30A Songwriters Sessions: Ruthie Foster

Today, we're taking you to the 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida, an annual event that brings together almost 200 songwriters to perform in the Florida sun along the Emerald Coast each January. One of the songwriters who joined in this year was Ruthie Foster.

When you look back at 2020 and 2021, you might think of them as being some pretty tough times. And for Ruthie Foster, music was a way for her to find her way out of those tough times, and into a healthier, happier place. The blues and gospel singer writer from Texas released her latest album in 2022, called Healing Time — it's her ninth record since she released her debut in the late '90s.

In that time, she's been nominated for four Grammy awards and has won many Blues Music Awards. In this mini-concert, recorded live at the 30A Songwriters Festival back in January, you'll hear her perform songs from Healing Time — but she begins with a cover of the traditional Gospel song — "Up Above My Head." This is Ruthie Foster, live for the World Café.

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