The Newsboys have been dropped from their record label in the wake of disturbing sexual assault allegations leveled against former frontman Michael Tait.
Adam Agee, who only recently became the Newsboys’ new frontman to replace Tait, made the announcement Sunday during a show held at Highlands Church in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The band was scheduled to perform at the sold-out Elevate Music Festival, which featured artists such as Colton Dixon, Danny Gokey, Rhett Walker, and others.
“We’ve been dropped from our record label,” he told the crowd. “We’ve had radio stations pull our music. We’ve been canceled by promoters and venues all over the world.”
Agee was joined by bandmates Jeff Frankenstein, Duncan Phillips, and Jody Davis on stage to address the fallout from multiple reports of sexual misconduct against Tait.
As CBN News reported, Tait abruptly left the group in January reportedly telling bandmates and managers that he had been “living a “double life” and was leaving “to focus on himself.”
However, investigative reports released earlier this month by both the Roys Report and The Guardian reveal allegations of a dark and sordid pattern of misconduct throughout Tait’s career.
Tait later confessed in an online post to “touching men in an unwanted sensual way” and abusing alcohol and cocaine for years.
He was not part of the original Newsboys band, a Grammy-nominated group, but he had stepped in to become its frontman for nearly 15 years. That came after his original band, DC Talk, had split up.
“We were shocked,” Agee told the audience. “Because in January, he had mentioned a few things about substance abuse and personal struggles. … But never anything of the magnitude of what we read and what was recorded, and never anything that could have made us ever think that it could possibly be a danger to others.”
Agee choked up several times while telling the crowd, “That’s not the guy we knew…the guy that we knew, that we’ve been on the road with, he was our family. He was our brother, and a friend to our families, to our kids.”
“It just has been devastating to us, and our families have felt like our names [have] been dragged through the mud because of all this, and it’s really, really hurt our kids,” he continued.
As CBN News reported, The Newsboys released a joint statement a few days after the Roys investigation, saying they were “devastated” by the report outlining the specifics of his alleged behavior.
Later, Agee told members in a Facebook group that bandmates had previously confronted Tait about abuse “rumors,” but he always “emphatically” denied them, ChurchLeaders reports.
However, The Guardian report cites interviews with 25 people connected to the Christian music industry, who all admitted “they had prior knowledge of allegations that Tait had engaged in abusive behavior.”
Christian singer Cory Asbury, widely recognized for his song “Reckless Love,” shared on social media that “everyone knew” about Michael Tait’s misconduct, adding that many other artists are living “double lives.”
The 39-year-old Asbury frequently addresses what he sees as issues in the Christian music industry and was responding to a question posed by a follower when making those claims.
“Everyone knew, maybe not the specific details, but everyone knew,” he said, about Michael Tait.
Christian apologist Mike Winger reposted those comments on X, while also criticizing the Christian contemporary music industry.
“Maybe the reason Michael Tait got away with it for so long is because a whole lot of other people in his industry are also getting away with it,” Winger speculated. “And this results in a culture where exposing anyone is seen as a threat to everyone.”
Agee told fans at the Elevate Festival that despite Tait’s abrupt departure in January, they continued to tour and perform earlier this year as they prayed through their next steps.
“We felt like we still had a ministry and a mission to do,” he said. “We have seen the most amazing people and the Spirit do things that have been so encouraging.”
However, event organizations, radio stations, and their label have now disassociated from the group.
Faith Live, a Canadian-based concert promoter, removed the Newsboys from their upcoming Worldwide Revival Nights tour across the country contending the group acted in bad faith.
“While the initial excitement around the tour was strong – both from the general public and across Canada – the growing ‘lack of interest’ and mounting questions came as a direct result of Michael Tait’s unexpected departure, which we were not informed of in advance,” Faith Live said on Facebook.
“Since that time, additional information regarding the nature of his exit has surfaced. This information has come from sources we consider credible and trustworthy, and while we will not speculate publicly, we can say with confidence that what has come to light has raised serious concerns for us as a faith-based organization.”
K-LOVE, the nation’s largest Christian radio network, and multiple other stations have pulled all music from the Newsboys and DC Talk.
Additionally, Capitol Christian Music Group dropped the band just three weeks after the Newsboys’ latest album “World Wide Revival (Deluxe)” was released.
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