David Foster Says He 'Wouldn't Say No to Being Married' Amid Katherine McPhee Dating Rumors

Songwriter and producer David Foster — who's worked with Andrea Bocelli, Céline Dion, Whitney Houston and more — exclusively reveals to PEOPLE details of his first tour since 2010

After four divorces, David Foster says he’s open to getting married again amid rumors he’s dating singer Katharine McPhee.

Having finalized his divorce from his fourth wife Yolanda Hadid earlier this month, the Canada native, 67, hasn’t completely sworn off women, having most recently been spotted with McPhee.

“It’s quite obvious by my track record that I love being married, so I wouldn’t say no to being married again,” Foster tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I like the concept, I’m just not that good at it.”

His daughter, Erin Foster, recently had nothing but praise for McPhee. “She’s amazing. I really like her. She’s awesome,” Erin, 35, exclusively told PEOPLE on Saturday. “My dad is kind of a hopeless romantic, and Katharine’s awesome. We really, really like her, and we’ve known her for a really long time. And if he’s happy, we’re happy.”

Rumors about David and McPhee’s relationship started in September after Erin shared photos of the pair at the Grammy Museum’s third annual gala at The Novo in Los Angeles, writing in the caption, “Excited about my new step mom.” (A source close to the situation told PEOPLE at the time that the social media posts were a joke.)

David Foster Foundation Gala - Arrivals
Andrew Chin/Getty

Though David admits he’s not “good” at marriage, he is musically talented and looking forward to touring again. The songwriter, who hasn’t toured the U.S. since 2010, will kick off his Hitman Tour in Palm Desert, California in March, PEOPLE reveals exclusively.

“I wouldn’t mind traveling and not working,” he tells PEOPLE. “The only time I’ve ever traveled is for work. I want to go to the Antarctic. I just have this pull to get there. And I’ve never been to South America, which is kind of weird, but I’d like to go there to just hang out.”

“I’ve toured extensively in Asia and I figured, why not stay at home?” L.A.-based Foster says. “The thing about Asia that’s so great is the people seem to really care there about who wrote the songs. They don’t necessarily want the stars standing in front of them. They just want to hear the songs. And we’re thinking America is ready for that kind of thing too.”

Instead of legends like Andrea Bocelli, Céline Dion, Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand performing the songs they’ve released with Foster, he’ll have singers such American Idol alums Ruben Studdard and Pia Toscano, as well as undiscovered talent, take the stage. If the producer has it his way, the fresh faces will blow up like protégés Michael Bublé and Josh Groban, the latter of whom Foster put on stage in 1999 after coming across his mixtape.

“I joke with Josh and Bublé all the time; I go, ‘I’ve been looking for the new you for the past 10 or 15 years,’ ” says the 16-time Grammy winner. “But I just can’t find them because the longer I go, the longer I realize how extraordinary Josh and Michael are. They’re total one-offs.”

The long list of legends Foster has worked with goes on to include Mariah Carey, Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Madonna, Michael Jackson andWhitney Houston. And while the hitmaker can’t promise a Taylor Swift-style tour that includes a difference guest appearance each night, Foster hopes to bring out some of the big names. “I won’t be able to do that,” he says referring to Swift’s 1989 tour, “but I might be able to give a surprise or two.”

RELATED VIDEO: David Foster’s Daughter Calls Katharine McPhee ‘Amazing’ After Pair Spotted Walking Arm-in-Arm

Ahead of his upcoming tour launch, PBS will encore his 2008 concert Hitman: David Foster and Friends. The two-hour special highlights performances from Foster alongside over a dozen of his great collaborators like Bocelli, Bublé, Brian McKnight and Blake Shelton. It’ll include some never-before-seen footage, such as the exclusive clip with Dion, above.

“Getting so many big stars together for one night was almost insurmountable [in terms of] the amount of work my manager and I had to do to pull it off,” Foster recalls. “But it was just an amazing night — kind of like my funeral while I was alive.”

In addition to prepping for the tour and the relaunch of the concert special, Foster is writing music for the upcoming Betty Boop musical. He even bought a new place in Manhattan in hopes of immersing himself in the city’s culture and proving he has what it takes to make it on Broadway.

“I think the Broadway community, they don’t take people like me lightly. A West Coast, pop guy blows into town, thinks he can write a musical,” the Asia’s Got Talent judge says. “But I’ve been working on Betty Boop for seven years, so it’s not just an overnight thing. I know I need to do my part to be accepted in the Broadway community.”

Related Articles