"I messed up," Calvin Newton lamented, after losing thirty years and doing time in either nation and federal prisons for robbery, counterfeiting, and drug violations. "These have been years of my existence that i may were making a song gospel music."

in the course of his best, he used to be super-handsome, athletic, and charged with sexual air of mystery that attracted ladies to him like flies to honey. Atop this abundance used to be his dazzling voice, "the voice of an angel."

This publication is his prodigal-son tale. Audacious, Newton by no means became down a dare, whether it intended hiking at the roof of a dashing motor vehicle or wading right into a freezing ocean. As a boy boxer, he used to be a Kentucky Golden Gloves champ who k.o.'ed his opponent in twenty-three seconds.

by means of his overdue adolescents he have been recruited by means of the Blackwood Brothers, the number-one gospel quartet on the earth. In his mid-twenties whereas he was once making a song Christian songs with the Oak Ridge Quartet, Newton's amazing expertise and movie-star seems to be took him deep into hedonism--reckless using, heavy romancing, and addictive tablet popping.

As Fifties rock 'n' roll started its invasion of gospel, he and companions shaped the Sons of tune, the 1st all-male gospel trio. lengthy prior to the pop sound claimed modern Christian tune, the Sons of track became gospel the wrong way up with histrionic concord, high-styled tuxedos, and Hollywood verve. Their signature tune, "Wasted Years," foreshadowed Newton's punishing fall.

This biography appears to be like again on the damaging way of life that wrecked a gleaming occupation. whilst good into his sixties, Newton became his existence round and used to be capable of confront his demons and talk about his prodigal days. He talked commonly with Russ Cheatham approximately his self- destruction and the nice own cost of his personal bad-boy offerings and overdue redemption.

during this candid biography, certainly one of gospel's all-stars discloses a messed-up existence that vacillated among success and failure, reputation and infamy, happiness and grief.

Russ Cheatham is an affiliate professor and coordinator of the felony justice application at Cumberland collage. His paintings has been released in Bluegrass Unlimited and Music Row Magazine.