Ruthie Foster

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Gospel and blues to jazz, folk, and soul…

With a naturally expressive voice that has drawn comparisons to greats like Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald, Texas-based singer and songwriter Ruthie Foster has a wide palette of American song forms--gospel and blues to jazz, folk, and soul--and her live performances are powerfully transfiguring. 

Even as a child growing up in Gause, Texas, she was fascinated by music. She listened to everything she could, hearing and absorbing not just gospel and blues, but also the country and pop songs she heard on the radio. By the age of 14 she was a soloist in a local choir and was certain that her future would revolve around music. 

When she moved to Waco to attend community college, her studies were concentrated around music and audio engineering. She also began fronting a blues band, learning how to command a stage in the rough bars of Texas. Hoping to travel and gain a wider world perspective, Foster joined the Navy, but her obvious musical talents soon had her singing with Pride, a Navy band that played pop and funk hits at recruitment drives in the southeastern U.S.

Following her tour of duty, Foster landed in New York City, where she regularly played various folk venues. Atlantic Records offered her a recording deal, figuring they had a budding pop star on their hands, but Foster preferred instead to explore the various strains of American roots music that had informed her childhood. 

Foster’s career includes multiple awards, four Grammy nominations, and 12 studio albums. Her most recent album, Healing Time, released in 2022, is “a beautiful reflection of the essence of living itself.”

An engaging live performer, Foster tours regularly, wowing audiences with her powerful voice and stylistic range. 

“Foster has one of the best voices in American music today and she uses it as a healing tonic for our struggling world.” --Mike O’Cull, Rock & Blues Muse

“Ruthie’s beautiful, powerful voice made a collection of great songs even better. Whether she’s playing solo or with a band, Foster always puts on a great show.” --Mark Engleson, Parklife DC

"She may be one of the best singers I've ever recorded. She can do it all." --Lloyd Maines

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts.

This project is made possible with funds from the Tier Three Project Support program, a regrant program of the County of Onondaga with the support of the County Executive and administered by CNY Arts.

  ~ This project is also made possible through the support and generosity of our Folkus members. ~