In a stunning turn of events for one of Christian music’s most enduring bands, Newsboys were forced to re-record lead vocals for their latest single and upcoming album after longtime frontman Michael Tait unexpectedly stepped down just weeks before the launch of their Worldwide Revival Nights tour, new lead singer Adam Agee has revealed.
Tait, who led the band for 15 years following Peter Furler’s departure in 2009, announced his decision to step away in a January social media post, citing prayerful reflection and a sense of clarity in this new season of life.
The departure left Newsboys scrambling to adapt, ultimately turning to Agee, the band’s guitarist who joined the group in 2023, to step into the lead singer role.
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“I’ve been touring with these guys. I’ve known them for 20 years and then touring with them for about 10, and then officially in the band, going on my third year,” Agee said in a Monday interview on Fox58. “And then, yeah, Tait kind of surprised us with some news about a month ago, and we had the beginning of our tour in about four days. So we kind of rallied together and tried to figure out what we were going to do moving forward.”
One of the immediate challenges was re-recording vocals for their latest single, “How Many Times,” which was originally recorded with Tait leading. The single, now featuring Agee’s vocals, was re-released just in time for the tour.
“That was one of the things that we’ve been scrambling to try to figure out and get done,” Agee explained. “That’s actually a song that was one of the first songs I wrote for this Newsboys project a couple of years ago, and finally, it’s getting released. But I had sung a bunch of background vocals and everything on there, but I hadn’t done the lead vocals. So we popped back into the studio and got that done real quick.”
The uncertainty extends beyond just the single, Agee shared, revealing Newsboys had planned to release Worldwide Revival (Part Two) later this year, but with the shake-up in leadership, the band is reevaluating its next steps.
“It’s all kind of as we go, we’re trying to figure out what to do,” Agee said. “We were going to release a part two of this Worldwide Revival album. And so, we’re trying to figure out, do we still do that or do we do something different? So that’s kind of all just in flux right now.”
Despite the uncertainty, the band pressed forward with their first show on Jan. 18, featuring Agee as lead singer just days after Tait’s departure. The response, according to Agee, was overwhelming.
“It was just a sweet thing. The crowd really rallied around us,” he recalled. “And it was just an amazing night. There were 2,000 people in this arena, and it felt like 10,000 people singing along with all the songs. And it was pretty special. I mean, not gonna lie, for me to be able to front the band that I had their posters on our wall when I was a kid, it’s pretty cool.”
Agee, formerly of Stellar Kart and Audio Adrenaline, becomes the fourth lead singer in Newsboys history. At the January show, Agee told the crowd, “We’ve been through a lot this week.”
“When the news hit us a week ago,” he said, “it brings up a lot of questions like: ‘What do we do? Do we move forward?’ Those thoughts come into your head, man. Should we hang it up? Or do we keep going?”
“I want to tell you guys something that with this band, with Newsboys, sometimes the messenger might change, but the message remains the same.”
Despite the shift in lineup, Agee stressed in his latest interview that the band remains steadfast in its mission as the focus remains on the Worldwide Revival Nights tour.
“I said something at our first show that has kind of become our rally cry,” Agee said. “With this band, the messenger might change, but the message remains the same. So we’re always going to just try to show the world the love of Jesus, and we’re going to do it in the most entertaining way we can.”
The Newsboys, originally formed in Australia in 1985, have long been a staple in Christian contemporary music. Over the years, the group has earned numerous accolades, including multiple Grammy nominations and Dove Awards.
With Tait at the helm, the band experienced a resurgence, releasing chart-topping albums such as Born Again and God’s Not Dead.
In his January statement, Tait, who was part of the rap-rock group DC Talk prior to his stint with Newsboys, said his decision to leave was not an easy one.
“While this may come as a surprise given I’ve been touring ever since college, I’ve made for me what is a monumental and heartfelt decision that it is time to step down from Newsboys,” he shared. “This decision does not come lightly and has been a shock to even myself, but amidst prayer and fasting, I have clarity that this is the right decision.”
At the time, the band released a statement saying that they aren’t “going anywhere.”
“We know there will be questions about what the future holds, and in due time, we’ll have answers,” the band wrote. “For now, we want you to know that Newsboys isn’t going anywhere; we’re going everywhere.”
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
