Ruthie Foster brought the Texas heat in 2008 when she rocked campus with her soulful blues-rock. Foster, an accomplished young musician—said she’s a Texan by birth but a wanderer in spirit.
She began playing piano at the age of eleven, later discovering that she possessed equal talent in both guitar and vocals. Foster’s public performances took off in her high school years when she started singing in her church choir. Encouraged by her family of musicians, Foster sought out her career in music at a young age.
She studied commercial music production at McLennan Community College, and it was from this platform that she launched into the music industry. Foster became so immersed in the music industry that she began to yearn for a taste of the outside world; she then joined the Navy.
Even while serving her country, she couldn’t escape her calling. She joined a Navy ensemble, Pride, and began performing again. Foster credits Pride as being a sort of musical education—it was with the Navy band where she learned the rigors of touring on the road weekly. While performing with Pride, Foster’s life began to revolve around musical performances again. She started to search for a sound of her own by blending her experience in gospel with her love for other styles of music.
Inspired by artists like African American gospel stars Sam Cooke and Mahalia Jackson, Fosters bears her soul as she deals with the issues of life in her lyrics.
Foster’s music could be called a four-way collision of blues, folk, rock and gospel. She said her music has “a little bit of everything” and defines her genre as “spirit music.” According to her, this music makes her feel like she’s giving something back to the audience.
Foster said she strives to please her crowd. She’s an artist who aims to provide her audience with an engaging, entertaining show.
Her songs speak to the heart of all listeners as she sings about love, loss and the good and the bad in life. Her lyrics are meaningful, personal, and have the ability to connect with a variety of audiences.
Her rich, resonating voice left her crowd anxious for an encore when she last visited the University in 2008. Foster has since grown as a musician—adding more guitar to her set as she began to expand her outreach to the world of rock. Her music cannot be classified as any single genre.
Those who attended her show in 2008 will be pleased to hear that Foster is staying true to her roots as she plays hits from all along her career and her newest album: The Truth According To Ruthie Foster. The album has been a hit, even claiming a Grammy nomination for the Best Contemporary Blues Album.
“Don’t miss this show,” Foster said. “It’s gonna be a Hallelujah time.”
