NewSong
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NewSong | |
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| Website | newsongonline |
NewSong is an American contemporary Christian music group that was established in 1981, at Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, Georgia.[1] They have had twelve GMA Dove Award nominations, and one Grammy Award Nomination.
They are also the founders of the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, the United States' largest annual Christian music tour.[2] It began in 1995, and is hosted by NewSong. Winter Jam has artists perform including TobyMac, Hillsong UNITED, Newsboys, Lecrae, MercyMe, and Skillet.[3]
NewSong has provided support for organizations working with abandoned and underprivileged children. For years they worked with
The original four members included the current members Eddie Carswell, Billy Goodwin, and former members Eddie Middleton and Bobby Apon.
History
Early history
NewSong recorded three custom
In 1994, songwriter Leonard Ahlstrom, soloist Charles Billingsley, musician Scotty Wilbanks, and the lead vocalist from the contemporary Christian band Truth, Russ Lee, joined NewSong. That year NewSong released People Get Ready which brought four No. 1 hits,[citation needed] and featured a re-recorded version of "Arise My Love", which was first recorded by the original group in 1987.
In 1996, Billingsley left to pursue a solo career. In 1997, NewSong released Love Revolution. It featured four No. 1 hits, including "Miracles," which stayed at No.1 on the CCM Adult Contemporary chart for four consecutive weeks.[citation needed]
In May 1999, Apon died. He was recognized on the album Arise, My Love, The Very Best of NewSong. This featured 12 of their previous No. 1 hits. It also included two new songs which became No. 1 hits, "Can't Keep A Good Man Down", and "Jesus To The World (Roaring Lambs)", which was inspired by Christian speaker and author Bob Briner, who died later that year. They also had a third new song, "Like Minded, Like Hearted", which NewSong recorded with Out of Eden of Gotee Records.
Lee and Wilbanks left NewSong in 2000. They were replaced by soloist Michael O'Brien, Steve Reischl, and former Truth member, Matt Butler. Songwriter and electric guitarist Leonard Ahlstrom also left later to help a friend manage a recording label in Florida.
Leading up to 2000, NewSong caught the attention of radio personality, DC Daniel (then, of "Steve & DC") and began collaborating on production ideas for future projects. The partnership led to releasing the album Sheltering Tree, in late 2000.
Breakthrough
DC, Eddie Carswell and Leonard Ahlstrom penned the bonus track "
In 2003, Donna VanLiere released The Christmas Blessing, the second book in the series spawned by "The Christmas Shoes" song. It was later made into a TV movie by CBS. It had an appearance by NewSong, which showed them singing their holiday single "The Christmas Blessing". NewSong also received a Dove Award for Musical of the Year for The Christmas Shoes Musical.[citation needed]
In March 2004, NewSong announced that they were leaving Reunion Records and moving to Integrity Music. In November 2004, NewSong recorded their live worship album and DVD, Rescue: Live Worship at
In March 2006, O'Brien left to restart his solo career and Drew Cline was asked to fill in. In September, Eddie Carswell, Matt Butler, Billy Goodwin, and guest artist Drew Cline released The Christmas Hope, featuring traditional Christmas carols, NewSong originals, and three songs to complement the book trilogy by Donna VanLiere. In November, The Christmas Shoes movie was released on DVD. The Christmas Hope, the third TV movie installment of the trilogy, was released in December 2008 by CBS.[citation needed]
In March 2007, Christian solo artist Nate Sallie joined NewSong. In April, The Christmas Hope album was nominated for a Dove Award, for Best Christmas Album of the Year.[citation needed] On December 29, 2008, in an email to subscribers of his newsletter, Russ Lee announced that he will be rejoining NewSong as lead vocalist.[citation needed]
Founding member Eddie Middleton died on August 21, 2021.[6]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christian | US | US Heat
| |||
| 1981 | More Than Music | Independent | |||
| NewSong Alive | |||||
| All the Best | |||||
| 1982 | The Son in My Eyes | Covenant | |||
| 1984 | The Word | Canaan | |||
| 1986 | Trophies of Grace | Word | |||
| 1987 | Say Yes! | ||||
| 1989 | Light Your World | 34 | |||
| 1990 | Living Proof | 19 | DaySpring | ||
| 1992 | One Heart at a Time: The Best of NewSong | ||||
| 1993 | All Around the World | Benson | |||
| 1994 | People Get Ready | 16 | |||
| 1997 | Love Revolution | 25 | |||
| 1999 | Arise My Love: The Very Best of NewSong | 25 | |||
| 2000 | Live...The Hits | ||||
| Sheltering Tree | 5 | 130 | 2 | ||
| 2001 | The Christmas Shoes | 9 | 113 | 1 | Reunion |
| 2003 | More Life | 10 | 172 | 9 | |
| 2004 | Simply NewSong | Provident | |||
| 2005 | The Very Best of NewSong | Reunion | |||
| Rescue: Live Worship | 10 | 15 | Integrity | ||
| 2006 | The Christmas Hope | 25 | 5 | ||
| 2009 | Give Yourself Away | 10 | 149 | 5 | HHM |
| 2011 | One True God | 1 | 27 | ||
| 2013 | Swallow the Ocean | 3 | 65 | ||
| 2015 | Faithful: Live Worship | 3 | 88 | Integrity | |
| 2016 | The Best Christmas Ever | — | — | HHM | |
| 2018 | Greatest Hits[7] | — | — | ||
| 2020 | Just Jesus[8] | — | — | ||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US AC
|
US | US Country | US Christ | |||
| 2000 | "The Christmas Shoes" | 1 | 42 | 31 | 20 | Sheltering Tree |
| 2004 | "When God Made You" | 33 | — | — | — | More Life |
| 2012 | "The Same God" | — | — | — | 25 | One True God |
| 2017 | "I Am a Christian" | — | — | — | — | Just Jesus[8] |
| 2018 | "Down" | — | — | — | — | |
| "Bright" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Glue" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Already Loved" (featuring Tedashii) |
— | — | — | — | ||
| "Shine" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Look Up" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2025 | "Church People" | — | — | — | — | — |
References
- ^ Jamie: NewSong, Todd Agnew, and Rachel Lampa in the Christmas Hope Tour Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved on August 29, 2007
- ^ "Celerity Entertainment History". vanlierewilcox.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "NewSong's Winter Jam Tour Spectacular Roars Into March Passing 225,000 In Paid Concert-Goers". premierproductions.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "NEWSONG". cbs.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ "LISTINGS". thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
- ^ The Christian Beat, 08.22.2021 - NewSong Founding Member Eddie Middleton Has Died By Herb Longs
- ^ "Greatest Hits by NewSong". NewReleaseToday. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- ^ a b "Just Jesus by NewSong". NewReleaseToday. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
External links
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| National | |
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