Newsong

NewSong, a CCM ensemble, originated in Valdosta, Georgia, during 1981 when Eddie Carswell, Billy Goodwin, Eddie Middleton, and Bobby Apon first connected while attending Morningside Baptist Church. Their rapid ascent in regional popularity prompted a 1982 recording contract with Covenant Records, yielding the debut album Son in My Eyes. A subsequent shift to the Word label set the stage for the 1984 release The Word. Later projects such as Trophies of Grace in 1986, Say Yes! in 1987, and Light Your World in 1989 steadily enlarged their audience, culminating in the 1993 Benson debut All Around the World, which delivered four CHR chart-topping singles—“More God,” “Got Me Going,” “Hero of the Faith,” and the title track. The departure of co-founders Middleton and Apon prompted a change in direction, yet the group pressed on; People Get Ready, issued in 1994, generated four additional number one hits, while Love Revolution in 1997 achieved comparable Christian radio dominance. By the time Sheltering Tree arrived in 2000, the lineup consisted of Carswell, Goodwin, Leonard Ahlstrom, Michael O’Brien, Steve Reischl, and Matt Butler. The seasonal project Christmas Shoes followed in 2001, after which Scotty Wilbanks joined for the 2002 album More Life. Rescue surfaced in 2005 and Give Yourself Away in 2009. To mark its 30th anniversary, the group issued One True God in 2010, returned with Swallow the Ocean in 2013, and delivered Faithful in 2015, its first concert recording in a decade.