A sold-out crowd of 640 admirers burst into laughter Thursday night when David Foster deadpanned: 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e just been to my own funeral.鈥�
The Grammy Award-winner鈥檚 quip punctuated a Hollywood-slick video tribute at the Victoria Conference Centre during a black-tie gala dinner honouring his being named 2015 Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year.
The award, presented by Curtis Kellar, a young heart-transplant recipient assisted by the David Foster Foundation, was established in 2004 by University of Victoria鈥檚 Peter B. Gustavson School of Business.
As befits a showbiz giant, organizers pulled out all the stops to honour Foster with a dazzling tribute propelled with flair and clockwork precision by its dynamic emcee, Pat Elemans, assistant dean of business.
Giant block letters spelling Foster鈥檚 name dominated a stage bearing two white leather chairs and a grand piano. Insite Display鈥檚 eye-popping art design included sculptures of wavy music bars and silver music notes, and circular piano-key floral formations. Even the program, Starmaker, was themed 鈥� a replica of a black vinyl hit single, with songs on the 鈥渉it list鈥� on its sleeve representing milestones.
Decorations in the Ivy Room during a BMO reception beforehand included vintage microphones and small museum-like displays. They illustrated such things as Foster鈥檚 Auspicious Beginnings, in a display featuring a miniature music poster from the old Century Inn, where Foster played piano as a teenager; his favourite snack (milk and chocolate chip cookies); and favourite movie, What About Bob?
Elemans said Foster should consider himself lucky he received a congratulatory letter from Prime Minister Stephen Harper to display 鈥渘ext to your 36 platinum and 40聽gold records.鈥�
She also recalled being dumbfounded when Foster gave her Josh Groban鈥檚 personal email address, joking she was 鈥渙pen to considering bribes鈥� from women who wanted it.
Dennis Washington, the Montana construction magnate honoured last year, poked fun at his friend鈥檚 hometown popularity.
鈥淚鈥檓 kind of a big deal in Montana, but I don鈥檛 have anything named after me,鈥� joked Washington, commenting on the David Foster Way sign he noticed on the Inner Harbour.
sa国际传媒 Wide Media founder Peter Legge also coaxed laughter during an onstage interview with Foster when he pulled out a 1962 report card.
鈥淒avid is a bit of a show-off,鈥� wrote Foster鈥檚 social studies teacher. Legge also produced an old Lansdowne Junior High School overdue-textbooks fine notice. Wondered Foster: 鈥淲as it for Catcher in the Rye?鈥�
Foster, who recently scored a Betty Boop musical, also revealed: 鈥淚 want that Tony [award] more than anything.鈥�
When Legge asked what his worst business decision was, the musician with three ex-wives joked that, aside from his beautiful children, 鈥済etting married鈥� was.
鈥淚鈥檓 my dad鈥檚 biggest fan,鈥� said Amy, his Portland, Oregon-based daughter, the novelist and songwriter who penned three of Michael Bubl茅鈥檚 biggest hits.
鈥淗e鈥檚 so supportive of everything we do, and I feel so honoured and blessed being able to support him.鈥�
His daughters Sara and Erin, who co-star in VH1鈥檚 reality-TV satire Barely Famous, said they wouldn鈥檛 have missed this event because their father wants them to have a connection to his hometown.
鈥淗e rarely asks us to show up, but this is a big thing for him because Victoria is a huge part of who he is,鈥� said Erin, a writer who just scripted a Meryl Streep film.
鈥淗e didn鈥檛 go to university and I think that was one of his biggest regrets, and I think having the university praise and honour him is a big deal,鈥� added Sara (90210, The Big Bounce).
