David Foster admits fear of elevators drove him to walk up 65 flights of stairs
David Foster is overcoming his fear, one flight at a time.
The music mogul, known for his work with artists like Celine Dion and Michael Bublé, confessed that he has crippling claustrophobia when it comes to taking elevators.
"I literally never take an elevator. It’s claustrophobia," he told The Wall Street Journal.
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"I’ve been in an elevator five times in my adult life. Three of those were for surgeries in the hospital. I was drugged, so it was OK."
While the 75-year-old music producer opened up about his fear of elevators, he shared that there were "extraordinary circumstances" for the few times he did not take the stairs.
"One was with [opera singer Luciano] Pavarotti and his 20th floor place in New York. I was working with him and Celine [Dion] on a duet and then the wine’s flowing, everybody’s drinking, and I said, ‘I’m leaving now,’ and I started to go for the stairs. And he goes, ‘No. Today you don’t, today you take the elevator,’" he continued to explain.
Foster recalled that he rode a tiny elevator with Pavarotti that included "a little seat," and the opera singer grabbed him, pulled him onto his lap and sang "Ave Maria" to the music producer.
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"He sings ‘Ave Maria’ in my f---ing ears so loud. I mean, Pavarotti’s singing to me all the way down."
Foster made these comments after he was asked what he does for exercise, and he replied, "I’ve taken millions of stairs in my life."
Instead of taking the easy way up, Foster shared the greatest number of flights he has ever walked to avoid the confined space of an elevator.
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"There’s this place in Singapore called the Marina Bay Sands. We were staying there while shooting ‘Asia’s Got Talent.’ From time to time, I wanted to go to the pool, so I would walk up the 65 flights to get to the pool."
The 16-time Grammy winner recently celebrated his 75th birthday with a star-studded guest list at the Hollywood Bowl. His celebration included performances from Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson and others.
"I called that night my funeral while I was still alive. ‘Hey, he’s such a great guy.’ ‘Hey, I’m right here!’" he added.
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When asked what he is most proud of, Foster replied, "I feel really good about my children."
In January 2023, Foster’s wife, Katharine McPhee, revealed she was interested in having more kids after the couple welcomed their first child, Rennie, in February 2021.
"We’re not in any crazy rush, but I hope so because I love being a mom. I really love it," McPhee shared on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" at the time.
Rennie is the sixth child for Foster and the first for McPhee. The record producer, who was previously married four times, is also father to adult daughters Alison, Amy, Sara, Erin and Jordan.
McPhee met Foster when she was a contestant on "American Idol," nearly 20 years ago. In 2006, McPhee was runner-up in the fifth season. The duo tied the knot in 2019.