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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 25 February 2019
Kristofferson, Dolly producer Fred Foster died at age 87

By KRISTIN M. HALL Blake. He had been trying
Associated Press to break through as a song-
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — writer, even working as a
Nashville producer Fred janitor in a Music Row re-
Foster, who produced cording studio. After hear-
some of Roy Orbison's most ing some of his songs, Fos-
popular records and was ter said he would only hire
the first to produce records Kristofferson as a songwriter
from Kris Kristofferson and if he also signed a record
Dolly Parton, has died. He deal.
was 87. "He was so intelligent, so
His publicist, Martha Moore, gifted, so talented and he
said Foster died Wednes- didn't sound like anybody
day in Nashville, and that I had ever heard," Foster
a memorial service will be told The Associated Press
held later. in 2016, the same year Fos-
Born in 1931 in North Caro- ter was inducted into the In this Oct. 12, 2009 file photo, Fred Foster speaks as he is inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame
lina, Foster helped launch Country Music Hall of Fame. at the Musicians Hall of Fame awards show in Nashville, Tenn.
the careers of many hit Foster is credited as co-writ- Associated Press
country artists and was a er on Kristofferson's hit song,
major supporter of some "Me and Bobby McGee." laborative album between vocals. At 85, he worked than I did at 75, I am not
of Nashville's biggest song- Foster came up with the Ray Price, Merle Haggard on a Price tribute album learning very fast, am I?"
writers. He also worked with idea to name a song after and Willie Nelson that re- for Nelson, called "For the Foster said then. "I think I'm
artists like Tony Joe White, a female secretary in his sulted in a Grammy win for Good Times," that was re- probably a better produc-
Willie Nelson, Charlie Mc- building, whose name was Price and Nelson for best leased in 2016. er today than I have ever
Coy and Jeannie Seely. Bobbie McKee. Kristoffer- country collaboration with "If I don't know more at 85 been."q
In the 1960s, he moved his son told the magazine "Per-
record label, Monument forming Songwriter" that he
Records, from Washington, was inspired to write the lyr-
D.C., to Nashville. ics about a man and wom-
Foster was the first to see an on the road together af-
the potential in a young ter watching the Frederico
singer-songwriter from East Fellini film, "La Strada."
Tennessee named Dolly Janis Joplin, who had a
and got her songs cut by close relationship with Krist-
other artists, as well as re- offerson, changed the lyr-
cording and releasing her ics to make Bobby McGee
own material. But it wasn't a man and cut her version
until she started appear- just days before she died in
ing on Porter Wagoner's 1970 from a drug overdose.
TV show that she became The recording became a
popular. posthumous No. 1 hit for Jo-
"I am heartbroken that plin.
my friend Fred Foster has In the early 1960s, Foster
passed on," Parton said in helped Roy Orbison be-
a statement on Thursday. come an international
"Fred was one of the very star with his recordings on
first people to believe in Monument. Orbison was an
me and gave me chanc- unlikely rock 'n' roller with
es no one else would or his falsetto and penchant
could. We've stayed friends for wearing dark sunglasses
through the years and I will and black suits. His singles
miss him. I will always love on Monument were dark
him." and emotional, backed
"It's a gift, being able to by soaring strings and doo-
sense something unique in wop backing vocals. Some
somebody, and that's what of the classic Orbison songs
I aimed for, always," said released by Monument
Foster in 2007. "Anybody include "Only the Lonely,"
that dropped a needle on ''Oh, Pretty Woman," and
a groove of a Monument "Crying."
record, I wanted them to "Oh, Pretty Woman" sold
immediately know, 'Oh, more than 7 million copies
that's Dolly Parton,' or 'That's in 1964 and earned Orbison
Roy Orbison.' It had to be his first Grammy nomination
unique." for best rock & roll record-
Foster also owned a pub- ing.
lishing company, Combine Foster continued to work
Music, and Kristofferson as a producer throughout
was one of his hires, a Tex- his life, never really slowing
as-born athlete and Army down. He produced "Last
veteran who loved William of the Breed," a 2007 col-