Top 10 Ruthie Foster Albums

Ruthie Foster was born on February 10, 1964, the day after the Beatles’ first appearance on Ed Sullivan, in the small rural town of Gause, Texas. Her family was comprised of gospel singers and her first experience of singing was at her local church during worship services. She was inspired by other dynamic singers who came out of the gospel genre like Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin which led her to folk and blues.

She served in the Navy as a helicopter mechanic and after her singing talent was discovered she became the front woman for the Navy recruitment band. After her discharge, she moved to New York City for a period and then returned home and eventually settled in Austin, Texas. In 1997, her debut album Full Circle was released and since then she has recorded and released over a dozen albums if you include the live ones and collaborations. This list is an analysis of ten of those albums without any judgment of superiority.

10. Full Circle

In 1997, Foster released her debut album, Full Circle which combined the genres of gospel, folk, and blues that originally inspired her. The album features ten tracks that investigate Foster’s personal growth and spiritual experiences. From “Smalltown Blues,” the opening cut, to “The Fight,” the final one, Ruthie’s beautiful soaring voice is showcased throughout the album with top notch musicians like Steve Carr who sings backup and provides scalding hot electric guitar licks on a few tunes including the title song.

9. Crossover 

Crossover was Foster’s second album and features eight cuts that are a fusion of blues, folk, gospel, and soul distilled down to its purest form and delivered with powerful and emotive vocals. The sound is stripped down featuring her vocals dominating with sparse musical accompaniments. The subject matter of the eight cuts, four of which are original compositions, ranges from personal reflection to themes of transformation.  Foster reflects as she moves between genres, life phases, and personal growth and dives deep into genuine emotions and relationships.

8. Runaway Soul 

Ruthie Foster’s Runaway Soul album was released in 2002 through “Blue Corn Music.” The album contains ten tracks that reflect her versatility and rich musical heritage through her dynamic vocals and songwriting skills. Some of the album highlights include the title track which sets a lively tone with Riley Osbourn’s Hammond organ accompaniment. As on previous albums, the songs are a mix of original compositions along with traditional songs like “Death Came A-Knockin’” which she dedicated to her late father.

7. Stages

Stages is a live album that was released in 2004 by “Blue Corn Music.” It captures performances at a variety of venues that include Club Passim in Cambridge, MA – Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant in Houston, Texas – and St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin Texas. The Austin Chronicle noted that “the album serves as a definitive compilation of Foster’s stage set, capturing the essence of her performances across various venues.” The album is comprised of fourteen tunes that are both covers and original songs that highlight her songwriting skill and ability to reinterpret classics, like Billie Holiday’s “God Bless the Child.”

6. The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster

The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster was released in 2007 on the “Blue Corn Music” label with a new mix of original compositions and covers. Once again, Foster’s powerfully emotive voice soars with a stellar backup band. The band was led by producer and guitarist Malcolm “Papa Mali” Welbourne, keyboards by Anthony Farrell, harmonica by Dale Spalding, bass by Glenn Fukunaga, and drums & percussion by George Sluppick. Ruthie blows the roof off with soulful blues and gospel on songs like Lucinda Williams’ “Fruits of My Labor,” Son House’s classic “People Grinnin’ in Your Face” and “Up Above My Head (I Hear Music in the Air)” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

5. The Truth According to Ruthie Foster

The Truth According to Ruthie Foster was released by “Blue Corn Music” in 2009 and contains a powerful blend of blues gospel and soul that showcases her deep resonant vocals coupled with passionate storytelling. Known for his work with “The Blind Boys of Alabama,” Chris Goldsmith produced the album that was recorded at the legendary “Ardent Studios” in Memphis. Foster’s repertoire followed the same musical direction as her influences like Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples by exploring themes of love, personal truth, and resilience. Her band consists of artists like stellar guitarist Robben Ford and keyboardist Jim Dickinson to create a heartfelt listening experience.

4. Let It Burn

Ruthie Foster released Let it Burn in 2012 and once more it’s a masterful interpretation of traditional blues, soul, and gospel infused by her unique interpretation. The Blind Boys of Alabama perform with her on the traditional gospel hymn “Lord, Remember Me.” Her interpretations of the “Black Keys’ 2010 hit “Everlasting Light” and Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Long Time Gone” are masterful. Once again Ruthie’s powerful vocals and impeccable phrasing along with her ability to interpret songs across multiple genres are showcased. The album leans heavily into New Orleans musical traditions and was recorded at Piety Street Studios located in the Crescent City.

3. Promise of a Brand New Day

Promise of a Brand New Day was released by Foster on “Blue Corn Music” and was produced by Meshell Ndegocello who also played bass. The album consists of ten cuts that feature a mix of both original songs and carefully chosen covers. Foster’s voice soars on “Learning To Fly” and hits a perfect cadence on the title song “Brand New Day.” Foster continues to explore themes of hope, personal strength, and resilience as an uplifting message of renewal and empowerment. Foster’s raw primal vocal delivery takes center stage while the band provides a rich instrumental foundation.

2. Joy Comes Back

Ruthie Foster’s 2017 album Joy Comes Back is a deeply personal album that was recorded during a difficult period of her life. Foster said in an interview that the process of creating Joy Comes Back was more than putting together a collection of songs – “it was a cathartic process that helped her work through heartbreak and transition into a new phase of life.” The theme of the album is one of triumph over adversity with songs of struggle and redemption powerfully delivered with raw emotion and authenticity. The album contains nine songs with standout cuts like Chris Stapleton’s “What Are You Listening To?” and “Black Sabbath’s” “War Pigs.” The album features a stellar lineup of musicians that includes Derek Trucks on slide guitar along with the “Blind Boys of Alabama” once more providing background vocals.

1. Mileage

Mileage is Ruthie Foster’s tenth studio album released in 2024 on the “Sun” record label. Tyler Bryant of “Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown” produced Mileage for Ruthie and involved his wife, Rebecca Lovell, who is half of Larkin Poe. Together the trio collaborated and inspired the title song and beyond conjuring up the spirit of the “Sun” record label. The album contains ten songs that are inspired by the legendary label’s musical history. Over the decades Ruthie Foster has been nominated for a Grammy six times but it was in February of 2025 that she won her first “Grammy” for Mileage.