大卫·福斯特：金曲之路

ArevealingandpersonalprofileofGrammyAward–winningcomposerandproducerDavidFoster,withinterviewsfromtheartistswhoknowthemusiclegendbest,includingCelineDion,BarbraStreisand,LionelRichie,QuincyJones,andMichaelBublé.Oneofthemostsuccessfulrecordproducersandsongwritersofthepasthalfcentury,DavidFosterhasworkedoncountlesschart-toppingalbumsbyperformerslikeAndreaBocelli,BarbraStreisand,JenniferLopez,Chicago,WhitneyHouston,and,ofcourse,CélineDion.Andthisisonlyasmallfractionoftheartistshehasrecordedwith.(HealsodiscoveredMichaelBublé,bytheway.)BorninVictoria—hereferstohischildhoodas"almostperfect"—Fostermadehiswaytothepinnacleofthemusicindustry,butnotwithoutpayinghisdues,asBarryAvrich’sDavidFoster:OfftheRecorddemonstrates.Aworkaholicwhopursuedhisgoalssometimesatsignificantpersonalcost(allofhischildrendescribehimasanaffectionatebutabsentfather),Fosteremergesasadrivenmanforwhomcontroliseverything.AshetellsAvrichatthebeginning,"Youthinkthisisyourfilm,butyou’regoingtohavetodealwithme."Thatsaid,Foster’sneedforcontrolcomesfromhisclearviewofwhathewantsonhisproductions,andthissometimesrequirestoughdecisions.(HebasicallystrippedChicagoofthehornsthatdefinedthemwhiletryingtogetthembackontop.)Buoyedbyincredibleaccesstothesubjectandhiscollaborators,OfftheRecordpresentsanamplecaseforFosterasoneofthemostinfluentialcreatorsinpop-musichistory—asprovenbythestringofmajorartistswhoshowuptopaytribute(includingDion,whocan’tstopsinginghispraises).