Christian rock group Newsboys claimed that they’ve been dropped from their record label following former lead singer Michael Tait‘s confession earlier this month that allegations of unwanted groping of young men and abuse were largely true.
Newsboys, consisting of Adam Agee, Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein and Jody Davis, took the stage at Arizona’s Elevate Music Festival on Sunday, where they stated that they had been dropped from Capitol Christian Music Group in the fallout from Tait’s announcement.
“As a result of all this, and the things that have come out that he’s done, he’s confessed, we’ve been dropped from our record label,” said Agee, who stepped in as lead singer of the group following Tait’s departure in January. “We had radio stations pull our music and we’ve been canceled by promoters and venues all over the world. But not tonight.”
The label did not respond to Variety‘s request for confirmation, and Newsboys is no longer listed on the site’s artist roster, where they were featured as recently as April.
“A couple of weeks ago, our world was rocked by the devastating news about what that confession and what that double life really was,” Agee told the crowd. “We were shocked because in January, he had mentioned a few things about substance abuse and some personal struggles he was having at home when he wasn’t on the road, but never anything of the magnitude of what we read and what was reported and never anything, ever just anything, that could have made us ever think that he could possibly be a danger to others or anything like that.”
Tait abruptly quit Newsboys in January after being the face of the veteran group for the last 16 years. On June 4, Christian site Roys Report published a lengthy article describing “Nashville’s worst-kept secret” and detailing a pattern of “predatory grooming” as well as drug abuse.
The following day, Newsboys issued a statement on its Instagram, writing, “When he left the band in January, Michael confessed to us and our management that he ‘had been living a double-life’ but we never imagined that it could be this bad.”
Days later, Tait himself responded to the report and confirmed that the allegations in the article were largely true. “For some two decades I used and abused cocaine, consumed far too much alcohol, and, at times, touched men in an unwanted sensual way,” he wrote. “I am ashamed of my life choices and actions, and make no excuses for them. I will simply call it what God calls it — sin. I don’t blame anyone or anything but myself. While I might dispute certain details in the accusations against me, I do not dispute the substance of them…”
After Tait’s confession, music industry figures including Paramore’s Hayley Williams reacted negatively to the news. “I hope the CCM industry crumbles,” she wrote on social media. “And fuck all of you who knew and didn’t do a damn thing. I bet I’ve got your number. And btw if you’re not angry too then maybe it’s time to question why.”