Stuart Foster

Stuart Foster (June 30, 1918—February 8, 1968) was an American stage actor and baritone singer active in the 1940s through 1950s.

After spending a few years as a stage actor in New York, Foster worked in the orchestras of Ina Ray Hutton, Guy Lombardo, and Tommy Dorsey, and was also a CBS staff musician for several years. He served as a director of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and sang frequently in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dick Kleiner, a columnist syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association, once described Foster as "the greatest unsung singer in America".

Stuart Foster was born Tamer Aswad in Binghamton, New York, on June 30, 1918, to N. T. Aswad of Armenian descent. He had a sister, Margaret Bucklin, and three brothers, Saleem Aswad, Kaleel Aswad, and William Aswad.

Foster attended Daniel S. Dickinson School and Binghamton Central High School in Binghamton, New York, where he also sang.

After his high school graduation, Stuart Foster relocated to New York City, New York, to pursue a career on stage. He also traveled with dance bands to upstate New York, playing everything from college proms to tiny nightclubs.

Stage Acting

While watching a play in New York, Foster was discovered by playwright George Abbott, who arranged for Foster to begin a career in musical theatre beginning with a role in one of his own productions.

From there on, Foster performed as an actor and singer in over 50 stage productions, including Billion Dollar Baby, Where's Charley?, Paint Your Wagon, Hellzapoppin, If the Shoe Fits, Great To Be Alive!, Pirates of Penzanze Are You With It?, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Swinging the Dream, Allegro, From Vienna, Out of This World, Show Boat, For Your Pleasure, and Caribbean Carnival.

Music

Foster began his professional music career in 1940 in Ina Ray Hutton's new all-male orchestra. In 1940, he was heard on "A Handful Of Stars" (Okeh Records), "Five O'Clock Whistle", and "Make Me Know It" (Columbia Records). In 1942, he was in the chorus of Hutton's recordings of "Madelaine" and "A Sinner Kissed An Angel" (Elite Records).

In 1944, Foster appeared with Hutton's band in Arthur Dreifuss' comedy movie Ever Since Venus starring Hugh Herbert, Ann Savage, and Billy Gilbert. In the film, Hutton and her band are hired by a cosmetics manufacturer, J. Webster Hackett (played by Alan Mowbray), to headline a promotional beauty show.

Hutton's orchestra temporarily disbanded in August 1944, after which Foster joined Guy Lombardo's Orchestra. In October 1944, he recorded "Soon" on Decca Records. In 1944, he recorded "Always" with Lombardo's Royal Canadians, which peaked at the number ten spot for one week in February 1945. In December 1944, he provided vocals on Lombardo's recording of "Poor Little Rhode Island" (written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn). The track reached number eleven on the jukebox charts in May 1945.

In the following year, Foster was heard on Lombardo's "(All Of A Sudden) My Heart Sings" (written by Harold Rome, Henri Herpin, Janblan)

In late 1944, Ina Ray Hutton came back from hiatus and Foster returned to her band for a brief time. In March 1945, he joined Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra and made several recordings through 1948. That month, he was heard on "A Friend Of Yours" (lyrics by Johnny Burke, composed by Jimmy Van Heusen). In July 1945, he recorded "Blue Skies" with a solo trumpet by Charlie Shavers.

On December 30, 1946, Foster and Dorsey recorded on RCA Victor Records (20-2122) a version of Burton Lane and Yip Harburg's composition of "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?"

In 1947, Foster was in the chorus of four tracks of Dorsey's album Tommy Dorsey Plays Tchaikovsky Melodies For Dancing:

• "None But The Lonely Heart"—written by Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston, Mack David
• "The Story Of A Starry Night"—written by Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston, Manny Curtis
• "The Things I Love"—written by Harold Barlow, Lewis Harris
• "Our Love"—written by Buddy Bernier, Larry Clinton, Robert D. Emmerich

In 1947, Foster appeared with the Dorsey band in Alfred E. Green's biographical film The Fabulous Dorseys. Starring Arthur Shields, Dave Willock, William Lundigan, and Janet Blair, it featured some of the biggest names of the day in jazz music, including Jimmy Dorsey, Art Tatum, Paul Whiteman, Charlie Barnet, and Bob Eberly.

Foster left Dorsey in the summer of 1948 and went on a solo career and worked in various as a studio musician and on radio programs, including The William B. Williams Show on WOR (1949), The (Gene) Rayburn and Finch Show on CBS (1951), and Dave Garroway's Today on NBC (1952).

In early 1949, Foster recorded with Hugo Winterhalter's orchestra on MGM Records. In late 1949, he recorded "Mad About You" with Russ Case and his Orchestra on MGM (10581-A). The following year, he recorded with Shep Fields (MGM) and Billy Butterfield's band (London label).

In 1951, Foster made a few more recordings with Hugo Winterhalter (Victor Records). That year, he also recorded solo on the new independent label PAB. In 1953, he recorded with Gordon Jenkins on Decca and Spanish bandleader Xavier Cugat on Victor. In early 1955, Foster sang with the Chappaqua, New York, High School Kids choir. Later that year, he recorded with Gordon Jenkins and Art Mooney.

After appearing on Don McNeill's NBC show The Breakfast Club in 1953, Foster began working with Galen Drake on ABC and CBS. The Galen Drake Show on CBS featured Drake's biography of a featured guest, songs by Foster and Rita Ellis, and a debate on a current topic. Foster was with the show until it ended on May 11, 1957.

In, 1957 Foster sang on Hits of '57 on RCA's Camden label. In 1959, he recorded with Dick Jacobs Orchestra's recording of the album Broadway Song Book (Coral Records).

Foster's last recording was for the Gold Coin label in 1965.

• On May 26, 1958, Foster and June Valli performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar with bandleader Jose Melis. The guests that evening were Eva Gabor and Frank McHugh.
• On April 16, 1964, Foster performed on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson with bandleader Skitch Henderson. The guests were Allan Sherman and Ivan Tors. The following evening, he performed again on the Carson show with guests Lee Tracy (actor) and Peter Hurkos (Dutch ESP medium).

• 1945: won the Downbeat magazine's reader poll of favorite band singers
• October 1948: placed third in Billboard magazine's Favorite Male Band Vocalist poll, after Vaughn Monroe (first) and Don Cornell of Sammy Kaye band (second).

While working with Hutton at Hotel Astor in New York City, Foster met Patricia "Bubbles" Louie, a member of the jazz vocal quartet Kim Loo Sisters. The two married on April 15, 1946, in Cambria Heights, New York. They had a son, James "Jimmy" Tamer.

Foster died of a heart attack in New York, New York, on February 8, 1968, at age 49.