David Foster has passed his 75th birthdayu birthday how no doubt he has spent a lot before: working. On Sunday night (Nov. 3), Foster celebrated his milestone at a sold-out Hollywood Bowl show (to be fair, his actual birthday was Nov. 1) with many of the artists he's collaborated with as a songwriter , arranger or producer . According to a sign flashing on the giant screens at the Bowl, the music he's helped create has sold more than half a billion records.
From Whitney Houston and Celine Dion to Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Toni Braxton, Barbra Streisand and many more, Foster is essentially responsible for his own rich, romantic adult contemporary genre. Or as he put it, “I write songs you make babies on.”
The night, which he said was “kind of like my funeral while I'm alive,” had plenty of those bold names (sorry, no Dion or Streisand), but it was Foster's birthday and he could do what he could. wanted. And what he wanted to do was spend some of the first hour of the nearly three-hour show focusing on new talent (he discovered Groban when Groban was still a teenager, after all). This is included Britain's Got Talent 2024 winner Sydnie Christmas performs “My Way,” which she sang in the show's semi-finals (the song's writer, Paul Anka, was on the poster as a guest, but he wasn't there. So was Kenny G), too as 18-year-old pianist Brandon Goldberg, who performed a jazzy version of Chaka Khan's “Through the Fire” with trumpeter Chris Botti and Jasmine Rogers, who would play Betty Boop in Foster's upcoming Broadway musical, Boop!previewing a dynamic number from the show.
While these are definitely names to watch given Foster's pedigree of working with young talent, it was the established names that provided the fireworks and really showed time and time again that among all his many, many talents, first and main may be Foster's gift for work. with great singers.
Below are some of the highlights of the evening.
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Music has a charm to soothe the wild breast
As the country heads into the turmoil and turmoil of a possible election day, Foster prefaced “The Prayer,” which he co-wrote with Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa and Tony Renis for the 1998 film. Quest for Camelotsaying he hopes to offer some balm in these trying times. It was then surprisingly delivered by Andrea Bocelli and Foster's wife, Katherine McPhee, playing for Dion. It was a tender performance and wasn't the only song of the night that felt like it spread some much-needed good vibes. Josh Groban's glorious 'You Raise Me Up', produced by Foster, offered the same heartwarming moment, as did Bocelli's soaring 'Nessun Dorma'. Turandot.
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Utility Players
They may not have been the biggest names on the bill, but Pia Toscano and Brian McKnight proved to be the most versatile performers of the night, making hits for artists who couldn't be there. McKnight has always had a silky smooth voice, and after opening the night with Foster's Earth, Wind & Fire co-written “In the Stone,” Pia Toscano joined Colombian singer Fonseca for “Could I Have This Kiss ” written by Diane Warren Forever”, originally recorded by Whitney Houston and Enrique Iglesias.
McKnight returned for another Foster-penned EW&F signature hit, “After the Love is Gone,” while Toscano earned a well-deserved round of applause for her performances of Dion's “The Power of Love” and its remake. “All by Myself” by Eric Carmen. McKnight, of course, has been a star for decades, but he feels like an ex American Idol Signed to Interscope for a hot minute more than 10 years ago and touring with the likes of Bocelli, contender Toscano is now ripe for a major moment.
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Jennifer Hudson always shines
Hudson appeared from behind the soundboard in the audience for two Foster-produced songs: a killer version of “I Will Always Love You” (to her credit, she was the song's heir apparent since she sang it at the Grammys the night after Houston died; and she's still belting it out like it's the first time) and the ever-grossing version of “And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going,” which she also made her own by film version of it Dreamgirls. There's a reason she's an EGOT winner. Hudson may enjoy hosting her talk show, but she feels every minute she's not singing is a waste of her talent.
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A generous host
Foster was more than happy to leave the spotlight for most of the evening and actually seemed a little uncomfortable with the focus being solely on him when Kristin Chenoweth presented him with a cake and baked him to sing while sitting on a throne. Nowhere was his generosity more evident than in sets by Josh Groban and Michael Bublé, two of the acts he's been most associated with since Dion. His and Groban's affection was evident through Groban's two numbers, and he and Buble should hit it off on the road.
Show Closer Bublé is an entertainer of the first order and Foster let him shine as he delivered a beautiful version of Nina Simone's 'Feelin' Good', before Bublé joked: “There's 18,000 people here just for me and all the opening acts he was so good to me.” It turns out the tribute was the brainchild of Bublé, who suggested it to Foster a year ago. Foster initially said no, but Bublé convinced him that the artists should come out and “kiss the ring”. The sell-out crowd was no doubt happy to do so.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/lists/david-foster-75th-birthday-josh-groban-michael-buble-highlights/
