Texas native Radney Foster first made his mark on the country music scene as a solo artist in the early 1990s. His debut solo record, Del Rio, TX 1959, spawned two radio hits; his lead single, “Just Call Me Lonesome,” climbed to No. 10 on the country charts, while his follow-up track, “Nobody Wins,” peaked at No. 2.
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Although the success of his first album spawned a lasting career for Foster as an artist, he first earned the respect of many within the industry during the mid-1980s. After signing a publishing deal in Nashville, he began penning songs that became hits for many of the genre’s top hitmakers of the time.
In the late ’80s, he formed the duo Foster & Lloyd with fellow Texas-born talent Bill Lloyd. Together, they charted nine tracks on the country charts within the span of just three years. The pair parted ways in 1990, paving the way for Foster to kick off his own path to stardom.
Take a deep dive into the award-winning singer-songwriter’s early career and revisit five songs written by Foster and recorded by other artists.
1. “Raining on Sunday,” Keith Urban
Written by Radney Foster and Darrell Brown
Released as the second single from his 2002 album, Golden Road, “Raining on Sunday” became a massive hit for then-burgeoning country star Keith Urban. Foster originally recorded the track for his 1999 LP, See What You Want to See, which featured Darius Rucker on backing vocals. Urban’s polished, modern country rendition became one of the biggest songs of 2003, climbing to No. 3 on country radio.
2. “Anyone Else,” Collin Raye
Written by Radney Foster
Collin Raye closed out an immensely successful decade with the release of his fifth album, The Walls Came Down, in 1998. He selected this romantic tune from Foster as the record’s final single, which made it to No. 4 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart the following year.
3. “Love Someone Like Me,” Holly Dunn
Written by Radney Foster and Holly Dunn
The late Holly Dunn joined forces with Foster to pen this heartfelt tune, which became the lead single from her second studio album, Cornerstone. The track continued the career momentum created by her previous single and trademark track, “Daddy’s Hands,” becoming a No. 2 hit on country radio.
4. “A Real Fine Place to Start,” Sara Evans
Written by Radney Foster and George Ducas
Sara Evans struck gold with her rendition of this Foster original, which became the title track and lead single from her fifth album, released in 2005. The joyful, driving tune instantly connected with country fans and quickly earned the singer her fourth No. 1 hit.
5. “Don’t Go Out,” Tanya Tucker and T. Graham Brown
Written by Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd
This Foster and Lloyd original earned a new life in 1990 when Tanya Tucker recorded the track for her eighteenth studio album, Tennessee Woman. She recruited T. Graham Brown for the tale of a complicated love triangle, which climbed to No. 6 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.
(Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)
