Ruthie Foster brings soul to Hamilton this weekend | Local News

“We always want to stay as safe as possible and protect the people I play for since I am the one traveling,” she said.

Foster brings his guitar and will be joined by drummer John Chipman and bassist Larry Fulcher. The two have extensive resumes with other bands and she loves the depth they have when playing together.

At the time of the interview, she paused in an intense effort to simplify the tunes for a 20-piece group from her latest album so that they could be played as a trio.

“We included ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ by Ella Fitzgerald and I would love to break that down and do something different with my guitar,” she said. “But with seven majors, it’s been tough but fun.”

Ruthie grew up in a small town in Texas and at age 14 sang gospel solos in church. She knew she wanted a career in music and attended a local community college before joining the Navy and performing around the world as a naval musician. She eventually arrived in New York City with a recording contract and pop career prospects, but returned to Texas to care for her ailing mother and reconnect with her musical roots.

She can’t wait to share her “pandemic musical inspirations” on a new album which is currently in production and being mixed.