Del Rio native Radney Foster never expected to be a professional musician.
“I played in bands in high school and in college and wrote songs, but you know, real people didn’t do that for a living,” Foster said. “I only expected to go finish college and go to law school and go home and take over my father’s law practice.”
But fate had other plans for Foster, who was approached after a gig by a drunken stranger, who said he had connections in Nashville.
“I wrote my name in a matchbook and the phone number was the pay phone at the end of the hall in my dorm,” Foster said. “I met Randy Goodrum and played him four or five songs and at the end, he said ‘Man, you got to have a serious talk with your mom and dad about doing this for a living.’” And at just 20 years old, Foster dropped out of college and moved to Nashville to pursue the dream.
Though he had the mentorship of Goodrum, Foster said he still struggled in the first few years.
But through his struggle, Foster said he gained a unique perspective, and found that his own stories were what resonated most with audiences.
“I think all of that struggle is really necessary to get yourself to a place where you can do something really meaningful,” Foster said. “You finally have the self awareness to write something that’s real.
“You’re not just trying to make up a song, to make that a hit, you’re trying to tell a story that’s real.”
Foster’s unique storytelling will be on display in Fredericksburg at 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, during his performance at Rockbox Theater.
In addition to his work in duo Foster and Lloyd and his solo career, Foster has had the opportunity to write and produce for a variety of artists, including the Randy Rogers Band, Pat Green, Cody Johnson and Guy Clark.
When it comes to production, Foster said it’s not about perfection.
“When the sum is greater than the total of the parts, there’s this magic that happens,” Foster said. “You’re not really looking for perfect as much as you’re looking for a feeling.”
Despite the internationally-acclaimed artists Foster has worked with, he said his biggest musical influence has always been his dad.
“My dad played guitar and sang, and the most memorable Saturday nights of my childhood were when somebody brought the barbecue and somebody brought the beer and everybody brought an instrument and they would play music on the back porch all night long,” Foster said.
“I think hearing those classic songs and wanting to learn to play guitar and wanting to be able to sing a song in that circle was as big an influence on me as anything.”
Foster has come a long way since his back porch performances, but said he hopes to bring an intimacy to audiences with his solo performances.
“There’s three things that I always tell myself I need to do, or I haven’t done my job. I want to make you laugh, I want to make you cry, and I want to make you want to kiss your sweetheart,” Foster said.