Ruthie Cecelia Foster (born February 10, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter of

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

music. She mixes a wide palette of American song forms, from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. She has often been compared to

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

and

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

Biography

Foster is from

Gause, Texas Gause is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Milam County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 400 in 2000. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 cens ...

, and comes from a family of

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

singers. At the age of fourteen, Foster was a soloist in her hometown choir, and was certain that her future would revolve around music. After high school, she moved to

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the ...

, to attend community college, where her studies concentrated in music and audio engineering. She began fronting a blues band, learning how to command a stage in the bars of Texas. Hoping to travel and gain a wider world perspective, Foster joined the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

, and soon began singing in the naval band Pride, which played pop and funk hits at recruitment drives in the southeastern United States. Following her tour of duty, Foster headed to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, where she became a regular performer at various local folk venues.

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

got wind of Foster's talent and offered her a recording deal, with the intent of cultivating her as a budding pop star, but Foster wasn't interested in a pop career, preferring instead to explore the various strains of American roots music that had informed her childhood. When her mother fell ill in 1993, Foster left New York and her recording deal and returned to Texas to be with her family. She began working as a camera operator and production assistant at a television station in

College Station, Texas College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East-Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley, towards the eastern edge of the region known as the Texas Triangle. It is northwest of Houston and east-northeast of Austin. ...

, while she cared for her mother, who died in 1996.

Career

In 1997 Foster self-released the album ''Full Circle'', the success of which paved the way to a long relationship with the record label

Blue Corn Music Blue Corn Music is an American blues, Americana, bluegrass, and roots music, independent record label. It was founded in 2001 by label president Denby Auble. Blue Corn Music celebrated its 10th anniversary on June 21, 2011 at Antone's in Austin ...

. Blue Corn released the follow-up album ''Crossover'' in 1999, ''Runaway Soul'' in 2002, and ''Stages'' (featuring a series of live tracks) in 2004. Foster's next release was ''Heal Yourself'' in 2006, followed by the studio album ''The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster'' in 2008, which was produced by

Papa Mali Malcolm "Papa Mali" Welbourne (born May 6, 1957) is an American record producer, guitarist, singer, and songwriter who grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, and lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. His debut recording '' ...

. In 2009, Blue Corn released ''The Truth According to Ruthie Foster'', which was produced by Grammy-winning producer

Chris Goldsmith Christopher David Goldsmith (called Chris; born 1954) is a British Anglican bishop who has been the Church of England's national Director of Ministry since 2019. From 2013 until 2019, he was the Bishop of St Germans, the sole suffragan bishop ...

and recorded at

Ardent Studios Ardent Studios is an American recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. History Ardent Studios was founded by John Fry and were initially a studio in his family's garage, where he recorded his first 45s for the Arden ...

in Memphis. ''The Truth According to Ruthie Foster'' earned her a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nomination for

Best Contemporary Blues Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album was awarded from 1988 to 2011 and from 2017 onwards. Until 1992 the award was known as Best Contemporary Blues Performance and in 1989 was awarded to a song rather than to an album. The award was ...

. A second album of Foster's live performances, ''Live At Antone's'' (CD and DVD), was released in 2011. In 2012, Blue Corn released the studio album ''Let It Burn'', which featured special guests

The Blind Boys of Alabama The Blind Boys of Alabama, also billed as The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, and Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys of Alabama, is an American gospel group. The group was founded in 1939 in Talladega, Alabama, and has featured a changing roster ...

, William Bell and the rhythm section of The Funky Meters, and was produced by Grammy Award winner John Chelew. ''Let It Burn'' earned Foster a second Grammy nomination, this time for

Best Blues Album The Grammy Award for Best Blues Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the blues genre. Honors in severa ...

, and was the vehicle for numerous Blues Music Awards won by Foster. Her most recent album, ''Joy Comes Back'', was released by Blue Corn Music in 2017. 20080814-RuthieFoster

Foster's awards list has grown in the last few years. These awards include three Grammy nominations (''Let It Burn'' for Best Blues Album, ''The Truth According to Ruthie Foster'' for Best Contemporary Blues Album, and ''Promise of a Brand New Day'' for Best Blues Album), her numerous wins at the

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...

s, including three awards for Best Female Vocalist and one for DVD of the Year for ''Live At Antone's'', and Foster's crown for Best Female Vocalist at the 2013 Austin Music Awards. In 2016, she was nominated for two Living Blues Awards and won the Koko Taylor Award for Best Traditional Female Blues Artist. Her list of honors also include a nomination from the Living Blues Awards for Best Live Performer. Foster performed with

the Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (founder, slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guita ...

in 2012 at their annual Beacon Theatre run in New York City. She sang on four songs, including a cover version of "

The Weight "The Weight" is a song by the Canadian-American group the Band that was released as a single in 1968 and on the group's debut album ''Music from Big Pink''. It was their first release under this name, after their previous releases as Canadian ...

", on which she traded verses with

Susan Tedeschi Susan Tedeschi (; born November 9, 1970) is an American singer and guitarist. A multiple Grammy Award nominee, she is a member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, a conglomeration of her band, her husband Derek Trucks’ and other musicians. Early li ...

. She has toured with the Blind Boys of Alabama as well as

Warren Haynes Warren Haynes (born April 6, 1960) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as longtime guitarist with the Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was a ...

and also appears on Haynes' album ''Man In Motion''. She was featured in February 2013 as a special guest on House of Blues and Elwood Blue's radio show, ''The BluesMobile'', as well as an appearance in November 2012 in ''Austin Live: Tick Tock'', a video short produced by the City of Austin. She performed at the Texas State Society of Washington D.C.'s Presidential Inauguration Ball in January 2013. Foster continues to tour extensively all over the world. As of 2016, her shows have spanned across the U.S., Italy, Germany, Spain, and Cuba. Ruthie Foster at Kitchener Bluesfest 2018

Ruthie Foster at Kitchener Bluesfest 2018

She announced details for a spring 2017 album during an in-depth career retrospective interview with The Pods & Sods Network in November 2016. That album, titled ''Joy Comes Back'', was released on March 24, 2017, via Blue Corn Records, and included collaborations with several artists, including

Derek Trucks Derek Trucks (born June 8, 1979) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and founder of The Derek Trucks Band. He became an official member of The Allman Brothers Band in 1999. In 2010, he formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band with his wife, blues sing ...

of the

Tedeschi Trucks Band The Tedeschi Trucks Band () is an American blues and blues rock group based in Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 2010, the band is led by married couple Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Their debut album, '' Revelator'' (2011), won the 2012 Gramm ...

. Following Hurricane Harvey which damaged many coastal cities in Foster's home state of Texas, she was invited to participate in a benefit concert including

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

, and

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

. Another significant moment was Foster's performance at Carnegie Hall in February 2018. Foster was also awarded one of US Artists' fellowship awards, which recognized her contributions to her field, accompanied by an unrestricted $50,000 award.

Discography

* ''Full Circle'' (1997) : M.O.D. Records * ''Crossover'' (1999) : M.O.D. Records * ''Runaway Soul'' (2002) : Blue Corn Music * ''Stages'' (2004) : Blue Corn Music * ''The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster'' (2007) : Blue Corn Music * ''The Truth According to Ruthie Foster'' (2009) : Blue Corn Music * ''Live at Antone's'' (2011) : Blue Corn Music (CD and DVD) * ''Let It Burn'' (2012) : Blue Corn Music * ''Promise of a Brand New Day'' (2014) : Blue Corn Music * ''Joy Comes Back'' (2017) : Blue Corn Music * ''Live at the Paramount'' (2020) : Blue Corn Music * ''Healing Time'' (2022) : Blue Corn Music

Awards and honors

*2008

s Nominee – Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year *2009 Blues Music Awards Nominee – Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year *2010

Nominee - ''The Truth According to Ruthie Foster'' nominated for

*2010 Blues Music Awards Winner – Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year *2010 Living Blues Critics' Poll Winner – Blues Artist of the Year (Female) *2011 Blues Music Awards Winner – Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year *2011 Living Blues Awards Nominee – Blues Artist of the Year (Female) *2012 Blues Music Awards ** Winner: Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year ** Winner: DVD of the Year for ''Live at Antone's'' ** Nominee: B.B. King Entertainer of the Year * 2012

Nominee – ''Let It Burn'' nominated for

*2013 Blues Music Awards Winner – Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year *2014

Nominee - ''Promise of a Brand New Day'' nominated for Best Blues Album *2015 Blues Music Awards Winner – Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year *2016 Living Blues Award Nominee - Blues Artist of the Year (Female) and Best Live Performer *2016 Blues Music Awards Winner – Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year *2018 US Artists Fellowship Award *2018 Blues Music Award Winner - Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year *2019 Texas Music Hall of Fame Inductee (Austin Music Awards) *2019 Blues Music Award Winner - Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)

References

Other sources

* * * * *

External links

Official web siteRuthie Foster collection
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

's live music archive
Ruthie Foster Biography at AllMusic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Ruthie 1964 births Living people African-American guitarists American folk guitarists Fingerstyle guitarists American folk singers American blues guitarists American blues singers American soul singers American gospel singers 20th-century American guitarists People from Gause, Texas Proper Records artists United States Navy sailors 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American people African-American United States Navy personnel