Nick Forster

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Beirut in 1955 during his father’s tenure with the State Department, Nick and his family returned to the states in 1957 and settled back in New York, about 2 hours up the Hudson from New York City. Nick was an early lover of radio (WABC, WNEW and WBAI) and recorded music, and by the age of 5 he had a top-five favorite albums list from his parents’ collection that included Bix Biderbeck, Jelly Roll Morton, Trio Los Panchos, The Weavers and The Kingston Trio.

Nick started playing drums at age ten, though one year later he willingly abandoned them in favor of his first guitar, and the rest is history. As a young teen in the 1960’s, Nick was greatly inspired by the amazing music of the time and taught himself how to play by listening to his favorite records and radio stations (WABC, WNEW and WBAI). He applied his self-taught skills to the folk and rock bands he played in during high school, and also learned how to call a square dance somewhere along the way. A very handy tool, as it turns out.

In the mid-70’s, his desire to pursue music as a career brought him to Colorado, where he worked at the famed Denver Folklore Center as an instrument repairman. It was the coolest place in town with a record store, instrument shop, instrument repair shop, performance hall and bead store. All of these businesses combined to make the Folklore Center the epicenter of the music and arts scene in 1970’s Denver just like its namesake Izzy Young’s shop by the same name in New York City where young folkies like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Woody Guthrie flocked.

It was at the Denver Folklore Center in 1978 that Forster met Tim O’Brien, Pete Wernick & Charles Sawtelle, the three young men with whom he would form the contemporary bluegrass band Hot Rize. For his part, Nick played bass, sang lead and backing vocals and when the mood struck and the Trailblazers emerged*, he played ridiculously accurate Western Swing guitar. Emphasis on ridiculous. Nick is also well known as the talented emcee of the band as well as a contributing songwriter, earning praise from Rolling Stone Magazine as “an exceptional songwriter.”

Hot Rize defied the odds and went on to establish an acclaimed international reputation, releasing ten albums and travelling the world over from 1978-1991. The band toured relentlessly, appearing on countless radio and television programs, including Austin City Limits, The Grand Ol’ Opry and Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. Hot Rize built a bridge from the old world of Bluegrass, into the modern age of American music, with Forster playing the electric bass. Hot Rize walked the line of keeping traditions alive while managing to inspire a whole new generation of Bluegrass musicians with their incredible original songs, signature instrumentalism and unmistakable harmony singing.

In 1991, Hot Rize earned a Grammy nomination and took home the Entertainer of the Year Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Ironically, in the face of this wave of success, the band members collectively decided to pursue other projects, and later that year, went into semi-retirement.

While in “retirement” on a musical State Department tour in eastern Europe in 1989, Nick, (along with Sam Bush, John Cowan and Laurie Lewis) played the first public concert in Prague in 60 years. This event directly informed Nick’s idea for a new concept of a radio show that would bring people together with music but also discuss important topics that affect us all - notably focusing on environmental issues well before their mainstream emergence a decade or so later.

In 1991, the popular weekly radio variety show eTown was born! Nick’s warm on-air wit, insightful interviewing skills and stellar guitar playing are hallmarks of the show. eTown shows are recorded live at the brand new solar-powered eTown Hall in downtown Boulder, adding eco-friendly and innovative high-end music venue and recording studio building skills to Forster's resume.

Fifteen years after the untimely passing of Hot Rize guitar player Charles Sawtelle, Hot RIze recorded their first studio record with new guitarist Bryan Sutton. The band then spent the next few years touring heavily and creating new audio and video content from “When I'm Free”. Hot Rize had returned to that world at the top of their game and the acoustic music community welcomed them back with open arms. Since their special guest-filled 40th Anniversary Bash at the Boulder Theatre in January of 2018, and reprise event in early 2019. Hot Rize has no current plans for touring, but rather than closing the door, they remain open to possibilities.

In addition to eTown, Hot Rize, and other creative projects, Nick has recently launched Hippy Bluegrass Church. A non-denominational, once in a while, Sunday morning sing-along event! Once again bringing people together in the name of music and community. Nick remains an active player in the music world, performing at festivals around the globe and playing recording sessions for various artists across all genres. He also is an accomplished record producer with a Grammy nomination and other awards to his credit.

Nick has three daughters, three grandchildren, and currently lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife Helen and their adorable cat, Emma.