Ruthie Foster has been the pride of Texas for many years, but is has only been in the past few that the rest of the U.S. has begun to discover this talented guitarist/singer/songwriter. A vocalist with the ability to wail like Mahalia Jackson or lightly touch a note like Shawn Colvin, Foster has created her own unique, attractive blend of folk, blues and gospel that simply deserves to be heard (many thanks to Jerry Lawson, formerly of the Persuasions, and his wife Julie for introducing me to Ruthie's music).
Foster was raised in Gause, Texas, in a house where Gospel favorites Sam Cooke and Jackson were played next to jazz and blues greats like Sarah Vaughn and Lightnin' Hopkins. After graduating from college in Waco, Foster played with the U.S. Navy Band for four years and then moved to New York, where she worked the club circuit until she returned to Texas upon her mother's death in 1993.
