“The one thing you can count on from Ruthie Foster anytime she steps onto a stage is being blown away by both her powerhouse voice and her familial warmth. …the Texas singer-songwriter brought the standing room only crowd into her embrace, holding them gently in her grip like a long-lost cousin for almost two hours of song and story.” – Atlanta Journal Constitution

“There’s no denying the power of Foster’s monstrous voice” –Paste Magazine

“If you’re not smiling as you listen to Ruthie Foster’s new album, Joy Comes Back, then you might want to check the condition of your heart. On this album…Foster joyfully delivers a set of ten infectious songs that carry powerful images of hope and love.” – DOWNBEAT

In the tight-knit musical community of Austin, Texas, it’s tough to get away with posturing. You either bring it, or you don’t.

If you do, word gets around. And one day, you find yourself duetting with Bonnie Raitt, or standing onstage with the Allman Brothers at New York’s Beacon Theater and trading verses with Susan Tedeschi. You might even wind up getting nominated for a Best Blues Album Grammy — three times in a row. And those nominations would be in addition to your seven Blues Music Awards, three Austin Music Awards, the Grand Prix du Disque award from the Académie Charles-Cros in France, and a Living Blues Critics’ Award for Female Blues Artist of the Year.

There’s only one Austinite with that résumé: Ruthie Foster.

The small rural town of Gause, TX had no chance of keeping the vocal powerhouse known as Ruthie Foster to itself. The worship services at her community church and influences like Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin created the foundation of her vocal capabilities, which developed into her own sound which is unable to be contained within a single genre. That uniqueness echoes a common theme in Ruthie’s life and career – marching to the beat of her own drum.