It won't come as a surprise to my fellow avid readers that I'm compelled to read CD liner notes. It didn't take me long to notice that, on my favorite CDs, the same name kept popping up in various capacities – producer, composer/songwriter, arranger, keyboards, and occasionally vocals. Before long, I was buying everything I saw that had David Foster's name on it.

Most people will be very familiar with David Foster's work even if they don't recognize his name. He's worked with an impressive list of stars, including Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Josh Groban, Michael Bolton, Natalie Cole, Olivia Newton-John, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Madonna, Sonny and Cher, Michael Jackson, George Harrison, Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, Katharine McPhee, Luciano Pavarotti, Chicago, and Earth, Wind & Fire. His Grammy wins include “After the Love Has Gone (1979 – Earth, Wind & Fire), “Hard Habit to Break” (1984 – Chicago), “Somewhere” (1986 – Barbra Streisand), “Unforgettable” (1991 – Natalie Cole), “I Will Always Love You” (1993 – Whitney Houston), and “When I Fall in Love” (twice!:1993 – Celine Dion & Clive Griffin; 1996 – Natalie Cole & Nat King Cole).

My favorite works by my favorite artists all seem to have been touched by David Foster. He has a gift for bringing out the best in the artists he works with. It didn't surprise me to read this passage:

When someone hires me as a producer, it is my job to push him or her toward greatness. I'm not saying that I make them great, but I often manage to coax an extra five or ten percent out of them—by guiding, encouraging, persisting—that makes them reach for greatness. My goal is to get more out of artists than anybody else they've ever worked with in their lives.

Foster does his share of boasting in the book, but he's earned the right to do it. If he didn't believe that he's one of the best at what he does, he would have no business doing it.

If you like celebrity gossip, there's plenty in this book. For the most part, it's flattering. Foster doesn't try to make himself look good at other people's expense. When he talks about disagreements, both professional and personal, he accepts his own share of blame. The only person who seems to be consistently spoken of negatively is his third wife, Linda Thompson. Their relationship began as an extramarital affair, and even though they eventually married, Foster never seems to have resolved his feelings of guilt for the effect it had on his daughters from his previous marriages.

Foster's main focus is his development as a musician. He talks about the many people who influenced him, including his father, his music teachers, his fellow musicians, and the people who gave him his early breaks. He comes across as someone who is grateful for the opportunities he's had, who worked hard to make the most of them, and who expresses his gratitude through charitable work.

My favorite story in the book is about how Foster passed on “My Heart Will Go On”. He writes:

To this day I don't relate to that song. I think James Horner is a brilliant composer, but that song just didn't do it for me. I remember trying to talk René [Celine Dion's manager & husband] out of doing it. “You shouldn't do that song! It's really not that good!” But he didn't listen to me, and he advised Celine to record it...I sure went wrong big on that one. But I dislike the song to this day, and the funny thing is I never stop hearing about it.

The song went on to become Celine's biggest hit. To me, though, this is just one more piece of evidence of David Foster's impeccable taste. I absolutely agree with him. I've never liked the song, either. My favorite Celine Dion hit is “Because You Loved Me”, and it was produced by David Foster.

I don't read a lot of celebrity biographies, so I don't know how this one compares to others in the genre. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a must-read for other long-time fans like me. ( )