If you’ve ever scrolled through Instagram or flipped past a Bravo rerun, you’ve probably seen David Foster. He’s the guy with the silver hair, the 16 Grammys, and a reputation for being the "Hitman" of the music industry. But honestly? Most people aren't Googling him to find out how he produced Whitney Houston’s biggest hits. They want the tea on his personal life. Specifically, they want to know the answer to one question: how many times has david foster been married?
It's a lot. Five, to be exact.
Keeping track of David Foster's wives is a bit like trying to memorize the tracklist of a 70s compilation album. There are different eras, different vibes, and a whole lot of drama mixed in with the melodies. Some of these marriages lasted decades; others were basically a blip in the Hollywood radar. But each one says something about the man behind the piano.
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The Early Days: B.J. Cook and the 70s Soul
Before he was a mogul, David was just a talented Canadian kid trying to make it. His first trip down the aisle was in 1972 with B.J. Cook. She was a singer and a member of the band Skylark. You might know their song "Wildflower"—it’s a classic.
They were married for about nine years. During that time, they had a daughter named Amy. But as David’s career started to skyrocket in Los Angeles, the marriage started to crater. They officially called it quits in 1981. It was the typical "young couple in the industry" story, but it set the stage for a lifetime of high-profile romances.
Interesting side note: before B.J., David actually had a daughter named Allison whom he placed for adoption when he was only 20. They’ve since reconnected and are close, but it’s a detail many people miss when they look at the "official" family tree.
The Rebecca Dyer Era
David didn’t stay single for long. In 1982, he married Rebecca Dyer. She was a model, and if you look at photos of them from the mid-80s, they are the epitome of Reagan-era Hollywood glamour.
This marriage gave David three more daughters: Sara, Erin, and Jordan. If those names sound familiar, it’s because Sara and Erin became stars in their own right with their reality parody show Barely Famous. They’ve been pretty vocal over the years about what it was like growing up with a famous, often-absent father.
The marriage to Rebecca lasted about four years, ending in 1986. Short? Yeah. But it was the bridge between his early career and his total dominance of the 90s pop charts.
Enter the "Stepdad" Phase: Linda Thompson
When people ask how many times has david foster been married, the third marriage is often the one that surprises the casual fan. In 1991, he married Linda Thompson.
Linda is a legend in her own right. She dated Elvis Presley for years and was previously married to Caitlyn Jenner (then Bruce). When she married David, he became the stepfather to Brandon and Brody Jenner.
This was David’s longest marriage by far. They were together for 14 years. They lived in a massive Malibu estate and even did a short-lived reality show called The Princes of Malibu. But beneath the surface, things weren't great. In her memoir, Linda hint at a "my way or the highway" mentality that eventually led to their divorce in 2005.
"David is a genius, but geniuses can be difficult to live with." — A sentiment often echoed by those close to him.
The Real Housewives and the Lyme Disease Drama
The fourth marriage is the one that really put David back in the tabloid headlines. In 2011, he married Dutch model Yolanda Hadid.
If you watched The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, you saw this marriage play out in high definition. Yolanda called him "my king." David would host dinner parties where he’d literally forbid the guests from talking so they could listen to him play piano. It was... a lot.
Then Yolanda got sick with Lyme disease. The show documented her struggle, and it also documented the slow disintegration of their relationship. They announced their split in 2015, and the divorce was finalized in 2017.
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Critics trashed David for seemingly "abandoning" a sick wife, but he’s always maintained that the split was for "different reasons" he'll never disclose. Whether you believe him or not depends on which side of the Bravo fence you sit on.
Finding "The One" with Katharine McPhee
Finally, we get to the current chapter. In 2019, David married American Idol alum Katharine McPhee.
The internet went into a total meltdown over this one. Why? The age gap. David is 35 years older than Katharine. In fact, he actually met her for the first time on the set of American Idol when she was a contestant and he was a mentor. He even played the piano at her first wedding to Nick Cokas.
Talk about a long game.
Despite the haters, they seem genuinely happy. They have a son named Rennie, born in 2021. David is fathering a toddler in his 70s, which is wild, but he seems to be leaning into it. His older daughters have even joked about how Katharine is "the same age" as them, but they all seem to get along.
So, What's the Real Count?
To recap, if someone asks you how many times has david foster been married, here is the breakdown:
- B.J. Cook (1972–1981)
- Rebecca Dyer (1982–1986)
- Linda Thompson (1991–2005)
- Yolanda Hadid (2011–2017)
- Katharine McPhee (2019–Present)
Five wives. Six children. Countless hits.
Why Does It Matter?
The fascination with David Foster's marital history isn't just about gossip. It's about a pattern of a man who seems to be in love with the idea of being in love, or perhaps a man who finds his greatest muses in his partners.
If you’re looking for lessons here, maybe it’s that it’s never too late to start over. Or maybe it’s that being a musical genius doesn't necessarily make you a genius at domestic life.
If you want to dive deeper into the Foster family tree, your best bet is to check out the documentary David Foster: Off the Record. It’s a surprisingly honest look at his flaws, his career, and why he keeps heading back to the altar. You can also follow Sara and Erin Foster’s podcast Sibling Revelry for a more "boots on the ground" perspective of what it’s like to have David as a dad.
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The next time you hear a Celine Dion ballad or a Michael Bublé track, just remember: the guy who wrote the music has lived a life that's just as dramatic as the lyrics.
Check out the David Foster: Off the Record documentary on Netflix for the full, unfiltered story of his life and career. It’s worth the watch just to see how he interacts with his daughters today.