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

in the course of his major, 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 was once his brilliant voice, "the voice of an angel."

This booklet is his prodigal-son tale. Audacious, Newton by no means grew to become down a dare, no matter if it intended mountaineering at the roof of a rushing 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.

via his past due kids he have been recruited via the Blackwood Brothers, the number-one gospel quartet on this planet. In his mid-twenties whereas he was once making a song Christian songs with the Oak Ridge Quartet, Newton's potent expertise and movie-star appears to be like took him deep into hedonism--reckless riding, heavy romancing, and addictive capsule popping.

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

This biography appears to be like again on the harmful way of life that wrecked a gleaming profession. while good into his sixties, Newton became his existence round and was once capable of confront his demons and speak about his prodigal days. He talked broadly with Russ Cheatham approximately his self- destruction and the good own cost of his personal bad-boy offerings and overdue redemption.

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

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