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span class="inline inline-left">Producer, songwriter and record company executive David Foster shares the stage spotlight with his fellow performing artists.

Sixteen-time Grammy award winner and three-time Oscar nominee David Foster, along with a group of musicians, graced Jakarta with two performances on Nov. 7 and Nov. 9, as a part of a spectacular Asian Tour.

Foster shared the stage with legendary artists that included Chaka Khan, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Paul Young, and New Zealander Hayley Westernra and Dirty Loops from Sweden.

During a press conference held before the show, he could not help but comment on the huge backdrop poster that depicted his giant picture.

“I think my picture is way too big and my friends’ pictures are too small. It does not make me happy,” he said while literally pointing out on the disparity in the pictures’ sizes.

Although almost all questions were directed toward him, Foster skillfully passed some of them on to his friends to get them talking. When asked how he maintained a good relationship with his artists, for example, he threw the question to Babyface, saying that that he would like to hear his answer because he is also a great hit maker.

Foster said he came to Jakarta for the third time in the past two years because he developed a connection with the city and felt responsible to give his best.

“I have a long history with this city. I first came here in early 90s. This has been one of the kindest cities that is supportive toward my music,” said the 63-year-old musician.

He was referring to his show in 1992 when he performed with Addie M.S.’ Twilite Orchestra.

Foster’s career in the music industry may seem smooth. His official website noted that he elbowed his way into the industry in 1973 as a member of Canadian band Skylark. He nabbed his first Grammy in the 1970s when he worked with Earth, Wind &Fire to create “After the Love Has Gone”.

A decade later, he produced and wrote several major singles, which included Chicago’s “Hard To Say I’m Sorry”. He is also credited for writing many adored love ballads that so many cherish and tie to their most romantic memories. Among other hits, Foster produced Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love”, All 4 One’s “I Swear”, Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart” and Bryan Adams’ “I Finally Found Someone”.

He realizes that his heyday is probably over, but he is proud of having maintained a good career even after being in the industry for 40 years. He considers himself to be a smart man who makes great choices.

“I obviously had a lot of records that went right into the toilet. You don’t hear about them, but I made plenty of records that did not make it. But my track record is good. If I was a baseball player, I’d be in the hall of fame,” he told The Jakarta Post.

The big moments in his life, he said, include his world tours with Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban.  

Five-time Grammy winner Celine Dion may have changed his music career and vice versa. Fans in Asia recently got the privilege to enjoy a list of hit songs on the CD entitled The Best of Celine Dion and David Foster, which was released by Sony Music Entertainment.    

“I think Celine and I changed each other’s lives. I am very good for her and she is very good for me. And in the early years, she gave me so much credit for helping her become a star, although I wasn’t the only producer that was working with her,” he said.

He points out some songs that stay close to his heart such as “The Prayer” with Andrea Bocelli, “The Power of Love”, and “Because You Loved Me”. He said he also loves “The Color of My Love”, which he wrote for her. Although it was not a huge hit, he considers it beautiful song.   

Blessed with having the right instincts for knowing which singers will be big, but Foster humbly says that he actually does not really know much about it.

“I just think that if I like it, millions of people will like it. I could be wrong. I am not a genius. In terms of strategy, I’d have to say that I am just average, not elite. Because when you are an average, you can think like the average person,” he said.

His musical skills also attributed to his success in writing for an orchestra. When he was a kid, he played several instruments such as the trumpet, trombone, saxophone, clarinet, drum, bass and guitar. Foster said he is knowledgeable of every instrument, but he is not good at playing any of them except for the piano.

“I even played violin when I was a kid, but I was terrible. I understand violin and it helps me a lot with my music,” he said.

Music will keep playing in his steps. His eyes lit with excitement as he talked about his project with Dirty Loops, which comprises a trio of Swedish musicians. After Jakarta, his next destinations in his Asian Tour include China and Japan. In between his activities, he managed to finish a Christmas album with Rod Stewart, which was released in the US this week.

Is there anything he would like to change about his life? Foster smiled a bit when saying that if he could return to the past, he might not have been married for four times. Just like Frank Sinatra’s hit song “My Way”, he had regrets, but they were too few to mention.

“Every single thing that you do, as you know, makes up a little piece of who you are today. So, with all my failures and all my marriages and all my children, and all my success, and all and all, bring me to this moment and it feels pretty good for the most part.”  

 — Photos by Ricky Yudhistira