“American Idol” Alum John Foster Earns Acclaim For Authentic Opry Tribute To Don Williams
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John Foster may be only 20 years old, but he’s known for his respectful renditions of country classics recorded years before his birth.
You may be familiar with Foster from his run on Season 23 of American Idol. He became the season’s runner-up after entertaining millions with his covers of songs such as “Neon Moon,” “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” and “I Cross My Heart.”
Foster continues to deliver enchanting covers of traditional and classic country tunes. Recently, his version of “I Will Always Love You” went viral after Dolly Parton‘s death.
Foster is also a frequent performer at the Grand Ole Opry. He just celebrated his 20th Opry performance, where he sang Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors.”
RELATED: JOHN FOSTER ADDS EMOTIONAL NEW LYRICS TO “TELL THAT ANGEL I LOVE HER” TO HONOR DOLLY PARTON
During another Opry show, Foster tipped his hat to Don Williams with an authentic cover of “It Must Be Love.”
RFD-TV, which broadcasts some Opry shows, recently shared a clip of Foster’s performance. This performance occurred on June 10 during the Opry 100 Honors tribute to Williams (who died in 2017). A post on the Opry’s Facebook page states that Foster also sang Williams’ “Amanda” and “Tulsa Time.”
In addition to Foster, other performers on the lineup were Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Jamey Johnson, Brandy Clark, Rodney Crowell, and The Isaacs.
Foster delivered a pure country cover of “It Must Be Love” while singing in front of a backdrop of cascading hearts. He smiled as he called on the audience to sing along midway through the tune.
Foster’s cover received a lot of acclaim online, with people commenting:
“He could sing the dictionary and still sound good.”
“He’s awesome. He can sing anything.”
“Listening to you, John never gets old!”
“Future country music legend.”
“Absolutely amazing! My favorite country singer!”
“He is soooooooo good.”
Watch John Foster sing “It Must Be Love” in the video below.
The History Behind “It Must Be Love,” The Song John Foster Sang At The Opry
The legendary songwriter Bob McDill wrote “It Must Be Love,” and Don Williams was the first to record the tune. He released his recording in 1979, and it peaked at the #1 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.
By the end of 1979, “It Must Be Love” ranked at #27 on the year-end Hot Country Songs chart. It didn’t take long for it to become known as one of Williams’ signature songs.
RELATED: CODY JOHNSON CAPTIVATES WITH COVER OF DON WILLIAMS CLASSIC, “IF HOLLYWOOD DON’T NEED YOU”
“It Must Be Love” received renewed attention when Alan Jackson covered it in 2000. His version also reached #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart and crossed over to claim the 37th spot on the all-genre Hot 100 ranking.
As 2000 came to a close, Jackson’s cover of “It Must Be Love” ranked at #11 on the year-end Hot Country Songs chart. His rendition has since been certified Gold by the RIAA.
Listen to Alan Jackson’s recording of “It Must Be Love” below. John Foster is following in some pretty iconic footsteps with his cover of the song!
