by Linda KohanovAs a promising session keyboardist in Los Angeles, Souther began landing work in recording studios while still in his teens, eventually performing with such artists as Barry McGuire, Debby Boone, the Mothers of Invention, and Phil Keaggy. In 1980, however, a near-fatal bout with food poisoning suspended Souther's career for several years. Following his recovery, he began to focus on developing a solo career that would involve more personal themes, including his Christian perspective on life. Strong, hopeful melodies are his trademark, yet his albums for the Narada label also reflect his pop background as well as his early classical training, his feeling for contemporary jazz, and his subsequent interests in ethnic music.