Ruthie Foster still remembers sitting in front of the TV in the Seventies, fighting with her brother and sister to watch the Grammy Awards. On the screen, formative heroes like Janis Ian and Roberta Flack would take the stage, teaching Foster what was possible. 

“I’m amazed at how I got to this place,” Foster says. Just last year, the blues legend took home her first-ever Grammy, winning Best Contemporary Blues Album for her album Mileage. The award was a long time coming for the star, who has been hustling to make a life as an artist possible for over three decades. Foster was first signed to a major label after completing her tour of duty as part of the US Navy. She then abandoned music in 1993 to take care of her mom who had fallen ill. Shortly after her mother’s death, the singer decided to find a path back to music as an independent artist.