In a New Doc, David Foster Reminds He's More Than a Reality TV Star
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Community Community Bad Qatar-based memories climate P4 of physical P16 advocate education can give Neeshad Shafi all people the lifelong set to attend first impression they’re UN Youth Climate not cut out for sport. Summit tomorrow. Friday, September 20, 2019 Muharram 21, 1441 AH Doha today: 280 - 370 COVER Life to the brim STORY In a new doc, David Foster reminds he’s more than a reality TV star: There are those 16 Grammys! P2-3 2 GULF TIMES Friday, September 20, 2019 COMMUNITY COVER STORY The many faces of David Foster PRAYER TIME Is he cocky? Sure, he’ll admit that. “But can you Fajr 4.04am Shorooq (sunrise) 5.23am Zuhr (noon) 11.29am really do all that I’ve done and not be confident?” Asr (afternoon) 2.56pm Maghreb (sunset) 5.34pm Isha (night) 7.04pm he asks Amy Kaufman USEFUL NUMBERS Emergency 999 Worldwide Emergency Number 112 Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991 Local Directory 180 International Calls Enquires 150 Hamad International Airport 40106666 Labor Department 44508111, 44406537 Mowasalat Taxi 44588888 Qatar Airways 44496000 Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222, 44393333 Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555, 44845464 Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050 Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333 Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444 Humanitarian Services Offi ce (Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies) Ministry of Interior 40253371, 40253372, 40253369 Ministry of Health 40253370, 40253364 Hamad Medical Corporation 40253368, 40253365 Qatar Airways 40253374 te Unqu Amy?” David Foster The notion that Foster, 69, did uo ot confi rms, settling into not have fi nal cut on the fi lm is Q e his seat. kind of unbelievable, given how “It does not My kids don’t have “Go.” positively glowing it is about matter how slowly you millions of dollars The drive from the his life. In interviews with some songwriter’s“ hotel to a dinner being of the dozens of musicians he go as long as you do not stop.” in the bank. Well, held in his honour will take no has worked with throughout his more than 30 minutes, and he does career — Barbra Streisand, Celine — Confucius if they do, it’s not not want to waste any of them. Dion, Josh Groban, Lionel Richie He likes to be in control. Some of — we hear about what a musical because of me. the fi rst words he utters in a new genius he is. Billboard called documentary about his life are a it a “90-minute testimonial I’ve given them warning to its director: “You think exulting his excellence,” an just enough help, that you’re just going to put this “infomercial” permeated with fi lm together and it’s going to be Foster’s “arrogance and self- and I feel good exactly the way you want it. But it’s congratulatory attitude.” not, because I’m going to be over Is he cocky? Sure, he’ll admit Community Editor about that your shoulder the whole … way.” that. “But can you really do “Could I have been more all that I’ve done and not be Kamran Rehmat wrong? I had zero control,” he confi dent?” he asks. “When you e-mail: [email protected] says now, as the car idles in traffi c see your peers and they’re not ‘ in downtown Toronto, where doing what you’re doing, you Telephone: 44466405 Fax: 44350474 David Foster: Off the Record know you must be good.” premiered last week at the local Foster does, in fact, have ’ fi lm festival. plenty to boast about. He’s won Friday, September 20, 2019 GULF TIMES 3 COVER STORY COMMUNITY 16 Grammys. He wrote hits like Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing and Chicago’s Hard to Say I’m Sorry He’s won 16 Grammys. He wrote hits like and produced ones like Donna Summer’s Last Dance and Toni Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing and Braxton’s Un-Break My Heart. He Chicago’s Hard to Say I’m Sorry and produced also single-handedly discovered Dion, Groban and Michael Buble, ones like Donna Summer’s Last Dance and turning them into global superstars. In theory, he is a fascinating Toni Braxton’s Un-Break My Heart. He also documentary subject. Beyond his storied music career, he has single-handedly discovered Dion, Groban led an eccentric personal life. and Michael Buble, turning them into In June, he wed the singer and actress Katharine McPhee, who global superstars is 34 years his junior. It’s his fi fth marriage, following other famous partnerships with Linda Thompson — ex-wife of Caitlyn Jenner, with whom she had sons Brody and Brandon — and Yolanda Hadid — mother of the models Gigi and Bella. While he was married to Thompson, he had his fi rst foray into reality television: The Princes of Malibu, a 2005 Fox show that presented him as a grump fed up with the antics of his stepsons and their best friend, future The Hills villain Spencer Pratt. Then, in 2012, he turned up on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Fame should have documentaries In 2015, he joined Grande on stage is hard for me to wrap my head participate because it was “David’s Hills alongside Hadid. Foster often made about them, and I came at the Forum, playing piano as she around. The songs get passed from thing.” In one shot, the couple appeared on the show, presiding up as the fi rst subject,” recalls belted a version of Houston’s I Have room to room, and there are seven sit by a piano in their home and over the $19-million Carbon Foster, who was raised in Victoria, Nothing. He loved the experience, or eight writers on them. That’s not acknowledge the “unorthodox” Canyon seaside mansion where he British Columbia. He spent about he says, except for the fact that the really my style.” nature of their relationship. invited the housewives to intimate a year and a half working with the audience was disappointed when the “But in a relationship, there’s cocktail parties at which Kenny fi lmmaker, allowing Avrich to trail singer brought him on stage instead Music and marriage 10 things that can bring you down “Babyface” Edmonds performed. him on a trip to New York City, of co-headliner Justin Bieber. And McPhee would inspire him to go or pull you apart and break you The pair’s 2015 divorce was also where he is trying to get a Broadway yet for the last few years, he’s really back into the studio. But because up,” Foster says as his car nears its chronicled on the programme, a musical mounted. Broadway only worked with Buble. It’s not that the American Idol runner-up has destination. “You don’t sleep well split that Hadid blamed on her is the “mountain I still want to he’s interested in retiring. But he’s spent so much of the last few years together, the in-laws are terrible chronic Lyme disease. climb,” Foster explains. He has anxious at the thought of being able acting — fi rst on NBC’s Smash, or whatever. Having an age gap — “I’m starting to feel that David is four theatre projects in the works to replicate the success of his glory most recently in Broadway’s which we have a signifi cant one — is unhappy with the fact that I can’t but acknowledges he has trouble days. Waitress — she’s “not motivated as just one of the 10. If we don’t have be by his side the way that I used to with the process, which requires “Maybe what’s stopping me is a singer,” Foster says. the other nine — if that’s our only be,” she wrote in her 2017 memoir. numerous collaborators. the potential of failure,” he says. The 35-year-old was a part of obstacle — we’re gonna make it.” “I feel as if he’s starting to get “But I’m not a quitter. It just “And also, quite honestly, a lot of the documentary, though by her Foster’s black SUV has arrived at impatient with my recovery.” feels like a logical next step for me,” those guys, they have a style that own admission she was reluctant to the Four Seasons, where, upstairs, he says. “In my career, I’ve always Avrich is throwing a private dinner ‘Wish I hadn’t’ used the phrase ‘retreat and attack The one part of the film that was for the musician. McPhee is waiting In the new documentary, Foster in another direction.’ At the end in the ballroom, as are some of says their breakup had nothing to of the ‘90s, all of a sudden I found uncomfortable for him to watch, Foster Foster’s fi ve biological children. do with Lyme disease but declines myself the guy that couldn’t write a The one part of the fi lm that was to elaborate further. He does Top-40 hit record after 25 years of admits, was the section in which his uncomfortable for him to watch, not think fondly of his time on writing hits. The paradigm shifted. kids talked about his parenting. Many Foster admits, was the section in Housewives and is upset that he is N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys which his kids talked about his often recognised on the street as a came in and I didn’t really know described how difficult it was to have parenting. Many described how reality TV star instead of a music how to deal with that Swedish diffi cult it was to have him spend legend.