Hitman

Forty Years Making Music, Topping the Charts, and Winning Grammys

By: David Foster, Pablo Fenjves

Narrated by: David Foster

Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

After almost four decades in the music business, David Foster - producer, arranger, songwriter, performer - is ready to speak.

In his compelling and outspoken memoir, Foster shares incredible stories from his years of working with music superstars, including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Natalie Cole, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, and many others. Foster offers rare glimpses of the musical icons at work and shares his secrets for success in the fickle music industry.

At its heart, though, Hitman is the story of a boy with perfect pitch who grew up to become one of the most influential music forces of our time.

©2008 David Foster & Pablo Fenjves (P)2008 Phoenix Audio

Always love his music

Learned a lot. Easy listening just like his music :-). Never knew he was in the group that sang Wildfire

This is how an autobiography is done!

Where does Hitman rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have read over 100 biographies and autobiographies in the last couple years and "Hitman" should be used as a template for how memoirs are written.

1. Do not write the book chronologically, starting as a child or even starting with previous generations. Start the book where we know you from, and then refer to childhood, earlier generations, etc as they apply to interesting stories in the evolution of why you are famous and why we are reading about you.

Examples of bad biographies include a biography of Steven Spielberg that spent almost 3 hours on his grandparents and parents. I don't care about the ingredients and aromas of your mother's Spanish rice if I have to spend hours just to reach your adolescent years and still not be to anything pertinent to what I know you for.

2. Feel free to jump around as the stories suit you. When you are writing a song that touches on something from your youth, that is the time to tell me about it. That way I am enjoying what I know you for, and getting the backstory, instead of wading hours through backstory without knowing why.

Hitman gets it right. I am running out of memoirs to read and I am getting desperate, reading books I would not have chosen had I not already read almost all of the celebrity memoirs Audible has. I went ahead and chose to listen to David Foster's book because I like his music and needed a book. What I got was the definition of how to write a memoir. Kudos to David Foster!!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

David Foster. As noted above, he did a fantastic job of telling his life story while staying relevant to how you know him and why you bought his book.

What about David Foster’s performance did you like?

I always like when an author reads their own book, and David Foster did a great job of capturing the essence and emotions of his life story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES, which is rare! The book was so well done that it was hard to turn off.

Any additional comments?

I can't stress enough to those considering writing biographies or autobiographies that this book is a template for how to stay in the present while presenting a past that covers 50 years. A great performance of a great book!!

Truly written in David Foster's own words

Would you listen to Hitman again? Why?

I felt that i really comprehended and visualized the entire auto-biography. However, It was a really enjoyable listen, and i feel the lessons and experiences will have newfound effects on me as I age and grow over time.

What about David Foster’s performance did you like?

I liked how real David is. He says it like it is. He doesn't try to sugar coat or make things a big deal. He just tells you his story the way he remembers it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

When I first started reading the book a couple years ago, I completely stopped after one of the 1st few chapters. The chapter referenced David's ability to have Perfect Pitch. He could hear a note on the piano and know exactly what it was.

After reading that, i vowed to learn perfect pitch and start reading again once i've figured it out.

I haven't mastered perfect pitch yet, but I did come up with a new device that can train perfect pitch, and now i just need to prototype it.

After coming up with the idea for "Pitch Blocks", I listened to the book from start to finish in just a couple sittings. It gave me all the inspiration i needed to finish building my concept and start training myself to have perfect pitch.

this dude is legit

nice read
David foster is essentially the grandfather of modern day pop music
a must for any learning producer

Truly the Hitman

David Foster is one of if the the greatest producer of our time! He is truly the hitmaker and is like the energizer bunny- keeps going and going!

Hitman hits all the right notes!

I just finished David Foster's memoir...perfectly written. I was amazed to hear about all the artists he has worked with and the legendary songs he has produced. The first chapter jumps right into his work on The Bodyguard...Davis wastes no time in giving us great stories. While his comments about loving Catherine McPhee's beauty seems like off foreshadowing...he writes from the heart and delivers a great listen.

Honest And Crass at times

Really interesting and entertaining. He is open and honest. Nothing about this book is expected. He is truly a remarkably complex and yet typical male. It is a wonderful peek into his life and I loved the journey thanks for taking us along for the ride!

Great story, narration is a little weak,

Whats there to say?!?! the guys has done it all and its a great life. I became a fan of his composition works after I listened to this and even follow him on Twitter :) A great listen about a very cool customer.

Top Music Industry Insight

David Foster is one of the world's top music producers and an incredible songwriter with countless no.1 hits. This is a rare inside look into the music industry and some interesting stories of the many music and show-biz stars that David has worked with.
A MUST listed for any music buff.

Foster makes good memories - this is one of them

Would you listen to Hitman again? Why?

I never say never.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Foster. He keeps it moving - boom boom boom boom.

Which scene was your favorite?

Pavarotti taking David on the elevator.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Kevin's story.

Any additional comments?

The communication is so clean and crisp. Not weighed with murky attitudes and sniffy emotion. Not the usual shame blame and regret memoir. More of a "woo hoo hoo" memoir. Uplifting. Very upbeat, high energy. Promising. I don't believe he is "claustrophobic" . I believe he is a very big being that needs more space than other people. Foster is probably aware on some level that he doesn't really fit in an elevator.