Newsboys (sometimes stylised as newsboys) is a Christian rock band originally from Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, later based in Nashville, Tennessee. Since its founding in 1985, the band released seventeen albums, six of which have been certified Gold. The band is entirely owned by early manager Wes Campbell and consists of lead vocalist Adam Agee, guitarist Jody Davis, keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein, and drummer Duncan Phillips. In addition to performing music, the band has appeared in the films God's Not Dead, God's Not Dead 2, and God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness. Newsboys was cited by CCM Magazine as one of the most influential Christian bands.
In June 2025, reports began to be published of sexual assault allegations made against Michael Tait, followed by a public statement by Tait confirming some of the allegations. As a result, Newsboys were dropped from their record label, removed from many Christian radio stations, and had the majority of their remaining 2025 shows canceled. Since July 2025, they have been inactive as a band.
Contents
History
1980s
The band was formed in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia in 1985 by Peter Furler and his school mate George Perdikis. Furler and Perdikis practiced in a garage on the Sunshine Coast, well known for being a "surfer's paradise". Two additional members were added soon after: Furler's best friend, vocalist, John James, and bassist Sean Taylor. Newsboys came to the United States in late 1987 after getting signed with Refuge Communications and released the album Read All About It in 1988 in the United States.
1990s
After signing with Star Song Communications, they released two more albums in 1990 and 1991: Hell Is for Wimps and Boys Will Be Boyz, with its first self-titled video. None of the band's first three albums achieved major commercial success and the band's line-up changed frequently with this period.
It wasn't until their 1992 album, Not Ashamed (containing a cover of the DeGarmo & Key song "Boycott Hell"), that the band gained notice in the Christian music scene with its second self-titled video that followed a year later. Steve Taylor, a singer-songwriter and producer, began a partnership with the band, producing the band's record and writing most of the lyrics for their songs. Furler remained the band's primary songwriter and beginning with this album began sharing lead vocal duties with James and continued to do so until James' departure.
In 1994 amidst continued lineup changes (which included the addition of mainstays Jody Davis and Duncan Phillips), the band released Going Public, their fifth album and first real success. The record proved to be a watershed for the group, winning a 1995 Dove Award for "Rock Album of the Year". It also produced four number 1 hits: "Spirit Thing", "Real Good Thing", "Truth and Consequences", and, most notably, "Shine". "Shine" won the 1995 Dove for "Rock Recorded Song of the Year", and in 2006, CCM Magazine listed "Shine" in the Top 10 in its ranking of the 100 Greatest Songs in Christian music.
The 1996 follow-up album Take Me to Your Leader was recorded with an expanded line up with new additions bassist Phil Joel and keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein. The album produced three more pop number 1 hits: "Reality", "Let It Go", and the title track, two rock number 1 hits: "Cup O' Tea" and "Breathe", as well as fan favourite and concert staple "Breakfast". This album also won the group's third Dove, this time for "Recorded Music Packaging of the Year". This album spawned the Newsboys' first movie, Down Under the Big Top (1996), which was based on the song "Reality".
In late 1997 just after completing the Take Me To Your Leader Tour, lead singer John James announced he would be leaving the band to start a preaching ministry. In 2007 he told UK Christian magazine Cross Rhythms that he had actually been pushed out due to a drug and alcohol addiction. James recalled that at one point, he was drinking at least one carton of alcohol per day, and sometimes took the stage while under the influence. James said that other members likely saw he was spiraling long before he confided in Furler while recording the vocals for Step Up to the Microphone.
2000s
In 2000, Newsboys headlined the annual, travelling CCM concert, Festival Con Dios, with Audio Adrenaline and The O.C. Supertones. That same year, Newsboys released a greatest hits compilation, Shine: The Hits, which did not include any songs from the Love Liberty Disco album, but included four new songs, two of which ("Joy" and "Who?") went to number 1. After this album the band did not release any new material until the 2002 release of Thrive, a record that produced two number 1 singles: "Million Pieces (Kissin' Your Cares Goodbye)" and the praise and worship-driven "It Is You", which proved to be the biggest hit of their career up to that point also with its video, Thrive: From The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Also in 2002, The Newsboys recorded the track "In the Belly of the Whale" for the end credits of the 2002 movie Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie.
After the success of "It Is You", the Newsboys then followed with two praise and worship albums: Adoration: The Worship Album in 2003 and Devotion in 2004. Late in 2003, Davis departed and was replaced by Bryan Olesen on guitar. In 2005, The Newsboys co-authored a book of devotions with Jim Laffoon entitled Our Daily Blog which was published by Inspiro and released on 1 November. In 2006, Olesen left the band to focus on his own band Casting Pearls and was replaced by Paul Colman, formerly of Paul Colman Trio.
More radio hits came in 2006 with a live version of "I Am Free" (originally written by Jon Egan of the Desperation Band), and "Wherever We Go". On 31 October 2006, The Newsboys released a pop/rock record entitled GO. GO featured David Eri as a co-writer and the songs "Something Beautiful" and "In Wonder" were big hits on Christian Radio. That December, Joel announced that he would leave the band to pursue his own projects and albums. On 8 May 2007, the band released GO Remixed which was made up of new versions of the songs from GO and featured remixes by Tedd T., Jeff Frankenstein, Max Hsu of Superchick and Lee Bridges.
On 20 November 2007 the Newsboys released their second greatest hits compilation, The Greatest Hits. The eighteen-song CD also features two new songs "I Fought the La..." and "Stay Strong". This album was followed by Newsboys Live: Houston We Are GO, a CD/DVD combo recording package of a show from the GO Tour, which was released on 30 September 2008. Also in 2008, the band, with Steve Taylor providing vocals, recorded the song "Yo Ho Hero" for The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie. In 2007, the band's co-founder George Perdikis renounced Christianity and declared himself an atheist. He had not been involved with the band for seventeen years, nor was he in any way involved with their commercially and critically successful singles or albums.
2010s
The Newsboys' first studio album featuring lead singer Michael Tait, Born Again, was released on 13 July 2010 and debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, their highest debut position, and sold over 45,000 copies in its first week. On 12 October 2010 they released the Christmas album, Christmas! A Newsboys Holiday featuring "The Christmas Song" by Tait. In 2011, the song "City to City" from GO Remixed was featured in the trailer for the Disney Pixar movie, Cars 2.
God's Not Dead was released 15 November 2011. Their newest live album, title Live in Concert: God's Not Dead, came out on 22 October 2012. In the same year they released their single "The League of Incredible Vegetables" for the VeggieTales video of the same name. The band released their 16th studio album Restart on 10 September 2013. The "Restart Tour" ran from 20 September to 27 October 2013. The band is also a part of the Winter Jam Tour 2013 from November 2013 through March 2014.
The band appeared in a sequence for the film God's Not Dead, released in 2014. Michael Tait expressed excitement about the film to The Global Dispatch during an interview, saying that "The movie is powerful because of the whole stance of it…just trying to prove God's existence…sharing the gospel, living the lifestyle, changing the mindset of people around them in this college, in this university." Duncan Phillips added in a similar interview that "Disney's Shane Harper plays a college student whose faith is challenged by his professor, played by Kevin Sorbo from Hercules. Dean Cain from Superman is in it, too. So we got to hang out with a bunch of superheroes. The movie raises a lot of questions and a lot of eyebrows from a culture that questions if there is a God."
The band then embarked on the "We Believe Tour". They performed at the BigChurchDayOut 2014 and again in 2017. In 2015, the Newsboys started the "We Believe God's Not Dead Tour". Love Riot was released in 2016 and a tour followed. The band also appeared in the 2016 film God's Not Dead 2.
It was announced in late 2017 that Peter Furler and Phil Joel would participate with Newsboys on the Newsboys United Tour in 2018. Along with the tour, it was announced that the band is doing an album, United, with Furler and Joel, which was released 10 May 2019. The last tour date with Furler and Joel was in August 2021.
2020s
The band subsequently released their twentieth album Stand on 1 October 2021.
On 29 March 2023, it was announced that Adam Agee, formerly of Stellar Kart and Audio Adrenaline would be joining the band as the fifth member. The band also announced "He Lives" as a digital single marking the first single with Agee, which was released on 31 March 2023.
Newsboys released World Wide Revival Part 1 on July 19, 2024. Its first single, "How Many Times" and its music video were released the same day as well.
On January 16, 2025, Tait released a statement on social media saying he was stepping down as lead singer of Newsboys. Adam Agee stepped up to the lead vocalist spot. On March 14, 2025, the band released their first single with Agee as the vocalist, "How Many Times (Oh How You Love Me)".
"Worldwide Revival (Deluxe)" was released on May 30, 2025. The album, while not titled "Part 2", is the second half of the project, and includes 4 more songs than "Worldwide Revival Part 1". It was also discovered the addition included some songs re-recorded with Agee.
In June 2025, it was reported that Tait was alleged to have engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with three different young men in 2004, 2010, and 2014. The remaining members of the band issued a statement saying that while Tait had confessed to "living a double life" as a reason for leaving the band, they were unaware of the allegations made against him prior to the reports. Furthermore, they expressed support to the victims involved and encouraged others to come forth.
Two days later, the band confessed that they heard rumors of Tait's behavior, which he denied when initially confronted about it. Following this development, several Christian radio stations removed the band's music from rotation, with certain levels of rotation bans. Some allowed material recorded before 2009 (when Tait joined the group), and in other cases, new music recorded in 2025 after Agee rerecorded songs to replace Tait, to continue being on rotation. Others (such as KLVR) banned their music outright. Most stations with outright or post-2009 era bans held them responsible for perceived complicity in Tait's actions.
Band members
Current
Jody Davis – guitars, backing vocals (1992–2003, 2009–present), occasional lead vocals (2025–present)
Duncan Phillips – drums (1997–present), percussion (1993–present), keyboards (1993–1997)
Jeff Frankenstein – keyboards, backing vocals (1994–present), synth bass (2007–present)
Adam Agee – lead vocals (2025–present), bass, guitars (2023–present), backing vocals (2023–2025)
Former
Peter Furler – lead vocals (1997–2009, 2018–2021), guitar (1996–2009, 2018–2021), co-lead and backing vocals (1985–1997), drums (1985–2006)
George Perdikis – guitar (1985–1987)
Sean Taylor – bass guitar (1986–1992)
John James – lead vocals (1986–1997)
Phil Yates – guitar (1987–1990)
Corey Pryor – keyboards (1989–1990, 1991–1993)
Jonathan Geange – guitar (1990–1991, 1992)
Vernon Bishop – guitar (1991–1992)
Kevin Mills – bass guitar (1992–1994, died 2000)
Phil Joel – bass guitar, vocals (1994–2006, 2018–2021)
Bryan Olesen – guitar, backing vocals (2004–2006)
Major tours
Boyz Will Be Boyz Tour (1991)
Nu Skool Jam Tour (1991)
Going Public Tour (1994-1995) with Steve Taylor and Ian Eskelin
Take Me To Your Leader Tour (1997)
Step Up to the Microphone Tour (1999)
Love Liberty Disco Tour (1999-2000) with Sonicflood and Beanbag
Festival Con Dios (2001)
Winter Jam (2002) with Michelle Tumes, Paige, Brother's Keeper, Phat Chance, Freddie Colloca, NewSong
Thrive It's All In World Tour (2002)
The Adoration Tour (2002-2005)
Winter Jam (2006) with ZOEgirl, TobyMac, Hawk Nelson, Krystal Meyers, NewSong
The GO Tour (2007-2008) with Kutless and Stellar Kart
The Way We Roll Tour (2009)
Join the Tribe Tour (2009)
Winter Jam (2010) with Third Day, Tenth Avenue North, Fireflight, NewSong
A Very Merry Christmas Tour (2010)
Winter Jam (2011) with David Crowder Band, Kutless, Red, Francesca Battistelli, KJ-52, NewSong
Born Again VIP Experience Tour (2011)
Discography
Read All About It (1988)
Hell Is for Wimps (1990)
Boys Will Be Boyz (1991)
Not Ashamed (1992)
Going Public (1994)
Take Me to Your Leader (1996)
Step Up to the Microphone (1998)
Love Liberty Disco (1999)
Thrive (2002)
Adoration: The Worship Album (2003)
Devotion (2004)
Go (2006)
In the Hands of God (2009)
Born Again (2010)
God's Not Dead (2011)
Restart (2013)
Hallelujah for the Cross (2014)
Love Riot (2016)
United (2019)
Stand (2021)
Worldwide Revival Pt.1 (2024)
Worldwide Revival (Deluxe) (2025)
Awards and nominations
Billboard Music Video Awards
1999 Award for Best CCM Video
"Entertaining Angels"
Intl. Angel Awards
1995 Award for Video
"Shine"
1999 Award for Video
"Entertaining Angels"
Nashville Music Awards
1999 Award for Favorite CCM Album
Step Up to the Microphone
2000 Nomination for Contemporary Christian Album of the Year
Love Liberty Disco
SESAC Awards
2000 Award for Christian Songwriter of the Year
Peter Furler