By Chuck Darrow
Over the course of some five decades, composer-record producer David Foster has collected 16 Grammy Awards, an Emmy, a Golden Globe and three “Best Original Song” Oscar nominations. So why the heck does he feel he needs to tour with his singer-actress wife, Katharine McPhee, rather than, if you will, dance with the one that brung him so much fame and fortune?
“I just got bored with myself,” admitted the 74-year-old Victoria, B.C. native during a recent phone chat occasioned by the duo’s May 18 “An Intimate Evening with David Foster and Katharine McPhee” presentation at the Sound Waves theater inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
“And people that are good at what they do, they know when it’s time to get out. Or at least I felt that way. I just felt it was time eight years ago to stop. And there are many other things to keep me busy.
“The touring is great because I spent my life in a sort of ‘submarine environment’ in studios back before they figured out that you could have an actual window in a studio. I’d make the music and then the artists that I worked with would go out and enjoy performing that music for an audience, and I’d just make more music in the studio. So now I get to perform those songs and get to see the reaction from the audience.”
The careers—as composer and producer—from which he walked away are notable to the point of almost being unbelievable: He’s been the guy behind some of the biggest hits of the past 45 or so years–among them Celine Dion’s “The Power Of Love,” Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,”, Earth Wind and Fire’s “After The Love Is Gone,” Chicago’s “You’re The Inspiration,” Josh Groban’s “You Raised Me Up” and Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable.” He’s likewise lent his talents to efforts by such other A+-listers as Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers, Patti LaBelle and Ringo Starr.
Despite mining the mellower side of the pop realm for gold (figurative and real), Foster has occasionally strayed into harsher musical climes, working with the likes of Alice Cooper and The Tubes. But at the end of the day, he suggested, the more gentle side of the street is his natural habitat.
“I think if you look at my career, it’s basically, submerged in sort of soft rock– ‘yacht rock’ as they call it now,” he said. “When I lay my hands on the piano, that’s the music that comes out. I mean, when [Jimi] Hendrix laid his hands on the guitar that music he played, that’s what came out. It’s just the way you’re made up, I guess.
“I like my ‘stretching moments,’ like with the Tubes, and like with Alice Cooper. And certainly I had a big R&B thing going on in the late-’70s and the early-‘80s with Earth Wind and Fire, DeBarge, Chaka Khan, Tony Braxton and all that. But mainly when I lay my hands on the piano, it’s just that soft thing. Many people hate it, and many people love it, but it’s just me being true to myself.”
While Foster is clearly enjoying leaving all that behind and taking his talents to the stage, it hasn’t come without a price.
“It’s a grind, honestly,” he lamented. “The actual hour-and-a-half on stage is great. And the other 22-and-a-half hours are trying.
“We’ve toured kind of every which way– airplanes and SUVs and hotels–and we find that the bus is the best way, even though it’s hard to sleep on the bus. But you finish your show and then walk right off stage. And if you don’t have people to meet, you just walk on the bus and that’s your home. And it’s really great.
“But I will tell you that after our February tour–we toured for a month–it literally took us a week to recover. And my wife’s a lot younger than me, as you well know,” he added with a chuckle, referring to the 40-year McPhee.
And speaking of the missus, Foster—who wrote the music for “Boop! The Betty Boop Musical,” which is based on the iconic cartoon character and slated for a 2025 Broadway premiere–spoke of being not only McPhee’s life partner, but creative partner as well. He acknowledged that, despite their glamorous circumstances, in some ways, they are no different than most people.
“Well, there have been a couple of times where we’ve actually argued onstage, like a real argument,” he revealed, “I mean, just like any other married couple. Sometimes it’s edgy, but for the most part it’s really smooth.”
For tickets, go to ticketmaster.com
Hard Rockin’ the beach
We’ll stay at the Hard Rock to advise you that the music-themed adult playpen is gearing up for summer fun-in-the-sun.
Memorial Day weekend (May 24-27) will see the debut of what has been dubbed the “Hard Rock Beach Experience.” Open to hotel guests and Unity Card holders, the oceanside retreat features lounge chairs, umbrellas and beverage service.
Also opening that weekend is The Terrace. Perched on the casino’s second level overlooking the beach, Boardwalk and ocean, The Terrace will offer live music, a seasonal menu and specialty drinks.
“The beach is one of our most precious resources and our team has gone above and beyond to preserve it,” said Hard Rock Atlantic City President George Goldhoff. “Providing beachfront amenities to our guests this summer is a top priority and we are excited to unveil our oceanfront experiences Memorial Day Weekend.”
