Watch David Foster invites Iowan to perform at Hoyt Sherman Place

On By Vaseline

Singing to the accompaniment of David Foster was the last thing Des Moines local Dave Wagner expected to happen when he sat down to listen to the 16-time Grammy Award winner and Katharine McPhee perform at Hoyt Sherman Place on Tuesday.

An opportunity of a lifetime: Wagner was selected to sing a song of his choice while Foster played the piano. At first, nerves overwhelmed Wagner. But before he knew it, he was given a microphone and was talking to the music legend.

“I’ve known who David Foster is all my life,” Wagner told the Register on Wednesday. “As a performer, I’d rather be on stage in front of 5,000 people than sing in front of five of my colleagues, and singing in front of David Foster is perhaps the greatest colleague you could ever sing to.”

Wagner decided to sing ‘Since I Fell For You’. As soon as Wagner sang the first note, he fell back into his manner and was not nervous. Before moving to Iowa, Wagner sang in Chicago and New York.

“It’s something I’ve really missed,” Wagner said. “As soon as the first note came out of my mouth, I thought ‘this is amazing.'”

At one point during the karaoke portion, Foster paused Wagner and asked him to hold one of the song’s highest notes. Wagner simply went along with it, causing the entire crowd to cheer for him. Wagner surprised himself when he sang the note, and for good reason. One of his friends told him that he managed to get a high C.

“If I had known that was a high C, there’s no way I would have tried to get it,” Wagner said jokingly.

A chance gig in Des Moines with David Foster helps Dave Wagner revive his acting career

As soon as Wagner stood up at the end of the show, people started walking up to compliment him. On the way out, Wagner and his wife Lisa were invited backstage to meet Foster. Wagner joked with Foster: If he ever needed a 50-year-old singer, he could be the man.

Since his performance on Tuesday, Wagner has received emails, texts and phone calls praising his singing skills. Wagner hopes to re-enter the performance world. He recently created a TikTok account (@groove424) in hopes of kick-starting his stage career again.

“I want to get a live show in town,” Wagner said. “And I would say, based on the audience reaction, if I could spread the word, I’d probably do a good job.”

Who are David Foster and Katharine McPhee?

Foster and McPhee married in 2019. They have a son named Rennie.

Foster is a musician, songwriter, composer, producer and recorder. Born in British Columbia, Foster got his start in a pop group called Skylark. According to People, he went on to write songs for megastars such as Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and Barbra Streisand. Foster was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010.

McPhee is a singer and songwriter who rose to fame as the runner-up on “American Idol” in 2006, according to People. She is also an actress and has played roles in the TV series ‘Scorpion’ and ‘Smash’.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.