David Foster

David Foster was among the most commercially successful producers and composers in all of popular music, lending his signature sweeping power ballad aesthetic to smash hits from Celine Dion, Chicago and Whitney Houston and in the process virtually defining the adult contemporary format. Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Foster began studying piano at the age of five, and just eight years later enrolled in the University of Washington's music program. At 16, he joined Chuck Berry's backing band, and in 1971 relocated to Los Angeles with his group Skylark, scoring a major hit the following year with the single "Wildflower." Foster also became a sought-after session keyboardist, appearing on recordings from superstars including John Lennon, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross and Rod Stewart.