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David Foster: Fostering Idol Superstarsby Rosanne Simunovic -- 10/08/2004
View Printable version of this article It was only a matter of time before the musical genius known as David Foster would slowly and successfully infiltrate the American Idol conglomerate. The Foster Man, as he is affectionately known by his legion of fans, has become legendary in his ability to "foster"and successfully market new and exciting niche artists. Singers Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Rene Olstead, and piano virtuoso William Joseph are noteworthy examples of his recent successes. In the past, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston have benefited from his outstanding expertise in the recording studio. The demand for David Foster's unique talent is unprecedented in the music industry and remains a powerful force in the success of CD sales. His musical signature is legendary, and he has been acknowledged for his unique and sophisticated technique as a recording artist, musical arranger, and production engineer. To say that the man is meticulous in formulating his final product is an understatement. He is more than that; he is wonderfully creative and demands absolute perfection and a high standard of musical excellence from himself and from his artists. 
Subsequently, over the past year, the American Idol franchise has collaborated with David Foster, undoubtedly because of his ability to recognize and market rising young stars and stamp his approval of excellence on their final recorded product. As a result, The Foster Man himself will supervise American Idol 3 runner-up Diana DeGarmo's new CD, slated for release on December 7th, and John Steven's highly anticipated CD, slated for release on Valentine's Day 2005. This augurs well for the continued success of these talented young artists. Also, it is interesting to note that these two singers were the youngest competitors in the American Idol 3 series, yet, even at their young ages, their specific talents peaked David Foster's intuitive musical genes. One can theorize forever why David Foster warmed to these extremely talented young singers; however it is this writer's opinion that their distinctive musical style, exceptional musicianship, and enormous fan base shaped David Foster's motivation and rationale in this partnership. First of all, let us begin with Diana DeGarmo. From the very beginning of the American Idol 3 series, this young lady exhibited a vocal talent that was exceptional and professional. Her performances, regardless of genre, were always consistent, technically proficient, and artistically superb. At the age of 16, on live television, oftentimes under the harsh scrutiny of the judges, this young lady handled herself with grace and dignity. I found myself constantly amazed at the raw star power of our "Lady Di," and the exuberance and the vitality that she was able to bring to each and every performance. I believe that it was the "Big Band" themed show that made me realize that we had a new Judy Garland in our musical lives. Diana's voice absolutely glowed in this genre, and, perhaps, this is what David Foster could visualize in this talented young lady. And it makes absolute sense. He seems to be unobtrusively and successfully filling genre vacancies with rising young stars, such as 14-year-old jazz chanteuse Rene Olstead. Their age is a bonus, as their vocal presence on the music scene will not only attract the younger audiences, but also the older "baby boomer" audience, and, subsequently, the record sales will go through the roof. Additionally, their youth will ensure their longevity and marketability in the music industry. Moving on to John Stevens. I had predicted in my last Vocal Master Class article for John that he would be signed to a major recording contract in the near future. And indeed, John's career has taken a fortuitous path. Foxes On Idol recently announced that John was signed to the hugely successful record label, Maverick Records. However, a bonus came along with this recording contract - David Foster! David is producing John's entire album, scheduled for a Valentine's Day release, along with another Foster Big Band protégé, Michael Buble. Why John? Why two CD releases at the same time? Well, in answer to the first question, John has a really distinctive look on stage. His fans affectionately call him Johnny Red and, indeed, that fine head of red hair is a fantastic promotional resource. However, what John has in spades is a warm and caring charisma on stage, and an ability to connect and move an audience. A 16-year-old male singer is just in the earliest stages of developing his adult voice, and yet John always looked so comfortable in his own skin. This is extremely important when you are about to work with a music legend such as David Foster. I suspect that David warmed to John mainly because of the manner in which he conducted himself each and every week on the American Idol stage. Swarmed in controversy because he was receiving a high proportion of votes compared to some of his Idol peers, John remained strong and calm in the face of the storm and managed to finally leave the Idol stage with dignity and grace. When he did, however, he took his enormous talent with him - talent that the Idol franchise could not or would not accept or recognize. Bathed in controversy, John's negative Idol experience catapulted him into the musical realm of David Foster and, as a result, his future is indeed a bright and promising one. 
Now, to answer the second question, many fans have theorized that the Buble/Stevens double release on Valentine's Day is a very clever and effective promotional tool. John Stevens can piggyback his CD with Michael Buble's CD, and Big Band/Retro lovers will be more apt than not to purchase both CDs at the same time. Also, I suspect that David Foster is building his own modern day "Rat Pack", similar to that time period in musical history that produced our biggest Retro stars such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior, to name a few. Time will tell all, but I think that the occasion is right for a change in the music scene, where quality and excellence is essential and necessary. We need real stars with real talent and vision and, although we have many singers that presently fit that description, generally speaking, the music industry lacks creativity and originality in the entire A&R process. David Foster has always stayed remarkably consistent and resolute in maintaining an impeccably high musical standard, and, for this, we can all be very thankful. It will be interesting to see if David Foster becomes part of hugely successful Canadian Idol season two winner, Kalan Porter's team. He did work with Canadian Idol season one finalist, season one finalist, Audrey De Montigny, and from this I can only surmise and hope that Foster's gifts will be transported to gifts will be transported to Kalan's CD, slated for release in November. Kalan is a consummate artist and a real gift to the music world, and David Foster's potential involvement would really catapult this young man into international stardom. Stay tuned for future updates about all of these young singers, and, in the meantime, if you want to hear some of David Foster's work, treat yourself and pay a visit to www.davidfoster.com Rosanne Simunovic is the Voice Instructor and Conductor for the Timmins Youth Singers. If you have any further questions our comments, please e-mail her. If you want to hear how she applies her technical methods to a variety of musical styles music, have a listen to one of her double disc CDs, Scenes from a Dream, a live compilation featuring outstanding performances between 1984-2000 with the Timmins Youth Singers and renowned classical, Broadway, and pop artists. Hope you enjoy it! Be sure to sign up for the RealityNewsOnline/FoxesOnIdol e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on both sites! For all of our articles, check out our sections on American Idol, American Juniors, Nashville Star, and Canadian Idol. Also make sure to check out RealityNewsOnline for recaps and articles covering other reality TV shows. For even more news about reality TV, be sure to check SirLinksALot! View Printable version of this article
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