With 23 No. 1 radio hits and having sold more than 5 million records, the Newsboys (who are now based out of Nashville, Tennessee) have come a long way from performing in church basements and pubs in Australia.
While becoming one of the most successful Christian bands, the Newsboys have received national media attention from CNN Headline News, Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning and Newsweek. The band uses every opportunity they can get to lift up the name of Christ.
Lead singer Peter Furler, a native of Australia, is the sole original member of the band that first came to the U.S. in 1987 to record its debut album.
In 2003, they took a departure from their successful Christian rock albums and released “Adoration: The Worship Album.” This fall, they released another worship album entitled “Devotion.”
The Newsboys have been innovators of sorts. They were the first Christian band to tour in its own portable, inflatable dome. They also pioneered use of large-screen video at their concerts.
At their concerts, Furler often shares his testimony and tells how he went astray from the Lord during his teenage years.
“My father was a pastor, and growing up in church, I heard the story about Jesus a million times,” he said. “I had supposedly given my life to Christ, but I began to question my beliefs. I was going through all these storms.
“I would head out on the weekends with my friends and stagger home, and then be lying in bed thinking, ‘Lord, don’t let me die tonight. I don’t want to go to hell.’ That kind of stuff. … When I finally got to the place in my life where I was tired of all the storms blowing me around, I discovered what it meant to have a real relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Today, the Newsboys are able to use their music as a powerful tool to reach people with the gospel.
“As Christians, our goal is to seek first the Kingdom,” Furler said. “Everyone in the band has families that are connected with local church groups, and being grounded in faith creates a lot of unity. We enjoy every show, and we’re happy to be presenting music that honors Christ.”
Leann Callaway is a Dallas-based freelance writer.
