Radney to bring hits, iconic album to CAC show

Mar 29, 2023

DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE

Fresh off his induction into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, iconic musician Radney Foster is coming to Temple.

Foster will be at the Cultural Activities Center on Saturday, April 22, for a 7:30 p.m. concert.

“This is going to be a lot of fun for me and for the crowd,” Foster said. “This is the 30th anniversary of my debut album, Del Rio, TX 1959. That album is kind of like my bio — I was born that year in Del Rio. It was released in September 1992.”

“I’m going to play the album in its entirety,” he said. “My first 10 songs will be from Del Rio, TX 1959, then I’ll play some of the No. 1 hits I wrote for other people. I’ll also play a few off my latest album.”

“I’ve also written a book of short stories, and I might share one or two excerpts from that. Audiences really enjoy the stories, and you can tell that it’s unexpected.”

“My wife, Cyndi Hoelzle, and I are writing another book of short stories,” he said. “But that’s in the future.”

One of the stories from Foster’s first book, For You to See the Stars, is being developed into a screenplay by creative teams in San Antonio and Hollywood.

“We’re to the point where we are looking for a director,” he said. “I’m under contract and can’t mention the name of the movie, but it’s out there.”

While Foster has made a name for himself singing his own songs, cuts for other artists have made him famous. He has written hits for Keith Urban, The (Dixie) Chicks, Luke Bryan, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hootie & The Blowfish, Kenny Loggins and Los Lonely Boys.

Foster was honored with induction into the Hall of Fame last month, and he went into the hall with Alejandro Escovedo, Gary P Nunn, Rodney Clawson and WC Clark.

Temple music fans may recall Escovedo — he performed at the CAC earlier this year.

“When I was a young struggling singer/songwriter back in the 1980s, I used to open for Alejandro and his band, Rank & File,” Foster said. “During the Hall of Fame induction, we joked about that. We never imagined back then that we would receive this honor. The induction was a hugely emotional moment for me.”

Tickets for the Radney Foster show are on sale for $35 and $40 at cacarts.org.