Newsboys

Newsboys are a Grammy Award-nominated Christian pop rock band. Since the band’s founding in Australia in 1985, Newsboys have released fourteen studio albums and have been one of the most popular Christian music artists of the past two decades.

Current members

  • Duncan Phillips (1993–present) Drums, percussion, formerly keyboards
  • Jody Davis (1992–2003, 2009–present) Lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Jeff Frankenstein (1994–present) Keyboards, synth bass, backing vocals
  • Michael Tait (2009–present) Lead vocals

Former members

Lead vocals
  • John James (1985–1997) Left after admitting to drug and alcohol addiction.
  • Peter Furler (1997–2009) Left to focus on family and songwriting.
Drums
  • Peter Furler (1985–1997) Switched to lead vocals.
Guitar
  • George Perdikis (1985–1987,1989–1990) Left the band before their first album, but co-wrote most of the songs on it.
  • Phil Yates (1987–1989)
  • Jonathan Geange (1990–1991, 1992) Returned to the band briefly after Vernon Bishop left, before Jody Davis joined.
  • Vernon Bishop (1991–1992)
  • Randy Williams (2003) Filled in for Jody Davis on several shows, before Bryan Olesen came.[citation needed]
  • Bryan Olesen (2003–2006) Was a temporary replacement until a full-time lead guitarist was found.
  • Paul Colman (2006–2009) Left to work on his solo career.
Bass guitar
  • Sean Taylor (1985–1992) Left to pursue a career in education.
  • Kevin Mills (1992–1996) Left the band to manage White Heart; Died in a motorbike accident on December 3, 2000.
  • Phil Joel (1996–2006) Left band to pursue “personal interests”, a solo career, and ministry opportunities.
Keyboards
  • Corey Pryor (1988, 1990–1993) Left to play with his wife in a band called SoZo.

Major tours

  • Not Ashamed Tour (1993) (W/Code of Ethics and Tony Vincent)
  • Going Public Tour (1995)
  • Take Me to Your Leader Tour (1996–97) (with Plankeye and Geoff Moore and the Distance)
  • Counter the Culture Tour (1997)
  • Step Up to the Microphone Tour (with Third Day) (1999)
  • LoveLibertyDisco AirDome Tour (2000) (with SONICFLOOd and Beanbag)
  • Festival Con Dios (2001)
  • Thrive-It’s All In the Word Tour (2002) (with Superchick)
  • Festival Con Dios (2003)
  • Adoration Tour (2004) (with Jeremy Camp and Rebecca St. James)
  • Winter Jam Tour (2006)
  • GO Tour (2007) (with Kutless and Stellar Kart)
  • GO Tour “Encore” (2nd GO Tour with Kutless and Newworldson) (2007)
  • GO Tour “Finale” (3rd and final installment of the GO Tour)w/ Rush of Fools, Newworldson and Article One (2008)
  • Winter Jam Tour (2008)
  • Join the Tribe Tour (2009 February–May, with DecembeRadio, VOTA and Bread of Stone)
  • The Way We Roll Tour (2009–2010, with Seventh Day Slumber, Bread of Stone, and Me In Motion)
  • Winter Jam Tour (2009-2010)

Discography

Studio albums

  • He’s Coming Back (1987, independent)
  • 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[13] (2009)
  • Untitled Album[14] (May 4, 2010)[citation needed]

Remix albums

  • Newsboys Remixed (2002)
  • GO Remixed (2007)

Compilation albums

  • Shine: The Hits (2000)
  • He Reigns: The Worship Collection (2005)
  • The Greatest Hits (2007)
  • The Ultimate Collection (2009)

Live albums

  • Houston We Are GO (2008)

Singles

Year Single Album Hot Christian
Songs Peak		 Hot Christian
AC Peak		 Spins
(since 1998)
source: Mediabase
1988 “I Got Your Number” Read All About It     7
1990 “All I Can See” Hell Is for Wimps     3
“In the End”      
“Ten Thousand Miles”      
1991 “Simple Man”     11
“One Heart” Boys Will Be Boyz     23
“Kingdom Man”     36
“Stay With Me”      
“Israel”      
“You and Me”      
1992 “I’m Not Ashamed” Not Ashamed     20,865
1993 “Where You Belong”/”Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”     886
“Upon This Rock”      
“I Cannot Get You Out of My System”      
“Strong Love”     227
“Dear Shame”      
1994 “Be Still” Going Public     1,494
“Shine”     39,018
1995 “Let It Rain”     56
“Spirit Thing”     2,475
“Real Good Thing”     89
“Truth and Consequences”     214
“Going Public”     31
“Reality” Take Me to Your Leader     1,748
1996 “Take Me to Your Leader”     1,038
“Let It Go”     724
“Breakfast”     6,108
1997 “Breathe (Benediction)”     73
“It’s All Who You Know”     4
“God Is Not a Secret”     121
“Cup O’ Tea”     6
1998 “Entertaining Angels” Step Up to the Microphone     9,887
“Believe”     3,114
“Step Up to the Microphone”     503
“Woo Hoo”     615
“Hallelujah”     144
“Truth Be Known – Everybody Gets a Shot”
(video only)		     7
“Shine 2000″ (remix) Entertaining Angels EP      
“Not Ashamed” (remix)      
1999 “Love Liberty Disco” Love Liberty Disco     992
2000 “Beautiful Sound”     19,019
“I Surrender All” / “Good Stuff”
(released as a double A-side single,
with the former geared towards AC radio,
and the latter towards the CHR/Rock format,
which ended up as the bigger hit)		     90
(“I Surrender All”)
288
(“Good Stuff”)
“Joy” Shine: The Hits     31,120
2001 “Mega-Mix”     653
“Who?”     7,511
“God Is Not a Secret”
(featuring TobyMac)		     41
“Praises”     185
2002 “It Is You” Thrive     56,726
“Million Pieces (Kissin’ Your Cares Goodbye)”     42,003
“John Woo”     78
“Live In Stereo”     7
“The Fad of the Land”     5
“Giving It Over”     5
“In the Belly of the Whale”
(featuring Steve Taylor)		 Jonah:
A VeggieTales Movie
Soundtrack		     49
2003 “He Reigns” Adoration:
The Worship Album		 4 6 106,102
“You Are My King (Amazing Love)” 1 1 85,794
“In Christ Alone”      
“Adoration”
(possibly not a radio single, but received
enough airplay to make it on the charts during the Christmas season)		 34 31 2,460
2004 “Presence (My Heart’s Desire)” Devotion 4 4 46,763
“Devotion” 16 16 18,173
“Blessed Be Your Name”
(featuring Rebecca St. James)		     404
“Strong Tower”     103
2006 “I Am Free” (Live) GO 11 11 24,485
“Wherever We Go” 3 15 18,732
2007 “Something Beautiful” 4
(#5 of 2007)[8]		 6 37,823
“In Wonder” 4 5+ 29,312
2008 “Yo Ho Hero”
(featuring Steve Taylor)		 The Pirates Who
Don’t Do Anything:
A VeggieTales Movie
Soundtrack		      
“Stay Strong” The Greatest Hits 19 20 11,225
2009 “In the Hands of God” In the Hands of God 5 4 24,061
“Glorious” 20   3,139

 Extended Plays

Year Title Label
1998 Entertaining Angels EP Star Song
2002 It Is You Pre-Order EP Sparrow Records
2003 8 Great Hits Sparrow Records/EMI CMG
2006 GO EP Inpop Records/EMI CMG

DVDs and Videos

Year Title Label
1991 Boys Will Be Boyz (NTSC/VHS) Star Song
1993 Not Ashamed: The Video (NTSC/VHS) Star Song
1996 Down Under the Big Top (NTSC/VHS) Star Song
1999 Live One Night In Pennsylvania (NTSC/VHS) Sparrow Records
2000 Shine: The Hits Live One Night in Pennsylvania (DVD) Sparrow Records
2002 Thrive: From The Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame (DVD) Sparrow Records
2008 Newsboys Live: Houston We Are GO (CD/DVD) (DVD) inpop Records

Music videos

Year Title
1990 “Simple Man”
1991 “One Heart” (shot at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK)
“Kingdom Man”
1992 “I Cannot Get You Out of My System”
1993 “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Where You Belong)”
“Dear Shame”
1994 “Shine”
1996 “Take Me To Your Leader”
1998 “Entertaining Angels”
1999 “Love, Liberty, Disco”
2000 “Truth Be Known (Everybody Gets a Shot)”
2002 “Million Pieces”
“In the Belly of the Whale” (for the Veggie Tales movie Jonah)
2003 “He Reigns”
2008 “Something Beautiful”

 Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

  • 1992 Nomination for Best Rock/Contemporary Gospel Album
    • Not Ashamed
  • 1994 Nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album
    • Going Public
  • 1996 Nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album
    • Take Me to Your Leader
  • 2003 Nomination for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
    • Adoration: The Worship Album

Dove Awards

  • 1994 Nomination for Short Form Music Video of the Year
    • “I Cannot Get You Out of My System”
  • 1995 Award for Rock Album of the Year
    • Going Public
  • 1995 Award for Rock Recorded Song of the Year
    • “Shine”
  • 1995 Nomination for Short Form Music Video of the Year
    • “Shine”
  • 1995 Nomination for Group of the Year
    • Newsboys
  • 1996 Nomination for Song of the Year
    • “Shine”
  • 1997 Award for Recorded Music Packaging of the Year
    • Take Me to Your Leader
  • 1997 Nomination for Rock Album of the Year
    • Take Me to Your Leader
  • 1997 Nomination for Rock Recorded Song of the Year
    • “God Is Not a Secret”
  • 1997 Nomination for Short Form Music Video of the Year
    • “Take Me to Your Leader”
  • 1999 Award for Short Form Music Video of the Year
    • “Entertaining Angels”
  • 1999 Nomination for Song of the Year
    • “Entertaining Angels”
  • 1999 Nomination for Rock Album of the Year
    • Step Up to the Microphone
  • 1999 Nomination for Group of the Year
    • Newsboys
  • 2000 Nomination for Long Form Music Video of the Year
    • One Night in Pennsylvania
  • 2001 Award for Special Event Album of the Year
    • City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise (Various Artists, including Peter Furler’s “Unified”)
  • 2001 Nomination for Short Form Music Video of the Year
    • “Love Liberty Disco”
  • 2003 Nomination for Long Form Music Video of the Year
    • Thrive: Live from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • 2004 Nomination for Group of the Year
    • Newsboys
  • 2004 Nomination for Praise & Worship Album of the Year
    • Adoration: The Worship Album
  • 2004 Nomination for Song of the Year
    • “He Reigns”
  • 2004 Nomination for Worship Song of the Year
    • “He Reigns”
  • 2005 Nomination for Praise & Worship Album of the Year
    • Devotion
  • 2007 Award for Artist of the Year
    • Newsboys
  • 2008 Nomination for Album Of the Year
    • Go:Remixed

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

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