Music Features
INFLUENCED: Darius Rucker and Radney Foster
On Monday, July 19th, it was revealed that Darius Rucker’s upcoming album will be named Charleston, SC 1966, a title that is a nod to one of his musical inspirations Radney Foster and his landmark solo debut album Del Rio, TX 1959. Darius tells the Houston Chronicle, “My heroes [are] Dwight Yoakam, Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett, Hank [Williams] Sr. and Jr. But the guy I try to be every time I open my mouth is Radney Foster. He’s awesome.”
In fact, Radney’s time as one-half of the 1980s duo Foster and Lloyd helped Darius know that he could do country music. Darius explains, “The light turned on really when I first heard ‘Crazy Over You’ by Foster and Lloyd. It was ’86 or ’87, and I see this band on TV, and they blew my mind. The guy’s voice was so much like mine. A lot more powerful, but so much like mine. I just kept thinking, ‘Man, I really want to do that.’”
The first time Darius saw the duo in concert, he arrived late and was adamant that they perform his favorite song of theirs – “You Can Come Crying.” Darius recounts the experience with The Boot. He recalls, “Radney looks down at me and says, ‘Man, you came in late and we already did that song.’ I just looked at them and go, ‘Hey, I’m the only black man in this place, and I love your music.’ Bill Lloyd looks at Radney and goes, ‘He’s right, he is,’ and they sang my song!”
A majority of today’s country fans may know Radney’s work and not even realize it. Radney is the songwriter behind hits like Sara Evans’ “A Real Fine Place to Start,” Jack Ingram’s “Measure of a Man,” Keith Urban’s “Raining on Sunday” and Keith’s current single “I’m In.” Many of these songs were first recorded by Radney himself as part of his albums. Before Radney made his name as an exceptional songwriter and a recording artist, he got his start in his hometown of Del Rio, Texas where he began learning how to play the guitar at age 12. Once he graduated from high school, Radney traveled to Sewanee, Tennessee to attend the University of the South. But, his time at college was short-lived as he felt his passion for music pull him to Nashville in 1985. Once he was there, he signed a publishing deal where he soon met his future musical partner Bill Lloyd and they began writing together. One of their musical collaborations – “Since I Found You” - resulted in a Top 10 hit for the Sweethearts of the Rodeo. On the heels of that success, the pair decided to make a go of it as a duo and signed a record deal with RCA in 1986.
The duo released their self-titled debut album which included their Top 5 hit “Crazy Over You,” in September 1987. The album contained two other Top 10 hits – “Sure Thing” and “What Do You Want From Me This Time?” – as well as Darius’ favorite tune “You Can Come Crying.” Two years later, Foster and Lloyd followed up the project with their sophomore album Faster & Llouder which housed their final Top 10 hit as a duo “Fair Shake.” And, in 1990, they released their final (as of now) record Version of the Truth with the Top 40 hit “Can’t Have Nothin’.” Although Foster and Lloyd created critically acclaimed music together, it was difficult for the pair to translate it into commercial success after their initial breakthrough, and the pair decided to part ways following their third album.
In 1992, Radney decided it was time to try out a recording career as a solo artist on the roster of Arista Nashville, home to such acts as Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn. He released his debut single “Just Call Me Lonesome” and its follow-up “Nobody Wins,” both Top 10 hits, from his critically-lauded Del Rio, TX 1959 which also included two more Top 40 hits with “Easier Said Than Done” and “Hammer and Nails.” But after his initial solo project, the same problems that plagued Foster and Lloyd seem to trouble Radney’s career as he saw his subsequent singles fail to reach the Top 40. He made two more albums – 1995’s Labor of Love and 1999’s See What You Want to See – with Arista before parting ways with the label. He also suffered through a divorce during this time which separated Radney from his son as his ex-wife and child moved to France. The final of his three Arista albums included the future Keith Urban smash “Raining on Sunday.”
When 2001 dawned Radney had another record deal, this time with indie label Dualtone Records. For his first album for Dualtone, Radney ventured back to his traditional country roots as well as revisited some of the music he made as part of Foster and Lloyd as he re-recorded the duo’s single “Texas in 1880” with fellow Texan Pat Green for Are You Ready For the Big Show? The following year, Radney released Another Way to Go, featuring Sara Evans’ future number one hit “A Real Fine Place to Start.” His final project for Dualtone was 2006’s This World We Live In. That same year, he produced Just a Matter of Time, the first of two records for the Randy Rogers Band, and would go on to lend his talents to the group’s 2008 self-titled disc. Radney also put on his producer’s hat for Texas artist Brandon Rhyder’s 2008 album Every Night.
Last year, Radney released his latest album Revival on his own Devil’s River label under the name Radney Foster and the Confessions after experiencing the death of his father and the end of a 12-year separation from his son. Revival includes deeply personal songs written by Radney culled from the afore-mentioned life-changing events he went through as well as guest appearances by Darius and Dierks Bentley. Along with the new album, he chronicled its creation with a one-hour documentary titled Behind the Confessions. The album also includes his current single “Angel Flight."
In June, Radney concluded his month-long stint on Jewel’s Star Light Café Tour and currently, he’s hard at work in the studio with his former duo partner Bill on an upcoming Foster and Llyod reunion. Radney tells The 9513, “We’ve cut six songs. They’ve gone really well. I’ve liked everything we’ve cut so far.” He adds, “I think we’re a little more mature with our lyrics as writing is concerned. But we’re still bringing some fun in our mixing and in mixing genres as much as possible in the melodic sense of what we were doing live 25 years ago. It’s a lot of fun. For more information on Randey Foster, check out his official website.
Image courtesy of Rick Diamond / Getty Images
Adapted from "Radney Foster." Grand Ole Opry. Gaylord Entertainment, n.d. Web. 21 Jul 2010. <http://www.opry.com/artists/f/Foster_Radney.html>.
Nikita Palmer for Citadel Digital © 2010
