Kendra Marie Foster (born January 29, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter, session singer and backup vocalist. A two-time Grammy Award-winner, she has performed with artists including George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z and D'Angelo and The Vanguard.[1]
A woman of African American descent and a natural redhead, as a young girl in Tallahassee, Florida Foster began singing at her local Baptist church. She developed an interest in jazz in high school, and learned jazz standards performed by singers including Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson, and Ella Fitzgerald. She attended Florida A&M University, where she became a member of Orchesis Contemporary Dance Theatre and took part in the Urban Bush Women Institute.[2]
While in college Foster met George Clinton through a mutual friend who was working as an engineer at Clinton's recording studio. Foster recorded at the studio; after a year, Clinton noticed her and signed her to a production deal. She later toured as a member of Parliament-Funkadelic.[3] [4]
Foster released her debut album, Myriadmorphonicbiocorpomelodicrealityshapeshifter, in 2003 via a production deal with Clinton. Her self-titled second album, Kendra Foster, was released in 2016.[5] Her songs "Step into the Light" and "Promise To Stay Here" (from her self-titled album) were featured on BET’s Being Mary Jane and STARZ’s Hightown series respectively.[6] [4]
In 2016, in addition to singing, she co-wrote eight out of 12 songs on D'Angelo's critically-acclaimed album, Black Messiah.
A credited songwriter on "A Warning for the Heart" on Sunshine Anderson's The Sun Shines Again and on Snoop Dogg's album Coolaid ("Side Piece"), Foster sang on Clinton's How Late Do U Have 2BB4UR Absent? album. ("U Can Depend On Me", "Bounce 2 This" and "Trust In Yourself"). She is featured on the song "Questions" by Domo Genesis on his self-titled debut studio album.[7]
With Bootsy Collins
Kendra Foster
With George Clinton
With Various Artist
With Da BackWudz
With Electrofunkadelica
With Armin van Buuren
With D'Angelo
With D'Angelo and the Vanguard
With Crucial Conflict
With Blake Jarrell
With Lynwood Rose
With Sunshine Anderson
With Various Artists
With Funkadelic
With Domo Genesis
With Snoop Dogg
With Chris Dave and the Drumhedz
With Parliament
With Michael Blume
With Ben Williams
With YOUNG JIMMY
With Jeymes Samuel, D'angelo and Jay-Z