Biography

-2015-

D.A. Foster learned to sing the blues from some of the greats, up front and personal. Starting at age 19 and all through his 20’s (1971-1982), he was hands-on co-owner of the legendary Connecticut roadhouse, the Shaboo Inn. The Shaboo introduced newcomers like Aerosmith, the Police, Hall & Oates, Journey, ACDC, Cheap Trick, Dire Straits and Elvis Costello, and hosted blues greats by the week — Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, B.B. King, Albert King, Freddie King, Bonnie Raitt, and more. When many of these blues legends discovered D.A.’s natural vocal talents, they mentored him and invited him to cut his chops onstage with them.
In 1979 D.A. formed his own band, the Shaboo Allstars. Matt Murphy was just coming off the Blues Brothers movie and jumped at the opportunity to be the guitar player in the band. Foster credits Matt Murphy for launching the band with a license to work anywhere, and They toured the US for the next two years. In 1982 the Shaboo closed its doors, and the legendary Harvey Brooks began a five-year run with the band, during which they did a 7-night run opening for Stevie Ray Vaughan Meanwhile, D.A. continued working as a talent buyer and started a music production company.
In D.A.’s 35-plus year bandleader history, many notables have joined him onstage — Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Keith Richards, Dan Aykroyd, Maceo Parker, Buddy Guy, Mike Finnigan, Kal David, and countless others... and he has a long support history with B.B. King.
Now for THE REAL THING. D. A. Foster is thankful for the opportunity to make a great blues record with good friends, producers Tony Braunagel and Mike Finnigan, their phenomenal, Grammy award-winning Phantom Blues Band, and a few other very special people.