He is guitarist and arranger who started when he was 11 years old by playing the Hawaiian guitar but soon was playing 6 and 12-string guitars with a flat pick. He then moved to an electric guitar by the time he was 14 years old. At that time he performed in a surf-rock band in Southern California but became influenced by Andrea Segovia and Chet Atkin’s fingerstyle and started using a thumb pick. He went on to study at the guitar department of Cal State College.
He had begun to teach guitar when he was 18 years old but he created his own arrangements when he couldn’t find any for the hymns he wanted to play. These arrangements have been published by Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, Mel Bay Publications and Rick Foster Edensong. They have been used by artists that include Christopher Parkening and Chet Atkins.
Concentrating on Christian music, which he is mainly associated with, he was the first to play a concert of sacred music on classical guitar. From 1981 to 2005 he toured nationally where he gave concerts in colleges, guitar societies and churches.
He has recorded at least 10 of his own albums that include Favorite Hymns for Classic Guitar, Inspirational Guitar at Its Best, Sacred Classic Guitar, Season of Joy, Sacred Duos for Guitar and Violin, Rick Foster’s Remembrance of Chet Atkins and his Guitars and Faith is the Reason and was nominated for a Dove Award by the Gospel Music Association. Other recordings his arrangements have been performed on include Frog Kissin’ by Chet Atkins, In Heavenly Peace – Douglas Niedt and Parkening Plays Bach, Simple Gifts and The Christopher Parkening Album by Christopher Parkening.
Christopher Parkening recordings
EMI Angel CDC-7 47525 2 (CD: Simple Gifts)
Guitar – Christopher Parkening
Arranger – Rick Foster
Sources:
- http://www.rickfosterguitar.com/bio.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Foster
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/1234573-Rick-Foster?type=Credits&filter_anv=0
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rick-foster-mn0001229169/credits