Michael Foster Biography

Here are some stories about my life and music.

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The 1960s

I got the spirit when I was 10 or 11. My granddaddy played fiddle and a few of my uncles and aunts played guitar.

As corny and cliché as it sounds, I did have neighbors who would pay a nickel to listen to me sing on the back porch. I lost touch with Ken, Terry, Randy and Charles through the years and still owe them a refund.

The radio was always playing when I got up in the morning. Elvis, Hank, The Everly Bros., Wanda Jackson, Brenda Lee and so many more amazing talents and unforgettable sounds. A few years later Dylan came on the scene and The Beach Boys, then of course the Beatles, and all they brought, which was life changing at a higher frequency. I was 13.

This is where I’d like to say a word about my cousin Reggie. He was 3 years older than me and was more like an older brother. Reggie had the spirit too and showed me things on the guitar that I would learn to play. He started a band and asked me to be in it, along with Larry Dunn and Vick Adams. The first paying gig in my life was us playing at the fire station in Sneads, Florida. We were the “Glad Rags” but in the newspaper they called us the “Glad Lads”, so that’s who we were.

I played in other bands through high school in Quincy and I’ll be talking about that soon.

A very cool guy named Bobby Carnes had a music store in Quincy. He saw our band at a dance and asked me if I’d like to come to his shop and record a couple of songs on acoustic guitar and vocal. He had a two track reel to reel, I think it was an Ampex. He said if it turned out ok he could get the local station to play it.

He did, and it was mind altering for a kid my age.

Some people I want to mention:

I worked out all the guitars on Bad Connection, 1st Love Ave. and Too Much Time with “Night Train” Wayne Perkins. Wayne was a member of “The Rolling Stones” during the Black and Blue years.
Pete Carr: All guitars on “Against the Wind” and “Mainstreet” by Bob Segar. Pete and I recorded “Here Comes the Morning Light” and “People Talkin”.
David Santos: Bassist for Elton John, Billy Joel, John Fogerty and Crosby Stills and Nash. We wrote and produced the The Foster/Santos Days.