Ruthie Foster
Encyclopedia
Ruthie Foster is an American
singer-songwriter
of blues
and folk music
.
Foster is from Gause
, Texas
and comes from a family of gospel
singers. She studied music at McLennan Community College
and then worked in the US Navy, where she started performing. Her debut was released in 1997 and she has performed in North America, Europe and Australia. She has often been compared to Ella Fitzgerald
and Aretha Franklin
.
In June 2009, Foster was on tour with The Blind Boys of Alabama
. In December 2009, her most recent CD, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album
. In May 2010, at the Blues Music Awards, Ruthie won Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year.
Ruthie was a featured artist at the Byron Bay Bluesfest
in Australia in 2011 to critical acclaim, creating a new fan base by her performance there.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
of blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
.
Foster is from Gause
Gause, Texas
Gause is an unincorporated community in Milam County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 400 in 2000.-Geography:Gause is located at . It is situated along U.S...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and comes from a family of gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singers. She studied music at McLennan Community College
McLennan Community College
McLennan Community College is a community college partially funded by the taxpayers of McLennan County, Texas. Located in Waco, Texas, it opened in 1965. MCC now serves about 9,000 students and has more than 700 employees. It is governed by a Board of Trustees elected from single-member...
and then worked in the US Navy, where she started performing. Her debut was released in 1997 and she has performed in North America, Europe and Australia. She has often been compared to Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
and Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
.
In June 2009, Foster was on tour with The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel group from Alabama that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind at Talladega, Alabama in 1939. The three main vocalists of the group and their drummer/percussionist are all blind....
. In December 2009, her most recent CD, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album was awarded from 1988 to 2011. From 2001 to 2003 the award recipients included the producers and engineers as well as the artists...
. In May 2010, at the Blues Music Awards, Ruthie won Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year.
Ruthie was a featured artist at the Byron Bay Bluesfest
East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
The East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, also known as Byron Bay Bluesfest, is an annual music festival held for five days over the Easter long weekend at Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia...
in Australia in 2011 to critical acclaim, creating a new fan base by her performance there.
External links
- Official web site
- Ruthie Foster collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive