NewSong

{{Short description|Christian contemporary music group}}
{{Other uses|New Song (disambiguation){{!}}New Song}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=May 2021}}
{{Update|date=December 2023}}
}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist|<!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name             = NewSong
| image            = NewSong.jpg
| caption          = NewSong at Winter Jam 2017
| background       = group_or_band
| origin           = [[Valdosta, Georgia]],<!--DO NOT CHANGE WITHOUT A TALK PAGE DISCUSSION --> U.S.
| genre            = [[Contemporary Christian music|Contemporary Christian]], [[Christian rock]], [[Gospel music|gospel]]<!-- Same as above -->
| years_active     = 1981–present
| label            = {{hlist|Covenant|[[Canaan Records|Canaan]]|[[Word Records|Word]]|[[DaySpring Records|DaySpring]]|[[Benson Records|Benson]]|[[Reunion Records|Reunion]]|Provident|HHM|Integrity}}
| associated_acts  = 
| website          = {{URL|newsongonline.com}}
| current_members  = {{ubl|Eddie Carswell|Billy Goodwin|Russ Lee||Mark Clay|Rico Thomas}}
| past_members     = {{ubl|Matt Goodwin|Eddie Middleton|Bobby Apon|[[Charles Billingsley (musician)|Charles Billingsley]]|Nate Sallie|Scotty Wilbanks|Leonard Ahlstrom|[[Michael O'Brien (musician)|Michael O'Brien]]|Steve Reischl|Jack Pumphrey|Matt Butler}}
}}

'''NewSong''' is a prominent American [[contemporary Christian music]] group that was established in 1981, at Morningside Baptist Church in [[Valdosta, Georgia]].<ref>Jamie: [http://www.stuphed.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=49 NewSong, Todd Agnew, and Rachel Lampa in the Christmas Hope Tour] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929192055/http://www.stuphed.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=49 |date=September 29, 2007 }}, Retrieved on August 29, 2007</ref> They have had twelve [[GMA Dove Award]] nominations, and one [[45th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Award]] Nomination.

They are also the founders of the [[Winter Jam Tour Spectacular]], the United States' largest annual Christian music tour.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.vanlierewilcox.com/index_flash.htm |title= Celerity Entertainment History |publisher= vanlierewilcox.com |access-date= August 29, 2007 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070818203807/http://www.vanlierewilcox.com/index_flash.htm |archive-date= August 18, 2007 }}</ref> It began in 1995, and is hosted by NewSong. [[Winter Jam Tour Spectacular|Winter Jam]] has had many of the most popular Contemporary artists perform each year, including [[TobyMac]], [[Hillsong United|Hillsong UNITED]], [[Newsboys]], [[Lecrae]], [[MercyMe]], and [[Skillet (band)|Skillet]].<ref>{{cite web |title=NewSong's Winter Jam Tour Spectacular Roars Into March Passing 225,000 In Paid Concert-Goers |url=http://www.premierproductions.com/news_wjam07.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008032818/http://www.premierproductions.com/news_wjam07.php <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=October 8, 2007 |access-date=August 29, 2007 |publisher=premierproductions.com}}</ref>

NewSong has frequently provided support for organizations working with abandoned and underprivileged children. For years they worked with [[World Vision]], a humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their community to rid them of poverty and injustice. Then in 2006, the band became involved with [[Holt International]], a world leader in child adoption and child welfare.

The original four members included the current members Eddie Carswell, Billy Goodwin, and former members Eddie Middleton and Bobby Apon.

== History ==

===1981–1993===

NewSong recorded three custom [[albums]] independently. In 1982, they signed on with Covenant Records, and released ''The Son In My Eyes'' the next year. In 1984, they signed a contract with [[Canaan Records]], a branch of CCM label giant [[Word Records]] and released ''The Word''. NewSong continued to stay with Word Records until 1991 when they signed on with [[DaySpring Records]]. The next year they released ''One Heart At A Time, The Best of NewSong'', which featured 12 hits from their previous albums. In 1993, they joined up with the Benson Music Group and released ''All Around The World'', which brought four No. 1 hits. In 1993, lead vocalist Eddie Middleton left to pursue a solo career, and [[Bobby Apon]] left to spend more time with his family.

===1994–1999===

In 1994, songwriter Leonard Ahlstrom, soloist [[Charles Billingsley (musician)|Charles Billingsley]], musician Scotty Wilbanks, and the lead vocalist from the contemporary Christian band [[Truth (American band)|Truth]], Russ Lee, joined NewSong. That year NewSong released ''People Get Ready'' which brought four No. 1 hits, and featured a re-recorded version of "Arise My Love", which was first recorded by the original group in 1987.

In 1996, Charles 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, tying the record set a few years earlier by [[Bob Carlisle]]'s "[[Butterfly Kisses (song)|Butterfly Kisses]]".

In May 1999, Bobby 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 [[Robert Briner|Bob Briner]], who died later that year from [[cancer]]. They also had a third new song, "Like Minded, Like Hearted", which NewSong recorded with [[Out of Eden]] of [[Gotee Records]].

===2000–2002===

Russ Lee and Scotty 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 popular radio personality, DC Daniel (then, of "Steve & DC") and began collaborating on production ideas for future projects. The partnership led to the most successful period of NewSong's career as they released the album ''Sheltering Tree'', in late 2000.

==== "Christmas Shoes" and breakthrough ====
DC, Eddie Carswell and Leonard Ahlstrom penned the bonus track "[[The Christmas Shoes (song)|The Christmas Shoes]]" for ''Sheltering Tree'', which became a No. 1 mainstream radio hit in a ''Billboard'' chart-record three weeks, topping ''Billboard''{{'}}s Adult Contemporary Chart.

Shortly after "The Christmas Shoes" became a No. 1 song, Clive Calder shut down the Benson label.  However, due to the huge career momentum coming off 2000/2001, NewSong stayed with Zomba Music, on the major Reunion label, and released a full studio Christmas album, ''The Christmas Shoes'', which was nominated in 2003 for a [[Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album]]. Along with the title track, the album featured a variety of original Christmas tunes and Christmas classics "[[O Holy Night]]".

The song's success also inspired Christian author [[Donna VanLiere]] to write a book based on the song.<ref>{{cite web|title=NEWSONG|url=http://www.cbs.com/specials/christmas_shoes/band.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808063716/http://www.cbs.com/specials/christmas_shoes/band.shtml|archive-date=August 8, 2007|access-date=August 29, 2007|publisher=cbs.com}}</ref> The book, which contained accounts of friendship from artists, singers, and speakers, won a Silver Angel Award.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.donnavanliere.com/Biography.htm |title= biography |publisher= donnavanliere.com |access-date=August 29, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927151800/http://www.donnavanliere.com/Biography.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = September 27, 2007}}</ref> The book was on the [[New York Times Bestseller List|''New York Times'' Bestseller List]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://library.norweld.lib.oh.us/pemberville/files/NY_Times_Lists/NYtimes2002.pdf |title=New York Times Bestseller List 2002 |publisher=library.norweld.lib.oh.us |access-date=August 29, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070818031202/http://library.norweld.lib.oh.us/Pemberville/files/NY_Times_Lists/NYtimes2002.pdf |archive-date=August 18, 2007 }}</ref>

The book was later made into a [[TV movie]] for [[CBS]], called ''[[The Christmas Shoes (TV movie)|The Christmas Shoes]]'', starring [[Rob Lowe]] and [[Kimberly Williams-Paisley]], which was released on December 1, 2002. It had nearly 17 million viewers and was the second highest-rated TV movie of the 2002–2003 seasons.<ref name="NewSong">{{cite web |url= http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings.aspx?id=20051017cbs06 |title= LISTINGS |publisher= thefutoncritic.com |access-date=August 29, 2007}}</ref>

===2003–2008===

In 2003, Donna VanLiere released ''The Christmas Blessing'', the second book in the series spawned by "The Christmas Shoes" song. It was a ''[[New York Times]]'' bestselling book, and was later made into a TV movie by [[CBS]]. It was the most watched TV movie in 2005, and 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|date=December 2023}}

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 [[First Baptist Church of Woodstock]], which is the home church for several members in the band.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The album was officially released in May 2005, and the DVD of the concert came out in September. In November, Scotty Wilbanks left to join the group [[Third Day]], and to produce bands. Also in 2005, NewSong was inducted into the [[Georgia Music Hall of Fame]].{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

In March 2006, Michael 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|date=December 2023}}

The 2007 edition of the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, which they founded in 1995, featured headliners [[Steven Curtis Chapman]] and [[Jeremy Camp]], with special guests [[Hawk Nelson]], [[Sanctus Real]], new artist [[Britt Nicole]], Speaker Tony Nolan, Presidential impersonator and comedian John Morgan and was attended by over 275,000 people and 37,000 made decisions for Christ. 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|date=December 2023}}

The 2008 Winter Jam Tour Spectacular concluded its 34-city run on a high note with a nearly sold-out crowd at the Sommet Center in Nashville and ranked No. 4 among the Top 100 Tours logged by Pollstar over the first 90 days of this year. Winter Jam 2008 had a 16 percent increase to 311,836 fans coming to see [[MercyMe]], Skillet, [[BarlowGirl]], NewSong, and [[American Idol]]'s [[Mandisa]].{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

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|date=December 2023}}

==Discography==
===Albums===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album
! colspan="3"| Chart positions
! rowspan="2"| Label
|-
! width="55"| <small>[[Top Christian Albums|US Christian]]</small>
! width="55"| <small>[[Billboard 200|US]]</small>
! width="55"| <small>[[Top Heatseekers|US Heat]]</small>
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1981
| ''More Than Music''
|
|
|
| rowspan="3"| Independent
|-
| ''NewSong Alive''
|
|
|
|-
| ''All the Best''
|
|
|
|-
| 1982
| ''The Son in My Eyes''
|
|
|
| Covenant
|-
| 1984
| ''The Word''
|
|
|
| Canaan
|-
| 1986
| ''Trophies of Grace''
|
|
|
| rowspan="3"| Word
|-
| 1987
| ''Say Yes!''
|
|
|
|-
| 1989
| ''Light Your World''
| align="center"| 34
|
|
|-
| 1990
| ''Living Proof''
| align="center"| 19
|
|
| rowspan="2"| DaySpring
|-
| 1992
| ''One Heart at a Time: The Best of NewSong''
|
|
|
|-
| 1993
| ''All Around the World''
|
|
|
| rowspan="6" | Benson
|-
| 1994
| ''People Get Ready''
| align="center"| 16
|
|
|-
| 1997
| ''Love Revolution''
| align="center"| 25
|
|
|-
| 1999
| ''Arise My Love: The Very Best of NewSong''
| align="center"| 25
|
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2000
| ''Live...The Hits''
|
|
|
|-
| ''Sheltering Tree''
| align="center"| 5
| align="center"| 130
| align="center"| 2
|-
| 2001
| ''The Christmas Shoes''
| align="center"| 9
| align="center"| 113
| align="center"| 1
| rowspan="2"| Reunion
|-
| 2003
| ''More Life''
| align="center"| 10
| align="center"| 172
| align="center"| 9
|-
| 2004
| ''Simply NewSong''
|
|
|
| Provident
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2005
| ''The Very Best of NewSong''
|
|
|
|Reunion
|-
| ''Rescue: Live Worship''
| align="center"| 10
|
| align="center"| 15
| rowspan="2" | Integrity
|-
| 2006
| ''The Christmas Hope''
| align="center"| 25
|
| align="center"| 5
|-
| 2009
| ''Give Yourself Away''
| align="center"| 10
| align="center"| 149
| align="center"| 5
| rowspan="3" |HHM
|-
| 2011
| ''One True God''
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 27
|
|-
|2013
|''Swallow the Ocean''
| align="center"| 3
| align="center"| 65
|
|-
|2015
|''Faithful: Live Worship''
| align="center"| 3
| align="center"| 88
|
|Integrity
|-
|2016
|''The Best Christmas Ever''
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|  
|HHM
|-
|2018
|''Greatest Hits''<ref name="Greatest Hits">{{cite web|url=https://www.newreleasetoday.com/albumdetail.php?album_id=20569|title=Greatest Hits by NewSong|work=NewReleaseToday|access-date=November 2, 2018}}</ref>
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|  
|HHM
|-
|2020
|''Just Jesus''<ref name="Just Jesus">{{cite web|url=https://www.newreleasetoday.com/albumdetail.php?album_id=22458|title=Just Jesus by NewSong|work=NewReleaseToday|access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref>
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|
|HHM
|}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Single
! colspan="4"| Chart Positions
! rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! width="45"| <small>[[Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks|US AC]]</small>
! width="45"| <small>[[Billboard Hot 100|US]]</small>
! width="45"| <small>[[Hot Country Songs|US Country]]</small>
! width="45"| <small>[[Hot Christian Songs|US Christ]]</small>
|-
| 2000
| "[[The Christmas Shoes (song)|The Christmas Shoes]]"
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 42
| align="center"| 31
| align="center"| 20
| ''Sheltering Tree''
|-
| 2004
| "When God Made You"
| align="center"| 33
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| ''More Life''
|-
| 2012
| "The Same God"
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| 25
| ''One True God''
|-
| 2017
| "I Am a Christian"
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| rowspan="7" align="left"| ''Just Jesus''<ref name="Just Jesus"/>
|-
| rowspan="6"| 2018
| "Down"
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|-
| "Bright"
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|-
| "Glue"
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|-
| "Already Loved"<br>{{small|(featuring [[Tedashii]])}}
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|-
| "Shine"
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|-
| "Look Up"
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
| align="center"| —
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.newsongonline.com}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:American Christian musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1981]]
[[Category:Word Records artists]]
[[Category:Reunion Records artists]]