Jerry Foster & Bill Rice

(Foster) "I received a phone call, while being interviewed by a Florida radio station, from a young lady who told me that at one time she became pregnant out of wedlock causing her father and mother to disown her.  She said that she had checked into a motel intending suicide. The radio in the room played a Foster/Rice song, 'Rosie Cries a lot' by Ferlin Husky, causing her to change her mind about dying.  She told me that, thanks to our song, mother and baby were doing fine and the little one is adored by her (the mother's) parents.  I never understood why the song affected her in the way it did, but thank God it did!!   We writers never know, most of the time, the impact some of our work can have."

(Rice) "In 1974, had 10 songs on the charts at one time. The story is still going on."

Birth Name:  Jerry Galen Foster (Foster)
Birth Name:  Wilburn Steven Rice (Rice)
Induction Year:  1994
Date of Birth:  11/19/1935 (Foster)
Date of Birth:  4/19/1939 (Rice)
Place of Birth:  Tallapoosa, MO (Foster)
Place of Birth:   Datto, AR (Rice)

Former Occupations:

farmer, U.S. Marine (Foster)
worked in radio (Rice)

Education:
Grade School--Providence Grade School; (from 1941-1942) (Foster)
Grade School--Gideon Municipal; (from 1942-1951) (Foster)
Grade School--Datto, AR (Rice)
High School--Gideon High School; (from 1951-1954) (Foster)
High School--Corning, AR (Rice)

Career Milestones:

1953--Rice received first guitar for Christmas; mother taught him three chords

1956--Foster was host/singer on WSAV-TV (Savannah, GA) in May, while still a Sergeant in the Marines

1957--Foster became a regular on "Peachstate Jamboree" in Swainsboro, GA in January; signed management deal with Johnny Bailes

1957--Foster signed first recording contract with Backbeat Records in December

1959--Foster released first single for Backbeat Records in February

1961--Foster and Rice teamed up

1962--first cut for Rice recorded by Elvis Presley; signed recording contract with Scotty Moore

mid 1960s--team signed with Bill Hall/Jack Clement Publishing

1967--Foster and Rice moved to Nashville

1969--received a Grammy nomination for "Back Side of Dallas" (recorded by Jeannie C. Riley)

1972--Foster and Rice set new ASCAP Awards record with 10 citations (presented by ASCAP in a gold wheel barrow)

1974--broke their 1972 record, receiving 11 ASCAP writer awards

1974--formed production company, Farah, with Bill Hall

1981--received a Grammy nomination for "Here Comes the Hurt Again," (recorded by Mickey Gilley) featured in the film "Urban Cowboy"

Awards:

1969--BMI\The Easy Part's Over

1970--ASCAP\Heaven Every Day

1971--ASCAP\Dixie Belle

1979--Cashbox\Composer of the Year

Catalog Highlights

Heaven Every Day

  • Artists: Mel Tillis (1969)

The Easy Part's Over

  • Artists: Charley Pride (1968), Steve Wariner (1980), Louis Armstrong

Someone To Give My Love To

  • Artists: Johnny Paycheck (1972), Tracy Byrd (1992), Robert Goulet

The Day the World Stood Still

  • Artists: Charley Pride (1967)

The Back Side of Dallas

  • Artists: Jeannie C. Riley

Would You Take Another Chance On Me

  • Artists: Jerry Lee Lewis (1971)

Take Time to Love Her

  • Artists: Nat Stuckey (1972)

When You Say Love

  • Artists: Bob Luman (1972), Sonny & Cher (1972)

Ain't She Something Else

  • Artists: Eddie Raven (1974), Conway Twitty (1985)

Think About It Darlin'

  • Artists: Jerry Lee Lewis (1971)

I'll Think of Something

  • Artists: Hank Williams, Jr. (1973), Mark Chesnutt (1991)

When Your Good Love Was Mine

  • Artists: Narvel Felts (1974)

Here Comes the Hurt Again

  • Artists: Mickey Gilley (1977)

Comments:

"Here Comes the Hurt Again" was featured in the film "Urban Cowboy"

Foster usually wrote the lyrics, Rice the music and arrangement

Had 10 songs on the charts at one time in 1974