Fred Foster (center) signed Willie to his label, Monument Records, in 1964.
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by: Annie Reuter
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Fred Foster, longtime producer and Country Music Hall of Fame member, died in his sleep Feb. 20 following a short illness. He was 87.
The North Carolina native founded Monument Records in 1958 and was at the helm of many iconic country records, including seminal albums from Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Ray Stevens and Jeannie Seely. He also founded Combine Music, which published Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee” (co-written with Foster) and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” Orbison’s “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)” and Tony Joe White’s “Polk Salad Annie.”
Foster had a hand in producing many hits by Orbison in the 1960s, including “Oh, Pretty Woman,” “Only the Lonely” and “Crying,” as well as Parton and Jimmy Dean’s first singles. He also helmed Kristofferson’s debut album, the 2007 Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price album Last of the Breed, as well as Price’s final album, 2014’s Beauty Is. His last project was Dawn Landes’ 2018 album, Meet Me at the River.
