I am still the news GURU!

Added 6/13/01

It's late and I'm tired-- here, a really short update. Jody's Bestest Friend took some nice FCD pics which Audrey has posted on her site here.

And you can go here to see a picture of Phil accepting the award he's deserved for years now.

Added 6/10/01

Ahh... now these are the FCD pictures I've been waiting for. Furlerfreak has taken lots of big, beautiful, brilliantly clear shots of the Newsboys on stage and backstage. They're up in the pics section of her site. I'm jealous. :)

Oh, but you need Internet Explorer to see them...

Added 6/6/01

More FCD stuff! The pictures just keep rolling in- these are all from June 2. Trueanon's photos, including some cool shots of Jeff and Duncan's bikes, have been posted on Jiggy's site right here. And Zanna put up a few of her many pictures on this page (the first two are from Creation East; the rest are FCD.) You may notice on both of those pages that Jody's afro has become somewhat... nonexistent... yeah, the guy went and cut his hair short again! His nickname "FroJo" no longer works, but OPJF has come up with the equally inane "FroJoNoMo", so I guess we'll survive.

Added 6/2/01

So, ready to see some stuff about Festival Con Dios? Here are a few stories from CCM Magazine's website-- since they seem to shift their content around quite a bit, I've copied them to my own space. There's an overview of the first three days of the tour, but you'll have more fun reading Cadet's tour journal.

I've read lots of fan reviews and they all say something along the lines of "It was AWESOME!" so I gather that things are going well. Word is that security is tight and backstage passes all but impossible to get, but folks who show up early can hang around back and watch the action-- quite a few people have met the artists just by standing at the fence and calling to them to come over. I don't think I'd have the nerve, but I'm sharing that with ya'll in case anybody else wants to try it. :) Tickets are only $20! Looks like the bands really want people to be able to come.

Pictures! The best ones I've seen were taken by knewsboys and are in his zing.com album. Start at picture 68 if you just want FCD, but there are some older Newsboys pictures in the album too. Phatgurl also has some FCD photos on this page. And don't forget Mookie's pictures.

Looks like the Newsboys are all wearing motocross pants on this tour... I love it when they dress alike. Jody's going all out with a motocross shirt as well. I hope he's still wearing it in September! What a dork I am. :)

As you've gathered, Jody is at Festival Con Dios, playing wonderfully and being his usual bouncy self on stage. Some fans who talked to him report that Bethany still needs prayer for having difficulties swallowing on her own. But she's gaining weight-- she's up to nine pounds now-- so that's good to hear!

Thanks to BobandDiane, Shari, and all the picture-posters for contributing to this edition of the news. :)

Added 5/20/01

Festival Con Dios kicked off this last Thursday the 17th in Florida. I haven't heard anything yet about how it's going so far, but the incredible Mookie has posted a few digital camera shots of it here.

We have a new Newsboys messageboard! Or rather, an old one has been resurrected-- dc just relaunched the ccmbuzz board.

dc also says on newsboys.com that Jody's daughter Bethany is "getting better every day", so praise God!

Added 5/8/01

At least Sparrow Records keeps their site updated. :) You can see the Festival Con Dios tour dates by going here and choosing "Newsboys" from the drop-down menu.

And as if that weren't enough, Phil Joel is still playing the odd concert by himself-- not very many, but he is swinging through the LA area this very weekend, bless him. I'm gonna see him two days in a row! :) Now before you start throwing things at me, go here to find out whether you'll be able to see him too. (Pick "Phil Joel" from the drop-down menu. You're getting good at this!)

Added 5/6/01

You can always count on me to bring you the news! ...a few weeks after it happens. :) The Dove Awards are over, and if the Newsboys had won the Dove for Short Form Video for Love Liberty Disco, I promise I would've told you sooner. But since POD snatched it for their video of Rock the Party, I've taken my sweet time... I bet Peter went away happy anyway, though, seeing as Tree63 won for Rock Album of the Year. Tree63 is a group from South Africa that Peter signed to InPop, the record label he co-owns. That's them in the picture, and with them on the left is Wes Campbell, the Newsboys' manager who also works at InPop with Peter. Duncan's presence on the right is a bit harder to explain, but it's always nice to see him even when I have no clue what he's doing there. :)

Anyway, the Dove Awards are just part of the hoopla that is GMA Week in Nashville (GMA=Gospel Music Association). Sparrow Records, the Newsboys' own label, added to the fun by throwing themselves a 25th anniversary concert, for which the Newsboys played "a blazing one-song set". I'm telling you this because Jody was playing with them! Not that he had far to travel or anything (Nashville's his backyard)... but it was just nice to hear that he's back on stage after missing the twelve concerts in the last two months because of his baby daughter's illness. I don't know anything about Bethany Davis' condition right now except that she's doing "better", which of course is a relative term.

I tend to ramble when I'm writing the news, so I hope ya'll are used to it. :) TMTYL's special correspondent (why don't I have one of those?) reported sighting Phil Joel during GMA week pushing his six-month old daughter Phynley in a stroller. She now has long wavy blond hair, and she was decked out in leather and sunglasses. MAN, I wish I had a picture of that.

Phil also talked to musicforce.com recently, and they say he's rented a house "just a few doors down from his own home and he goes there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day to write for the follow-up to last year's Watching Over You. 'It's just been really great to have a little zone that's quiet... to be able to get away and write and read and pray,' Joel says of the extra digs. His sophomore project is due to release later this year, in addition to another Newsboys album, but Joel admits that that could change as he carefully considers his commitments and tries not to take on too much. 'The last year has been so busy, I just want to stop and re-collect.'"

What grabs me about that report is that the Newsboys are apparently forming a monopoly on that nameless street in Franklin, TN. Phil and Heather and Phynley live there, Peter and Summer live four doors down, the studio where Watching Over You was recorded is there (Peter and Phil used to walk up the street together to work every morning) and now this-- Phil's rented yet another place on the same block! I don't know why they don't just buy up the last few houses and rename it all "Newsboys Drive".

Thanks to TMTYL and SHINING Newsgirl for some of this info. :)

Added 4/25/01

Jody wasn't at the Arizona concert last weekend. I hope he'll be back on stage soon, simply because that'll mean that Bethany is well enough for him to leave. (Since I already missed him at a concert last month, I no longer have any selfish motives.) The Newsboys have two shows this weekend in Florida and Kentucky, and then a three-week break before the start of Festival Con Dios.

In happier news, the Music Choice Newsboys concert that's been broadcast frequently this month was reeeeeally good! Their remix version of "God is Not a Secret" was awesome, and I especially liked the fact that there were cameras mounted on the drums and keyboards, so Duncan and Jeff had a lot more screen time than they usually get.

Added 4/17/01

I'm very happy to say that Bethany Davis is out of the hospital! Her parents took her home last Thursday, April 12. (Thanks to Sami who found this out at the Newsboys concert last Saturday.) I don't have any other details, but I imagine she's still quite frail, so please keep nagging God until he brings her to full health. (Luke 18:1-5.) Incidentally, have you listened to the Newsboys' song "Miracle Child" lately? Bethany keeps reminding me of it.

FauxJo (a.k.a. Randy Williams) was still covering guitar for the Newsboys in Texas last weekend. I'm hearing rumors that Jody will be back on stage soon, but we'll see... the next concert is this Saturday the 21st in Arizona.

Added 4/11/01

Sorry it's been so long between updates, but here's some good news: Bethany Davis has been off the respirator and breathing on her own for about two weeks now. Praise God that she's gotten better (and not worse)! She's still quite fragile, however. Bunyip (who hears from Jeff Frankenstein's sis) says that as of Monday the 9th, "Bethany is still in hospital, still connected to lots of machines, not eating on her own, but trying to open her eyes. I know it doesn't sound great - it's really hard on Jody and Erika - but I think that little girl is a real fighter." It's been a month since Bethany went to the hospital, and I'm sure the time has been very difficult for everyone involved. Please keep praying!

The Newsboys played three concerts in IL and IA last weekend, again leaving Jody home with his daughter. Randy Williams of Big Tent Revival (affectionately dubbed "FauxJo" by the fans) has been playing guitar for the band, and the other members are also covering some of Jody's parts. I have no idea if he'll be back on the road soon or not. (The next concert is this Friday the 13th; the huge Festival Con Dios tour starts May 17.)

Here's a mini-lecture for those who've been asking, "How could Bethany have had SIDS if she's still alive?" SIDS stands for "sudden infant death syndrome" and doctors don't really know what it is. By definition, if an infant dies in the crib and no cause for it can be found, it was SIDS. But sometimes when a baby stops breathing, she's rescued before it's too late (thank God) and that's still called SIDS if no cause for the breathing problem can be found. We just assume that whatever unknown agent is causing some infants to die is also responsible in cases where the baby would have died if someone hadn't intervened.

I hope that made sense. :) Thanks to GirlofGod, Bunyip, Jen, and Lois who all contributed some part of this news.

Added 3/30/01

If you have the PAX channel and you happen to read this in time, check it out at 1 AM Pacific time tonight (Friday). The Newsboys are gonna be on! but I don't know if it'll be something new or just a broadcast of the One Night in Pennsylvania. We'll find out...

Here's some BIG news: After an excruciating wait of 48 hours (not to mention the year-long wait that preceeded it) I finally got my hands on Jody's CD yesterday! Shut up, of course that's big news. I only had to drive an hour to get it, too! I shall now be unresponsive to the world until I've had time to listen to it properly. :)

Added 3/27/01

Jody's solo album is out today! I would force you all to leave my site at once and go get it, but many Christian bookstores don't have it in stock yet. (Fans who seem to know more than I do blame Pamplin distribution.) Those who have bought it already are lording it over those of us who haven't managed to find it-- yes, I'm one of the unfortunate ones. "Two weeks until we have it," my bookstore says. (Florence bangs head on keyboard) Two weeks? I wait a whole year and now I'm supposed to wait even longer? This is so embarassing... how can I not have the album yet?

Well, if you're having similar problems, here's something to tide you over. It's a page from CCM Magazine's site where you can listen to a show that has a few clips of a Newsboys interview. (I found Peter's bird story to be particularly interesting...) Thanks to Shara for pointing it out! And newsboys.com now has more details on the Festival Con Dios tour.

I don't have any news on Bethany except that she was hanging in there over the weekend... Just keep praying.

Added 3/25/01

It's taken me forever to add this to the news; at first I couldn't be certain it was true, and then I just couldn't steel myself to do it. But I'd better post it already so you all can pray for Bethany Davis, because she's been very sick for almost two weeks now. This is what Jeni Frankenstein posted on a messageboard on the 16th:

To prevent any gossip or exaggerrations, let me clear things up for everyone here. Bethany stopped breathing on Tuesday night [March 13]. She has been in the hospital on a respirator since then. The doctors say it was SIDS, b/c after all the tests, they can't find any causes. She took a few breaths on her own last night, but it is still a critical situation. She's basically in a coma right now. Please continue to pray for her and also for Jody and Erika.

The Newsboys are playing a few dates in California right now, but they left Jody behind in Nashville to be with his family. Awful time for him (but there's never a good time)-- his solo album is coming out in two days. Please pray for Bethany and her parents. Pray really hard, okay? And I will too.

Added 3/19/01

Lots of links for you today, folks, 'cause if I copied everything straight to my news section it'd be way too long. First, we have an article on Festival Con Dios, and a page about the festival that has a cool picture if nothing else, and another page that has nothing but a Flash animation. I figure they might grow...

Go here to see a partial schedule of when and where the Newsboys concert and interview will be airing on Music Choice in April.

And finally (saving the best for last) Jody now has a website of his very own.

Added 3/6/01

Well, you've seen the two prototypes, but here's the real cover of Jody's album (and it's the best of the three I've seen!) I found out today that Jody co-produced his record with Jim Cooper, his longtime friend and former Petra keyboard player. Those of you who wondered why Jody didn't pick his own bandmate's label for his album will be happy to hear that according to the enigmatic Zeborg, it's being released on Pamplin and InPop. Something about Jody having signed with Pamplin long ago before InPop formed (and Jody also has a friend at that label) but InPop paid all the production costs. Don't ask me to clarify any of this 'cause I've told you all I know. Instead, go here for a nice little review of the album. :)

Added 3/5/01

Well, every time I think I can relax, the Newsboys have to go and make more news. I think they do it on purpose. :) The latest tidbit is that Drinkwater (that's Phil's old band from New Zealand, and I can't believe you didn't know that) is coming out with a new CD! But it's being released in New Zealand, not America, so I don't know how hard it is to get. It's got songs from "3 Murky Vibes" and from the bands that Mark and Dean joined after the Drinkwater breakup, and some of Phil's songs from "Watching Over You", and I don't have time to sort out all the details right now, so why don't you just go to a nice Drinkwater page that's much more informative than I am? :)

Does your cable company give you the Music Choice channels? If not, skip this paragraph-- it'll only frustrate you. The rest of you, go here to read about the TV broadcast of the concert that the Newsboys played in Nashville on Feb. 23.

And speaking of TV exposure, Phil Joel and his various opening bands just performed for a show called "Live from Studio B". If you missed it when it was broadcast, here's your second chance. :)

Added 2/25/01

So has anyone else been wondering how the Newsboys plan to top the airdome tour? Now we know: with an even bigger airdome tour! Essentially it's a huge travelling summer music festival that starts in the spring, takes a break for the regular summer festivals, and then picks up again in the fall! Here's what Jesus Freak Hideout has to say about it:

One of the most ultimate tours could be conquering a city near you real soon. The Con Dios Festival tour features some of the biggest names in Christian music! The May and June lineup of the tour will include the Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, the O.C. Supertones, the Normals, Earthsuit, the Elms, Benjamin's Gate, Cadet, Superhic[k], and Pillar. The lineup for the dates in September is: Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, the O.C. Supertones, Switchfoot, PAX 217, Tree 63, Earthsuit, Luna Halo, Benjamin's Gate, Superchic[k], and Fat Chance. The tour, which is presented by Newsboys' management company First Company Management, JAM Productions, Creative Artists Agency, and Brickhouse Entertainment, will hit stadium and shopping-mall parking lots, and include featured speakers and such activities as extreme sports motorcycle jumping, skateboarding on a half pipe, wall climbing, trampoline bungee jumping, and more! In addition, a Village area will include food vendors, interactive games, and other attractions, and a "break-out" tent for group meetings with youth leaders. The completely portable venue includes a 300-foot stage.

I dunno about you, but I'm already bouncing off the walls! And the tour's not even hitting California until September! ('Sokay-- I plan to see the Newsboys twice before then.:) How do you transport a 300-foot stage? And all those bands travelling together-- I'd go just to see that tour bus caravan. The only downside I can see is that Jody's gonna be away from his new daughter quite a bit... poor guy... Oh, I'm sorry-- you'd like to know the tour dates, wouldn't you? You can get 'em here (pick "Newsboys" from the artists menu and remember only the dates that say "Festival Con Dios" will have all the other bands and stuff).

Well, that news is cool enough to last a week and I'm not even done yet! It's so nice that there's a lot going on in Jody's life right now; gives me an excuse to post lots of new pictures of him. :) Thanks to TkMe2YrLdr for this one, which is the cover of the pre-release of Jody's album. We had to nag her constantly for a few weeks to get her to scan it, but she's more than made up for the long wait by giving us sound clips from two of his songs! (Click on her name if you wanna hear them.) I haven't listened to them because I'm a purist who wants to wait for the whole songs, but it's nice to know I could hear Jody singing right now if I wanted to.

Is all this chatting about Jody getting boring to you? Awww... poor baby... GET OFF MY PAGE THEN! No no, just kidding! You can stay even if you're not a Jody freak-- here, I have some news about a different Newsboy. Remember that silly rumor about Jeff doing a solo album? Well, it's been reported on another website too! But it's a website that's been known to be horribly inaccurate. (They referred to the Newsboys' latest album as "Shine- the Hit", as if there was only one.... that better have been a mistake and not a deliberate insult....) Anyway, I'm still not taking this Jeff news seriously; I just wanted to help spread the rumor. :)

Added 2/19/01

Her name is Bethany Catherine Davis! She was born earlier than we thought-- last Tuesday, the 13th of February. That makes her one day shy of three weeks early, so it's no wonder she was a bit small (4 pounds, 13 ounces), but First Company Management assures us that the whole family is doing well. A million humble thanks to Sami and Shara, Newsboys fans par excellence, for going to great lengths to obtain this vital information. Your next assignment, guys: get us a picture. :)

Name research... Bethany is of Hebrew origin and means-- drumroll, please-- "house of figs". I'm guessing the meaning wasn't the first thing the Davises were interested in... Actually, there is a website that claims it's a Celtic name meaning "life", so maybe that's what they were going for. Anyway, most websites agree that Catherine has a Greek origin and means "pure". Both names sound very traditional and feminine to me. I had a feeling that Jody and Erika wouldn't give their daughter some funky Irish boy's name with a made-up spelling. Although "Phynley" is awesome too, of course! :)

Added 2/17/01

I've heard this from several sources now, so I'm gonna go ahead and put it on my news page: Jody and Erika's daughter was born on the 15th! Or maybe the 14th! YAAAAY! And that, dear people, is all that anybody seems to know. She was almost three weeks early, she's probably named something, and I'm praying that her early arrival hasn't brought about any complications... Phil (who seems to be Jody's spokesperson these days) announced her birth during a radio interview on the morning of the 15th, and then announced it again at his concert last night. As always, if I pick up any more details I'll post 'em here.

Added 2/13/01

Has it really been this long since I've updated the news...? Okay, here's a little tidbit for ya. The rumor about Phil making a new album is true, 'cause he told me so himself (yaaaay)! However, the November 2001 release date appears to be rather shaky-- he says he doesn't know when it'll be out.

But there's an album that's definitely coming out very soon: Jody's solo project. And our friend TkMe2YrLdr, whom I am trying very hard not to be jealous of, has obtained a pre-release of the entire CD! She's been kind enough to throw us a bone-- here's the track listing, and I've left in Sarah's own remarks 'cause they're all I've got right now! I love you, Sarah!:

1. Believe (sound familiar??? Trust me it's NOT)

2. The Crush Of Love (This song ROCKS!)

3. Climbing To Your Throne

4. I Can't Get Enough (Jody's voice REALLY shines on this one)

5. Satellite (Jeff helped with this song...It is AWESOME)

6. Close to You (This one rawks as well.)

7. Burning Another Page

8. Bleed (At first this song was a turn off, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it)

9. Drive

10. Velveteen (I thought this song would be really childish and stupid, but it is SOOOO passionately sung and REALLY neat...It doesn't talk about the velveteen rabbit at all)

11. Light Of The World/Love Is The Answer (Anybody over 30 has probably heard this song. Jody's cover is THE best song on the album in my opinion.)

Added 2/2/01

Have you guys heard that Jody and Erika are planning on naming their daughter "Florence Davis"? ...Neither have I, but I just thought I'd ask. If any of you do hear such a thing, please let me know! Actually, I think it would be adorable if they named her Jody. Or Buffy, for reasons which I'm too lazy to type right now.

Yeah, on slow news days I like to make up my own. :) But here's something that's true: Phynley Joel's hair (which was dark when she was born) has turned blond like her parents'. Thank goodness. Her name would've been pretty silly otherwise. And don't tell me that's not newsworthy. I'll make those determinations myself, thank you very much. You can start your own news section if you're not happy with this one. :P

Added 1/28/01

This, my friends, is the picture that I have been waiting at least ten months to see. Now that it actually exists, I have hope that I may hear the album before I die. But how do you like that-- three pictures of himself on the cover, and he's not really smiling in any of them! That's our Jody. :) *sigh*...

Added 1/25/01

I feel downright silly reporting this, but... a rumor that first cropped up in May of last year has resurfaced in an article on webrock.net (and thanks to Zeborg for drawing my attention to this.) I quote the last sentence: "Jeff also has a solo project in the works." Now, Jeff is known to hate his voice, but the rumors last year were of some kind of instrumental album... with Duncan, actually. Oh, I don't know guys-- probably none of it's true, but I can't resist posting it like the rumormonger I am. :) Wouldn't it be fun if Jeff did have a solo album?

On to news I'm actually sure about-- the name of Jody Davis' upcoming solo album will be (*drumroll*)... "Jody Davis". Yeah, it's self-titled and I'll get a picture up as soon as I can hit the scanner again. Personally, I think he couldn't have picked a lovelier name. :)

Added 1/14/01

It's true! The Newsboys are going to be touring this spring, and bless their li'l hearts, they're swinging through my area in March. :) :) Will they be coming to a city near you? Find out here.

Right now the guys are playing around in Australia and New Zealand, which no doubt is a treat for all of them. And Phynley is meeting her daddy's relatives for the first time... aww... According to dc, the band is "preparing for the new concerts", so let's hope that means they're actually learning their new songs. dc is also tormenting us with promises of "big announcements soon" (which he's been saying for several months now and I think it's something to do with a funky new tour) so we'll all just wait with bated breath... of course, I'm already in on the secret, but I won't spoil the surprise for the rest of you. :)

Okay, so I like to pretend I know things. Humor me.

Added 12/31/00

Well, it took quite a bit of effort, but I finally managed to obtain a couple of wedding pictures! And as if that weren't enough, I also scrounged a few from the motorbike trip to Baja. Don't say I never do anything for you!

Added 12/23/00

Phil was the guest for two hours on the Christmas special of "Life on the Edge" this evening. It was a very sweet program; if you missed you can listen to it on the web here. And while I'm at it, here's a page where you can listen to an hour-long live request program that the Newsboys did two months ago.

More grist for the rumor mill... as incredible and cool as this sounds, I've heard it from two sources so it might actually be true that Phil is working on another solo album! Shara reports that it's scheduled for November 2001 and it'll be on InPop like the first one. Woo hoo! Phil rocks! But doesn't that boy ever rest?

Added 12/21/00

No, I haven't forgotten. I've just been too busy to update the news! But December 16 was Jeff and Jeni's wedding date, and now there are no single Newsboys left. Thanks to good ol' CCM Magazine, I now know that her full name was Jennifer Good and she's 21, which means she was about 18 when she met Jeff at Busch Gardens in Florida. Man, if I'd known that teenyboppers had a chance... The wedding took place in Jeff's hometown of Detroit, and they're honeymooning in New York City. I'm keeping a sharp lookout for wedding pictures and if I get my grubby little paws on anything I'll be sure to post it here.

Today I found some dates for Phil Joel's tour. These are not quite the same as the dates I have in a CCM ad, but I figured I'd go with what the management company says. There might be more cities confirmed later if Phil knows what's good for him. To quote another Newsboys fan: "dude, that boy had better show up in Seattle, or next time I see him I am going to tie his hair in knots." The tour's gonna last three weeks, and Heather and Phynley are traveling with him. Sweet... :)

And this is the third time I've added to the news today. Check this out, people... we have waited and waited and now we actually have a release date for Jody's album! Not that I'm at all certain he'll stick to it, but naming a date is farther than he's ever gone before. :) No title yet, and here's what I've read: "Following in the footsteps of Newsboys' bassist Phil Joel, the group's guitarist Jody Davis is stepping up to the microphone with his first solo project. With his trademark guitar, textured horns and tinkering keyboards, the project provides a look into rock 'n' roll past and present with a sound that brings to mind bands like the Moody Blues, Chicago, Matchbox Twenty and The Wallflowers." The label is Pamplin Music, which is affiliated with Organic Records. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you the date, didn't I? It's March 27, about three weeks after his daughter is due to be born. :) Sorry, I'm just SO EXCITED I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT!

Okay, forth addition to the news. :) According to CCM, according to Jeff, "Newsboys will head out for 20-25 tour dates in the spring." I'm very glad to hear it! though it contradicts what I'd heard about the guys taking a break from touring till the fall. Hey, I'm not complaining if they've moved things up!

Added 12/11/00

Kevin in 1994

On December 4 in Hollywood, Kevin Mills died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 32. His funeral was held in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Kevin was the Newsboys' bass player from 1992 to 1994. He was in the Not Ashamed video, played on Going Public, and has a cameo at the beginning of Down Under the Big Top-- in that movie, as in real life, he was replaced by Phil Joel. There are some pictures of him on this site, especially in the Not Ashamed Gallery. Kevin left the Newsboys to pursue an acting/stuntman career and ended up working for White Heart briefly (management and playing bass) before becoming a bartender in the LA area. His wife was a Newsboys manager for a while; they had no children and at some point they divorced. Kevin had a few minor acting roles and recently he had begun playing bass for a new CCM artist. Here's Peter in a press release: "He was a vital part of Newsboys history and remained a close friend. Our hearts pour out to his family, and our prayers are with them. He will be deeply missed."

"Run the race like this day's the last" ~Hallelujah

Added 12/5/00

Phil is finally planning a solo tour! In his own words, "It�s gonna be great! I'm taking out a great band with lots of wild lighting and video screens. The tour will also include cool support acts like Luna Halo, Earthsuit, Vienna and Sammy Ward. I know that it�s going to be great, but I�m still a bit nervous as this is my first full tour without my Newsboys brothers. If you can remember to pray for me and the entire 'Strangely Normal Tour,' that would be much appreciated." I hear that LaRue will also be with the tour. It starts January 31, 2001 with a concert in Louisville, KY. Conveniently, the Newsboys are on break from touring until next fall.

More Phil news... he just did an interview thingy for Brio magazine: the readers sent in questions and he answered them. I mention this because two of the questions were mine. :) I asked about the teenage girl demographic and "Do your fans ever make you uncomfortable?" If you want to know his answers you'll have to read it for yourself!

Finally, here's a bit of pre-news: Jeff and Jeni are getting married on Saturday, December 16! The last Newsboy wedding... *sniff sniff*

Added 11/30/00

Finally, more news on Jody's solo album, thanks to TkMe2YrLdr who called in to a radio show that was interviewing Phil Joel and asked him about it. It seems our fro-haired friend lied when he said (six months ago!) that the album was finished. :) Or maybe we heard wrong, or maybe he decided to work it over, but anyway we hear from Phil that it's going to be finished this week. Jody actually started his solo project before Phil, so he's been taking his sweet time. (He has no regard for the symmetry of my CD case! There's an empty sleeve next to "Watching Over You".) I still don't know what label it'll be on-- Organic Records tells me they'll be releasing it, but they also said it'd be out this year and obviously they were wrong about that. Phil did confirm that the sound of Jody's album is way different from the usual Newsboys stuff. I can't wait to hear it! Anyway. Thanks to Amber Lynn for calling my attention to this lovely picture of Jody holding the K-Love notes.

In other news, Phil said the Newswives (hehe) are throwing a baby shower for Erika Davis this week. :)

I also hear from DC (who's been updating the official site; go check it out!) that the Newsboys have been on their annual motorbike safari in the Baja desert. I sure hope there won't be any broken bones this time around...

Added 11/3/00

Peter Furler has just been named "Christian Songwriter of the Year" by SESAC. (SESAC is a big performing rights organization.) He's written or co-written every single song on every one of the Newsboys' records. And when you think of all the incredible songs the Newsboys have-- why haven't they given this guy an award before?

Added 10/25/00

IT'S ANOTHER GIRL! Well, not yet. But the Newsboys have been playing live requests on radio stations these last three days, and on yesterday's show Phil said "Jody's stepping up to the plate now. He's having a baby girl on March 5. We're starting the Newsgirls and preparing for early retirement." We've known since July that Jody was gonna be a father, but now we know it's a daughter! And I hope she has curly dark hair like her daddy. AAAH! I could die from the cuteness of it. Oh, added note-- Phil also said that his daughter is named Phynley because it means "blond warrior". Just as I guessed last week. See, you should listen to me. :)

And here's some news that's been known for so long, it didn't even occur to me to add it when I created this section. But it really oughtta be here, so-- Jeff is engaged! Her name is Jeni whose-last-name-nobody-knows. They met in Florida about three years ago, and their wedding is set for December 16, 2000. Until then, Jeff is the last of the single Newsboys. There's no word yet on how Jeni broke it to her family and friends that her new last name is going to be "Frankenstein".

Added 10/24/00

The Newsboys are taking a year off from touring. They'll take it up again in the fall of 2001 to promote the new album that'll be coming out then. But the rumors I heard about a tour this winter to support the hits album are not true, more's the pity. Well, then again, it's nice that the Newsboys are making sure they won't get worn out. And this way Phil will have lots of time with his new daughter, and even Jody will get about six tour-free months with his kid when he/she arrives. Still, you gotta worry that they'll get used to being with their families every night, and will never take up touring again! I've heard them complaining recently about living like nomads on the tour buses, etc. Well, we'll see. They won't be idle during the time off, 'cause they have an album to write and produce, and they each have side interests that they work on, and they will play the summer festivals. So they won't get too rusty! All right, 'nuff about that. The news you probably expected was...

The hits album is out today! And if you hit exactly the right store at exactly the right second, you can get a free DVD with your CD! The DVD is of "Newsboys Live: One Night In Pennsylvania," and it has four music videos (which the VHS tape does not have): Out Of My System, Shine, Take Me To Your Leader, and Entertaining Angels.

Also, a bit more on Phynley. I now know that Phil was there with Heather during the birth (something they both really wanted-- they were afraid Phil would be playing a concert.) Phil cut the umbilical cord himself (took him two tries.)

Added 10/16/00

IT'S A GIRL! Phil and Heather had the first Newsbaby (yeah, yeah, except for Natasha James) on Sunday, October 15. They named her Phynley Elizabeth, and I'm not clear on her last name-- see, I think "Urry" is the legal last name, and "Joel" is the stage name that Phil and Heather both use! Sooo... take your pick. Some research on the name: Phynley, a variation of "Findlay", is of Gaelic origin, and it means "fair-haired warrior", or just "fair-haired". Findlay is a boys' name but Phil and Heather have feminized the spelling, and I'm betting their daughter does have fair hair-- could a child of these two have any other color? As for Elizabeth, I think that's Heather's middle name; of course it's also in the Bible. I hear Phynley is being called "Phyn" for short, which is an improvement over "Spuds" (the name by which she was called before she was born)! Okay, I've chatted myself out now.

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The self-same song that found a path
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when sick for home
She stood in tears amid the alien corn;
The same that ofttimes hath
Charm�d magic casements, opening on the foam
Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.

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