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Linked:GMA Dove Awards
Newsboys' original core members, vocalist [[John James]] and drummer [[Peter Furler]], formed the band in [[Mooloolaba]], Australia in 1985 along with Furler's guitarist school mate, George Perdikis. The band's original name was The News, but once in the US they changed it to The Newsboys to avoid conflict with another US based band. The band came to the United States in late 1987 after getting signed with Refuge Communications, and released the album ''[[Read All About It (album)|Read All About It]]'' in 1988. After signing with Star Song Communications, they released two more albums from 1990 to 1991: ''[[Hell Is For Wimps]]'', and ''[[Boys Will Be Boyz]]''. None of the three albums garnered much attention, and the band's lineup changed with every release. It wasn't until their 1992 album, ''[[Not Ashamed]]'', that the band became notable on the Christian music scene. The title track of the album became a huge hit on Christian radio and elevated the band's profile considerably. Notably, [[Steve Taylor]], a quirky singer well-known within the Christian music community, began a partnership with the band, producing the band's record and writing most of the lyrics for their songs; Furler remained the band's primary songwriter.
In 1994, amidst continued lineup changes, the band released ''[[Going Public]]'', their fifth album and first smash success. The record proved to be a watershed for the group, winning a [[GMA Dove AwardAwards]] for "Rock album of the Year" in 1995 [http://www.doveawards.com/history/browse.cfm?year=1995 ]. It also produced #1 hits such as "Spirit Thing", "Let It Rain", and, most notably, "Shine". "Shine" quickly became an enormous hit and one of the most recognizable songs in Christian music, also taking the 1995 Dove for "Rock Recorded Song of the Year." In 2006, [[CCM Magazine]] listed "Shine" at #2 on its ranking of the 100 Greatest Songs in Christian music. ''Going Public'' turned Newsboys into one of the top acts in Christian music.
The eagerly-anticipated follow-up, ''[[Take Me to Your Leader (Newsboys album)|Take Me To Your Leader]]'' (1996), did not disappoint fans, either. Generally showcasing a bigger rock sound than in past projects, the album produced more #1 hits: "God Is Not A Secret", "Reality", "Breakfast", and the title track. This album also snagged the groups third Dove, this time for "Recorded Music Packaging of the Year." [http://www.doveawards.com/history/browse.cfm?year=1997 ] The album solidified the band's place in the Christian music industry; however, their position seemed to move onto shaky ground when lead singer John James left the band in 1997. The band pressed on, though; Furler switched from drums to vocals and [[Duncan Phillips]], who had previously played keyboards and percussion for the band, became the new drummer. From 1998 to 2003, the band's lineup of Furler, bassist [[Phil Joel]], guitarist [[Jody Davis]], keyboardist [[Jeff Frankenstein]], and Phillips stayed constant.