He is an arranger, producer,
musician and composer born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.His early musical work was as a part
of the group Skylark whose song "Wildflower" reached No. 9 in
the US
charts in 1973.He is a sought
after session musician who is deemed one of the music industry's
premier keyboardists.As a
composer he wrote the score for the film St. Elmo's Fire which produced two hit records: "St.
Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" and the instrumental "Love Theme".With his wife, Linda Thompson, he co-wrote
the song "I Have Nothing" for the film The Bodyguard which won nominations for an Academy Award for
Best Song and a Grammy Award, and with Kenneth "Babyface"Edmonds they wrote "The
Power of the Dream" which became the official song for the 1996
Summer Olympics.His
composition "Winter Games" was the song chosen for the 1988 Olympics
in Calgary, Alberta.He and his wife also won an Emmy
Award for The Concert for World Childrens'
Day music and lyrics.As a
producer, arranger and/or keyboardist he has worked with
numerous artists that include Air
Supply, Paul
Anka,Patti
Austin, The Average White Band, Michael Bolton, Mariah
Carey, Kim Carnes, Peter Cetera. Charlotte
Church, Natalie Cole, John Ford Coley, Alice Cooper, Michael
Crawford
, Roger Daltrey,
DeBarge, Celine Dion, Donovan, Sheena Easton, Randy
Edelman, The Emotions, En Vogue, Aretha Franklin, Lowell
George, Vince Gill, Jay
Graydon, Faith Hill, Hues Corporation, Julio Iglesias, James
Ingram, Janet Jackson, The Brothers Johnson, Chaka Khan, Patti
LaBelle, John
Lennon, Gordon Lightfoot, Little Feat, Kenny Loggins, The
Manhattan Transfer, Steve Marriott, Richard Marx, Country Joe
McDonald, Bette Midler, Keith Moon, Anne Murray, Randy Newman, Juice
Newton, Stevie Nicks, Dolly
Parton, Steve Perry, The Pointer Sisters, LeAnn Rimes, Smokey
Robinson, Kenny
Rogers, Brenda Russell, Carol
Bayer Sager, Dan Seals, Seals & Crofts, Neil
Sedaka
,
Sparks, Lisa Stansfield, John Travolta, The Tubes, Bonnie Tyler, Barry
de Vorzon and Yes.He has
worked on literally thousands of recordings in many capacities with
a very small selection including his own Dave
Foster,David Foster's The Christmas Album,
Rechordings, River of Love, Symphony Sessions and
Touch of David Foster as well as Still Waters by Bee Gees
, Give Me the Night by George Benson, Bish
by Stephen Bishop, Sogno by Andrea Bocelli, Italia
by Chris Botti, Secrets by Toni Braxton, Southern
Nights by Glen
Cambell, In One Eye and Out the
Other by The Cate Brothers, Chicago 16 by Chicago,
Forgiven, Not Forgotten by The Corrs, Heartlight by Neil
Diamond, I Am by Earth, Wind & Fire, Greatest
Hits, Vol. 2 by Gloria Estefan, Along the Red Ledge by
Hall & Oates, Lite Me Up by Herbie Hancock, Extra
Texture by George
Harrison, I Have Nothing by Whitney
Houston, Don't You Love Me Anymore by Engelbert
Humperdinck, Off the Wall by Michael Jackson, This
Time by Al Jarreau, 21 at 33 by
Elton
John,
Dude by Quincy Jones, Love Makes the World by Carole
King, All Our Love by Gladys Knight & The Pips,
When I Look In Your Eyes by Diana Krall, Nuthin' Fancy
by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Something to Remember by Madonna,
Complete Collection and The Some.. by Barry Manilow, That's
What Friends Are For by Johnny
Mathis & Deniece
Williams, Flowers in the Dirt by
Paul
McCartney, Very
Best Of... by Michael McDonald, Totally Hot by Olivia
Newton John, Caricature: The Box by Gilbert O'Sullivan,
Baby, Can't Slow Down by Lionel Richie, Linda Ronstadt Box
Set by Linda
Ronstadt , It's Me by Diana
Ross,
Hits! by Boz
Scaggs, Duets by Frank
Sinatra,
Goodnight Vienna by Ringo
Starr , Night on the Town by
Rod Stewart, Time Was by Curtis Stigers, Lazy
Afternoon by Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer by Donna
Summer, He Who Rides the Tiger by Bernie Taupin,
Friends by Dionne Warwick, Soul of Bobby Womack:
Stop On By by Bobby Womack and the soundtracks/production
recordings of Beverly Hills 90210, Casper,Dances With Wolves,Dreamgirls, Footloose,
Ghostbusters, Made in America,Night Shift,The Rocky Horror Show, Secret of My Success, Stealing
Home and The Wiz.BMI have awarded
him a "Songwriter of the Year", he has received 42 Grammy Award
nominations with 14 wins, has had three Academy Award nominations for Best Song
and won a Golden Globe for "The Prayer" from Quest for Camelot. He was honoured with the United States
Children's Choice Award for his work in supporting the research into children's
cancer and AIDS.The David
Foster Foundation was established by him in 1996 and he regularly raises
money to assist families in Canada
with children who are in need of an organ transplant.He was made an Officer of the Order
of Canada
in recognition of his humanitarian work and achievements, was awarded the
Order of British Columbia, and has a star on the Canada's
Walk of Fame.He has been a
judge on the show Celebrity Duets
and a guest on Nashville Star and
American Idol.His home life was featured in the TV
reality show The Princes of Malibu.
His daughters are the actress
Sara Foster and the singer-songwriter Amy Foster-Gillies.
