Daniel Leon Foster (September 26, 1958 – June 17, 2020), popularly known as The Big Dawg, was an American
radio personality and
media consultant based in
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. Formerly an ''
Idol
Idol or Idols may refer to:
Religion and philosophy
* Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents
* Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...
'' judge, he also held a similar position with the ''
Got Talent
''Got Talent'' is a British talent show TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCOtv company. It has spawned spin-offs in over 69 countries, in what is now referred to as the 'Got Talent' format, similar to that described by Fremantle ...
'' franchise.
Early life and education
Foster was born in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
and raised with his three siblings in
Prince George's County, Maryland, near
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
by their father Samuel, an
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
veteran. His mother died when he was ten, and he sporadically lived with his grandmother in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
.
As a teenager, Foster played
football at
Surrattsville High School
Surrattsville High School or SHS is a public high school located in Clinton, Maryland, United States and is a part of the Prince George's County Public School System in Prince George's County, Maryland.
Surrattsville was the town of Clinton's o ...
. After graduating from high school, he signed up with the
Marines
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
to earn a scholarship, and hosted his own show on the Marines radio service. After leaving the Marines he attended
Towson University
Towson University (TU or Towson) is a public university in Towson, Maryland. Founded in 1866 as Maryland's first training school for teachers, Towson University is a part of the University System of Maryland. Since its founding, the university h ...
, but later transferred to
Morgan State University
Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known a ...
where he studied Broadcasting and Drama.
Career
Radio
Foster worked with numerous radio stations including
Cathy Hughes Radio One and
Mix 106.5, and the
Virgin Island-based WTBN before moving to
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
in February 2000, replacing fellow American Mark Silvia on
Cool FM
Cool FM is an Independent Local Radio station based in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. The station is owned and operated by Bauer and forms part of Bauer's Hits Radio Network.
The station began broadcasting in 1990 when its parent station D ...
's ''Good Morning Nigeria Show''. Foster immersed himself in his adapted country's culture, dropping phrases from the vernacular into his on-air
Baltimorese A Baltimore accent, also known as Baltimorese (sometimes jokingly written Bawlmerese banter, and hosting various segments including ''Inspirational Thought'' and ''Candid Phone'' which quickly became popular with Nigerian listeners.
Foster was named Best Radio Presenter the following year, and won the Nigeria Media Merit Award for Best Radio Personality in 2003, 2004, and 2005. He was also honoured by the City People Awards as Media Person of the Year in 2004 and 2005.
In 2008, Foster left Cool FM for the newly established Inspiration FM where he was made Head of Programmes, but left in 2014 to join City FM. In May 2016, Foster joined
oldies station Classic FM 97.3 radio station where he hosted ''The Morning Show'' until August 2019.
Television
In 2007, Foster was a judge on the one-off ''
Idols West Africa'' series, alongside Nigerian musician Dede Mabiaku and
Ghanaian
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
singer
Abrewa Nana
Dorcas Opoku Dakwa (born 3 December 1980), known professionally as Abrewa Nana, is a Ghanaian singer, songwriter, dancer and former ''Idol'' series judge.
Early life and education
Nana's parents are Isaac Dakwa and Juliana Blankson. The name " ...
. During the show's run he was compared to
American counterpart
Randy Jackson, although he received criticism for not attending the
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
auditions.
In 2012 and 2013, he served as a judge on ''
Nigeria's Got Talent
''Nigeria's Got Talent'' is a Nigerian reality talent show which is part of the ''Got Talent'' franchise. It was launched in 2012 on television stations like African Independent Television, AIT and Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, and sponso ...
'' alongside actress
Kate Henshaw and comedian Yibo Koko.
Other ventures
In 2001, Foster had a minor role in the
Nollywood
Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in ''The New York Times''. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there ...
film ''Face of a Liar''. As a promoter, he created and directed the ''Cool FM Praise Jam'' concerts which commenced from 2004, with a total of over 22,000 people in attendance.
Personal life
Foster had a son, Joshua, from his previous marriage. Married to a Nigerian, Lovina Okpara, the couple were parents to daughters Kayla and Daniella, and son Somtochukwu.
Foster died from complications of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
during the
pandemic on June 17, 2020, a day after being diagnosed.
Legacy
Foster has been credited with using his spontaneous presenting style to set the template for modern radio, thus revolutionising Nigeria's broadcasting industry.
Silverbird's
Ben Murray-Bruce described him as a "veteran radio host bar none." Veteran journalist Ben Tomoloju praised Foster for raising the bar in broadcasting, stating "There is a pan-nationalistic dimension to his personality, a role model, a solid phenomenon on air and off-air."
Foster's popularity inspired a new generation of mainstream on-air personalities who emulated his style by resonating with listeners with their inspirational and conversational approach. He mentored various beginners in the broadcasting field,
and planned to establish his own radio station prior to his death.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Dan
1958 births
2020 deaths
African-American radio personalities
American emigrants to Nigeria
Morgan State University alumni
People from Washington, D.C.
Nigerian radio presenters
Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American people