The Professional Work of Jerry Foster & Bill Rice
Wilburn Steven Rice
Bill Rice was born in Datto, Arkansas on April 19, 1939 into the family of Wid and Nova Rice. Bill was taught guitar chords by his mother during his teens. Bill formed his first band when he was 16 and played local dances and city functions.
At age eighteen Scotty Moore signed him to a contract with Fernwood Records (Memphis, Tennessee). One of Bill’s initial compositions for the project was a song pitched to Elvis Presley, "Girl Next Door Went Awalking” (1960), which was released on the "Elvis is Back" album.
Bill co-wrote several songs with Sharon Vaughn Rice, including "I'm Not That Lonely Yet" (Reba McEntire: No. 3, 1982). They were awarded the CMA Vocal Duo Event of the Year in 1992 for "Till a Tear Becomes a Rose" (Keith Whitley & Lorrie Morgan: No. 13, 1990).
Bill is one of the most award-winning songwriter in the history of ASCAP with 73 awards. He was awarded ASCAP writer of the year six times and has been nominated for four Grammys over the years, including the solo-penned, "Wonder Could I Live There Anymore” (Charley Pride: No. 1, 1970). In addition to the industry awards he received with co-writer, Jerry Foster, Bill Rice also has been presented with three BMI awards.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Galen Foster
Jerry Foster was born on November 19, 1935 in Tallapoosa, Missouri (MO). His father bought him a guitar at age five and taught him to play a few chords and soon Jerry was taking part in the family get-togethers. He attended elementary and high school in Gideon, MO from 1942 -1954. In 1955, Jerry enlisted into the US Marine Corp and while stationed at Paris Island, SC, he formed a local group and played on the weekends.
The following year, he was a regular on the "Peachstate Jamboree" show in Swainsboro, Georgia. In 1958, he secured a recording contract with the Houston-based Backbeat Records. Foster’s popularity grew and he landed his first TV show on WSAF Savannah, Georgia. He then moved to KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, with his program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------Jerry Foster & Bill Rice
Jerry Foster and Bill Rice were one of the most successful song writing teams in country music. They first got together while working as DJ’s on WTCB Radio in Malden, Missouri. What started out as trading song ideas eventually grew into a prolific songwriting team. Getting started was a little slow at first, as they both worked full time jobs while continuing to play in nightclubs and honing their songwriting skills.
In 1961, Bill & Jerry traveled to Memphis to record demos in a studio owned by Roland James. Roland referred the songwriting pair to Jack Clement and Bill Hall, who were operating Jack and Bill Music, out of Beaumont, Texas. Subsequently, Bill & Jerry entered into a songwriting agreement with Jack and Bill Music and their collaboration as staff writers was the launching point for their careers. After moving to Nashville things started progressing as they began composing hit songs for an array of popular country artists.
Charley Pride brought the pair into the national spotlight when he recorded, “The Day the World Stood Still” (No. 4, 1968) and “The Easy Part’s Over” (No. 2, 1968), the latter earning a BMI award. The next few years would produce more compositions including, “Heaven Everyday” (Mel Tillis: No. 5, 1970), Someone To Give My Love To (Johnny Paycheck: No.4, 1972), When You Say Love (Bob Luman: No. 6, 1972), Would You Take Another Chance On Me (Jerry Lee Lewis: No. 1, 1971), Take Time To Love Her (Nat Stuckey: No. 10, 1973), When Your Good Love Was Mine” (Narvel Felts: No. 14, 1974), “Song And Dance Man” (Johnny Paycheck: No. 8, 1973), Thirty Nine And Holding (Jerry Lee Lewis: No. 4, 1981) and “Here Comes The Hurt Again” (Mickey Gilley: No. 9, 1978).
Jerry and Bill are the most awarded songwriting team in the history of ASCAP and hold the records for most awards received in one year. Their cache of awards include the following: 1969: BMI ~ The Easy Part's Over; 1970: ASCAP ~ Heaven Every Day; 1971: ASCAP ~ Dixie Belle; 1972: Ten ASCAP Writer Awards; 1974: Eleven ASCAP Writer Awards. The duo earned a Grammy nomination for “Here Comes the Hurt Again.” Jerry Foster and Bill Rice were inducted into the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame in 1994.
Jerry Foster and Bill Rice were one of the most successful song writing teams in country music. What started out as trading song ideas eventually grew into a prolific songwriting team. Jerry and Bill are the most awarded songwriting team in the history of ASCAP and hold the records for most awards received in one year. Their cache of awards include the following.
- 1969: BMI ~ The Easy Part's Over
- 1970: ASCAP ~ Heaven Every Day
- 1971: ASCAP ~ Dixie Belle.
- 1972: Ten ASCAP Writer Awards
- 1974: Eleven ASCAP Writer Awards
- Grammy nomination for Here Comes the Hurt Again
---------------------------------------------------------------------------Foster & Rice Song Catalog:
- Ain't She Something Else (Eddie Raven:1974), Conway Twitty:1985)
- Heaven Everyday (Mel Tillis: No. 1969)
- Here Comes the Hurt Again (Mickey Gilley: 1978)
- I'll Think of Something (Hank Williams, Jr., 1973), Mark Chesnutt (1991)
- Let’s Put It Back Together Again” (Jerry Lee Lewis)
- Rosie Cries A Lot (Ferlin Husky)
- Someone To Give My Love To (Johnny Paycheck: 1972)
- Something About You I Love (Johnny Paycheck)
- Song And Dance Man (Johnny Paycheck
- Take Time to Love Her (Nat Stuckey: 1972)
- The Back Side of Dallas (Jeannie C. Riley)
- The Day the World Stood Still (Charley Pride: 1967)
- The Easy Part's Over (Charley Pride: 1968)
- Think About It Darlin' (Jerry Lee Lewis: 1971)
- Thirty Nine And Holding (Jerry Lee Lewis)
- When You Say Love (Bob Luman: 1972)
- Would You Take Another Chance On Me (Jerry Lee Lewis: 1971)
- When Your Good Love Was Mine (Narvel Felts: 1974)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched, compiled and written by Richard Bell, Country Music Historian, Roots of Country Music, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. February, 2011.
