always dreamt of making”.
The album also features a duet with award-winning tenor Andrea Bocelli.
‘I Believe’, arranged by Foster himself, is a tender operatic ballad which unites Jenkins and Bocelli on record for the first time.
In addition to the October 26 release of the ‘Believe’ album, Jenkins will embark on an 11 date UK arena tour in March 2010.

From Boston.com:

By Sarah Rodman
Globe Staff / October 23, 2009

David Foster gets by with a little help from his friends. And by “gets by’’ we mean has made a fortune. The 15-time Grammy-winning composer-producer’s friends over the years have included Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Madonna, and Michael Bublé, to name a handful of hundreds. The Canadian multi-instrumentalist has played with all four Beatles and starred on questionable reality shows like “The Princes of Malibu’’ - which has the dubious distinction of introducing the world to a young man named Spencer Pratt. On Sunday a few Foster amigos - including ex-Chicago vocalist Peter Cetera, Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire, and new Filipino teen phenom Charice Pempengco - will join him at the Agganis Arena for a variety show-style stroll through the catalog of tunes he helped make famous, like “After the Love Has Gone,’’ “The Glory of Love,’’ and “Un-Break My Heart.’’ He’ll also unveil the winner of his local talent contest, details of which can be found at www.namedrop.com. We caught up with Foster by phone at his home in Malibu, Calif.

Q. You’ve done one-off concerts in the past but as primarily a studio guy have you ever done a proper tour like this?

A. Never in my life.

Q. So what was the inspiration to hit the road?

A. I used to, and still do, a lot of charities [concerts] and I say that not to get a pat on the back but it’s just a win all the way around because I get to perform for free. Meaning I don’t care whether they like it or not [laughs]. So over the years I’ve kind of honed these hosting skills.

Q. (Foster briefly answers another call in which he talks about finishing work at 3 a.m.) So I have to ask, what did you work on until 3 this morning?

A. It’s actually called “The David Foster-Andrea Bocelli PBS Christmas Special.’’ We just finished editing and the guests are Mary J. Blige, Reba McEntire, Katherine Jenkins, Natalie Cole, and the Muppets.

Q. Do you ever wake up thinking, “I can’t believe this is my life’’?

A. [Laughs] The part that’s really fascinating to me, honestly, is that I’m still semi-relevant all these years later. Because the business eats its youth, you’re constantly trying to think like a 16-year-old, which is impossible. I’m going to be 60 soon. I’ve really come to terms with the fact that I’m not going to be making the next Beyoncé single. I love listening to that kind of music but I don’t know how to make it and I think the producers, writers, artists, and behind-the-scenes people that really hang themselves are the ones who don’t come to terms with the fact that they can’t stay relevant all the time. I don’t think people leave the music business, the music business leaves them.

Q. Who is the dream artist that still eludes you?

A. Stevie Wonder. I’m obsessed. I know exactly what to do with him to do a great album; and we’ve had dinner together and we’re circling it, but he walks to his own beat.

From NJ.com:

By Jay Lustig/The Star-Ledger
October 25, 2009, 1:29PM

The tour is called “David Foster and Friends.” And after more than 30 years as one of the pop world’s most successful songwriter-producers, Foster has plenty of friends to call on.

Peter Cetera (formerly of Chicago) and Philip Bailey (of Earth, Wind and Fire) were there when the tour hit the Prudential Center in Newark, Saturday. So were Deborah Cox, “American Idol” alumni Ruben Studdard and Michael Johns, and the quartet, the Canadian Tenors. But the closing slot went to a woman who has not released an album in the United States yet: Charice, a 17-year-old from the Philippines who is well known her own country, and is being mentored by Foster for worldwide stardom.

She has a big voice and, like another Foster protege, Celine Dion, projects a sense of steely determination when she sings. In this show, she was called on to belt out songs Foster has produced and/or co-written for divas Dion (”The Power of Love”) and Whitney Houston (”I Will Always Love You,” “I Have Nothing”), as well as her own Foster-produced single, “Note To God.” Her poise and vocal command were impressive, especially in light of her youth. She ended her memorable mini-set with “I Will Survive,” one of the few songs in the show that Foster didn’t write or produce.

As expected, it was an evening of clean-cut, immaculately crafted pop music. Foster never has been hip, but his knack for helping singers make the most of their talents — two of his recent finds are Josh Groban and Michael Buble — is beyond question.

Foster, 59, served as the show’s amiable host, and accompanied everyone on piano. At several points, he emphasized that this was the third show of his first tour, ever.

Johns sang two of Foster’s rock hits: “She’s a Beauty” and “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion),” recorded by the Tubes and John Parr, respectively. The show’s three backing vocalists, meanwhile, tackled the “West Side Story” ballad “Somewhere” (which Foster produced for Barbra Streisand) and “Got To Be Real,” his disco hit with Cheryl Lynn.

Studdard stood in for Al Jarreau (the swinging “Mornin’”) and All-4-One (the earnest “I Swear”), and brought a touch of blues grit to “Home,” a hit for both Buble and country singer Blake Shelton.

Cetera and Bailey sang some of the buttery pop-soul hits they have made with Foster, and also briefly touched on their non-Foster history — Bailey with an excerpt from “Easy Lover,” Cetera with “If You Leave Me Now.”

Foster will soon embark on his second tour, joining Andrea Bocelli to perform songs from Bocelli’s upcoming, Foster-produced holiday album, “My Christmas.” Stops will include the Izod Center in East Rutherford, Dec. 5.
 
Michael Johns singing “Man In Motion”David Foster and Friends NJ 10/24

 
Peter Cetera “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” at David Foster NYC 10/23

 
Michael Johns and Peter Cetera Hard Habit to Break

 
David Foster playing St. Elmo’s Fire theme song

 
David Foster and Friends: Ruben Studdard - I Swear

 
David Foster and Friends: Ruben Studdard - Home

 
David Foster and Friends (Chicago): Charice - Bodyguard Medley

 
David Foster & Friends (BOSTON): Charice - Somewhere Over The Rainbow

 
David Foster & Friends: Canadian Tenors - Halleluiah

 
David Foster & Friends (BOSTON): Charice - Note to God

 
David Foster & Friends (BOSTON): Charice - The Power of Love

 
Deborah Cox and Cody Karey “The Prayer” @ David Foster & Friends concert 2009 w/ Charice

 
David Foster and Friends - America’s Song - Boston 10/25/09

 
David Foster and Friends (New Jersey): Charice - “I Will Survive”

 
Deborah Cox - “Un-break My Heart” - David Foster & Friends Concert Tour, Chicago

 
Deborah Cox - “Through The Fire” - David Foster & Friends Concert Tour, Chicago

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From PopEater.com:  

We meet a lot of fascinating people at PopEater, but we’re rarely so in awe of our guests as we were when legendary composer and music producer David Foster dropped by. As a producer, Foster has guided the songs (and careers) of Celine Dion, Madonna, Michael Jackson - among dozens of other household names - and he’s put his stamp on one of the tracks on Whitney Houston’s highly anticipated comeback album. Foster is setting off on a North American tour with a handful of the acts he’s produced - and he’ll feature surprise guests in each city, chosen through his talent contest on Namedrop.com.

Foster explains his work, his tour, and whom he’s loved best in the studio. Watch the video:

On being a music producer: “A lot of today’s music is very producer driven. Basically the record producer is like a film director, only with one-tenth the cost and responsibility. You know, if the artist is weak and doesn’t know who or what they want to be, we jump in and put our musical stamp all over it. We arrange it, we make the music, we pick the musicians, we pick the song, we tell them how to sing it, we mix it, they come in, they leave. If the artist is strong … he kind of tells me what he wants, he plays the piano, he directs the drums, he’s sort of doing everything, and I’m just the objective view that in the end can go, ‘Oh, you know, I think that chorus there can be cut in half, or why don’t you change keys there, or that note doesn’t sound good.’ But, basically we are responsible for the final product, and everything that it entails.”

On working with Madonna: “Working with Madonna was an amazing experience for me. She is such a professional, always on time, her work ethic is unbelievable. I had a great time with her, and we had a hit together that together that we wrote called ‘You’ll See,’ which was on her Greatest Hits album.”

On Whitney Houston’s upcoming album: “I was involved in one song called ‘I Didn’t Know My Own Strength,’ which is a really good song written by Diane Warren, produced by me, and Whitney sang it great. The thing about Whitney is that the expectation is absolutely too high for her, because nobody can live up to the hype of - you know, everybody - she’s been gone for so long, and everybody wants that ‘Bodyguard’ voice. Everybody wants that feeling, and when you’re 18 and when you’re 46, or 45, or however old - you can’t be that same person. Nobody can be. You know, Barbara Streisand at 18 was not Barbara Streisand at 45. Celine at 40 is not who she was at 18. It’s just different now, and I think she’s made a really good record … Does the album stand out as being one of the great Whitney albums? I guess only time will tell. I mean, she just kind of ruined it for all of us, and for herself too, ’cause she made such good records, consistently. And she’s led most of her life, now she’s following a bit.”

On the singing contest: “I know it sounds kind of corny, but I love to discover new talent, and to just be around new talent. And there’s talent in every nook and cranny of this planet. So all you gotta do is go on Namedrop.com - you enter the contest … you can be young, you can be old, you can be black, you can be white, you can be male, you can be female, I don’t care. But I’m going to listen to the final 25 entries in each city, and the winner is gonna come on stage and be part of the show. And I think it’s a really, really cool idea. And who knows. I mean people always say to me, ‘you know, well, how will I find you?’ I mean, here’s my CD, what if you like it? I say, ‘if I like your CD a lot, believe me. I will track you down like a bloodhound. You won’t have to worry about me trying to find you, ’cause I will find you.’”

 
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From Celinedion.com: 

One of the first producers Celine worked with on her inaugural English album ‘Unison’ was David Foster. That sparked a musical relationship that has spanned decades. David has produced some of Celine’s greatest hits, including “All By Myself” and the timeless classic “Because You Loved Me”. Starting this month, David will hit the road for his 10-city David Foster & Friends Tour and Celine couldn’t be happier for him:

“Hi David! I really want to congratulate you on your first North American tour this fall! I’ve heard so much about it and it’s great that you’re celebrating your 60th birthday this way. It’s so great to see you bringing good music to all of us and discovering new talent. Best wishes and thanks again for everything we’ve done together.

Love - Celine.”