Josh Groban Says David Foster Told Him He Was a ‘Little Flutter Man’ When He First Met Him at 16 (Exclusive)

Before David Foster and Josh Groban became friends and worked together frequently, their paths crossed when Groban was just 16 years old.

During an appearance at Toby Gad’s Songs you know In the podcast, which premiered exclusively on PEOPLE on Monday, December 16, the “You Raise Me Up” singer revealed how he met Foster — and what the legendary producer said to him in that moment.

“I met David Foster through a singing teacher I worked with in LA,” says 43-year-old Groban Gad of Foster, 75.

“David Foster called him once and said, ‘I’m really in trouble. I’m giving a concert for the new governor of California and Michael Crawford.’ Phantom of the Opera had just backed out. Who do you have who is young, who is free, who will come and sing a song from Phantom?’”

Related: Josh Groban Jokes About David Foster, Who Just Turned 75: ‘I Had No Gray Hairs When I Met Him’ (Exclusive)

At the time, Groban “didn’t know who he was,” but his voice teacher suggested he submit a tape with his fellow students.

“He took my tape and I went and sang on this thing and that’s how I met him,” he says.

When the day of the performance came, Groban and Foster met in the rehearsal room. To his surprise, Foster walked up to him and briefly criticized him.

“David comes in and says, ‘Hey guys, how are you doing?’ Everyone hugs him and he kisses the ring and he comes to me and says, “Hey man, David Foster, nice to meet you. You were a little floored on this record, but I think you’ll do a lot better for the live thing.'”

Groban’s response was “Thank you” – and that was the beginning of their friendship.

When asked if he ever went back and listened to the cassette, Groban replied that he hadn’t – but he made “damn sure” he wasn’t “tired for the performance.”

Related: Josh Groban Says He and David Foster Are a ‘Musical Married Couple’ but They ‘Take Little Breaks Sometimes’ (Exclusive)

The official premiere of the full episode will take place on Tuesday, December 17th at 11 a.m. ET here. In the podcast, Gad, the hitmaker behind John Legend’s “All of Me” and Beyoncé’s “If I Were a Boy,” conducts in-depth conversations with music industry figures to tell the untold stories behind iconic songs.

In September, Groban told PEOPLE about his friendship with Foster on the occasion of his 75th birthday.

“I was 16 when I met David and I was just so new and so young,” Groban said at the time. “Having someone like David as a mentor is just a 24/7 masterclass every day. Someone with his musicality (and) his understanding of singers and the recording process – he discovered and nurtured some of my favorite singers of all time.”

He added: “Working with him was hard but it was the training that got me to where I am today. Sometimes, like any musical married couple, we take little breaks and get back together, but we always find each other and he’s always been a great support.”

Read the original article on People