Latest news with #Christianrock
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Christian rock band singer Michael Tait accused of sexual assault, drug abuse after he's ‘been living a double-life': report
The former lead singer of an award-winning Christian-rock band was allegedly 'living a double life' as he faces accusations of sexual assault, grooming and drug abuse dating as far two decades. Michael Tait, who served as the frontman for Newsboys for 16 years before leaving in January, allegedly abused alcohol and drugs before inappropriately touching several people, according to an investigative report from Christian media outlet, The Roys Report. Newsboys' current members, Jody Davis, Duncan Phillips, Jeff Frankenstein and Adam Agee, addressed the allegations against their former bandmate on Friday. 'Last night our hearts were shattered when we read the news alleging drug abuse and inappropriate sexual actions by our former lead singer, Michael Tait. While Michael has not addressed these allegations, we are devastated even by the implications,' the band wrote on Instagram. 'First and foremost, our hearts are with the victims who have bravely shared their stories. If you are a victim, we urge you to come forward. We absolutely do not condone any form of sexual assault.' The band members described themselves as fathers and husbands who were left 'horrified, heartbroken and angered' over the allegations against Tait. Tait, 59, allegedly confessed that he had been 'living a double life' when he left the group, the band claimed. 'We never imagined that it could be this bad,' the band added. Tait announced he was departing Newsboys on Jan. 16, a day after a TikToker Azariah Southworth made a viral post claiming the singer was gay. The post reached over 250,000 views before it was removed from the platform for 'violent extremism,' according to the outlet. Tait didn't address the viral TikTok in his decision to leave the band. 'While this may come to as a surprise given I've been touring ever since college, I've made for me what is a monumental and heartfelt decision that it is time to stepown from Newsboys,' he wrote in an Instagram post on Jan. 16. 'This decision does not come lightly and has been a shock to even myself, but amidst prayer and fasting, I have clarity that this is the right decision.' Tate joined Newsboys in 2009 after having been the lead singer for Christian rap trio DC Talk. Tait allegedly befriended multiple people while on tour, including three men in 2004, 2010 and 2014, respectively. Two of the men, who were all 22 years old when they met Tait, 59, claim they were offered alcohol and they woke up to the singer allegedly fondling them, the outlet added. The third man alleges Tait offered him cocaine on the Newsboys' tour bus, gave him a back massage in a hot tub, and was invited to his king-size bed where the vocalist began to touch him non-consensually, the outlet reported. Newsboys' were nominated for four Grammy Awards between 1992 and 2003. They have been nominated for 30 Dove Awards, winning six times, and have won several other awards, including a Billboard Music Video Award and two Nashville Music Awards. The band appeared in the movie 'God's Not Dead' as themselves performing a concert attended by the main characters played by Shane Harper and Kevin Sorbo.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Tributes pour in after drummer Daniel Williams and music agent Dave Shapiro named as victims in San Diego plane crash
The former drummer of a Christian rock band and a music agent were among those identified as victims of a deadly plane crash in a San Diego neighborhood in the early hours of Thursday. The fiery crash occurred around 3:47 a.m. when the small Cessna 550 abruptly came down into the Murphy Canyon neighborhood, igniting cars and homes and injuring eight people on the ground. The exact number of victims, and the number of people on board the plane is still unknown, though it is believed that at least three were killed. Here's what we know about them so far. Dave Shapiro Dave Shapiro the owner of Sound Talent Group, the first person identified among the deceased, as confirmed by his company. The 42-year-old was an avid pilot with over a decade of experience flying, though it was not immediately clear if he was flying the plane or if he was a passenger. He was also known around the music industry as a 'daredevil,' according to the Billboard report. 'We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends,' a spokesperson for Sound Talent Group told Billboard. 'Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today's tragedy. Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time.' 'From BASE jumping to aerobatic flying, Helicopters to twin engines, flight instructing to furthering his own education, doesn't matter to Dave as long as he gets to be in the sky,' his aviation website reads. Shapiro, who worked with bands including Sum 41 and Pierce the Veil, was also a staunch supporter of independent music. He launched his own agency in 2018 with Tim Borror and Matt Anderson. Daniel Williams Williams was the former drummer of metal-core band The Devil Wears Prada, and was identified as a victim of the crash by his family, according to TMZ. The outlet reported that the drummer's father Larry William said they had not had official confirmation from authorities, but that he was confident his son had been on the plane. The Devil Wears Prada also posted a tribute to Williams on their official Instagram page. Sharing several pictures of him they wrote 'No words. We owe you everything. Love you forever." Just prior to the crash Williams had posted a picture of himself online in the copilot's seat of the small plane, with the caption ''Here we gooooo.' However, his father told TMZ that his son did not have a pilots license. In a post on X, podcast State of the Scene wrote: 'Heart goes out to Dave Shapiro and Daniel Williams' family and friends. What a f****** tragedy this week has been..'
