Willie J. Foster was born on September 21, 1921, in a cotton field in Mississippi, and passed away on May 20, 2001. He was an only child and faced poverty early on, working in cotton fields and later moving north to St. Louis in pursuit of better opportunities. Foster served in World War II in the 4th Battalion, Quartermaster Corps, stationed in England, where he made his first stage appearance at a USO show in London in 1943. ••• R.I.P.: Willie J. Foster September 21, 1921 - May 20, 2001 Willie J. Foster in his back yard. The afternoon of Friday, May 15, 1998, started with nothing for me to do. Around 8 pm that night I planned to see harp master Willie J. Foster at the B & B Quick Mart, but 2 pm found me driving aimlessly around Greenville. I found myself where Nelson Street meets the levee. I hadn't been on Nelson Street in more than a year, so I turned the Bluesmobile right, east, and headed down Nelson Street, thinking I'd drive by Perry Payton'...