Juice Newton

Biography

Juice Newton (born Judith Kay Newton; February 18, 1952) is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categories – winning once in 1983 – as well as an ACM Award for Top New Female Artist and two consecutive Billboard Female Album Artist of the Year awards. Newton's other awards include a People's Choice Award for "Best Female Vocalist" and the Australian Music Media's "Number One International Country Artist".
Newton has several Gold and Platinum records to her credit, including Juice, Quiet Lies and her first Greatest Hits album. During the 1980s, she charted 14 top 10 hits across the Billboard Country, AC, and Hot 100 charts, with many of the recordings achieving crossover success and six of the songs hitting the No. 1 position.

Early life and education

Newton was born in Lakehurst, New Jersey. She is the daughter of a Navy officer. Her mother encouraged her interest in music, giving her a guitar for her 13th birthday.
After graduating from First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, she attended Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California. During this time, she performed folk music in some local coffeehouses. She then formed a folk-rock band with guitarist and songwriter Otha Young and toured bars in Northern California with her band.

Early music career

In the early 1970s, Newton, Otha Young and Tom Kealey formed a band that would eventually be called Juice Newton & Silver Spur, which was signed to RCA Records. The group released two albums for RCA, in 1975 and 1976, but scored only one charting country single with "Love Is a Word". The band was dropped by RCA, then joined Capitol Records in 1977. The band broke up shortly after releasing just one more album.
In late 1977, Newton went solo, continuing to record for Capitol, and until 1982 Silver Spur remained the name of her backing band. Newton also sang backing vocals for three tracks on Bob Welch's platinum solo debut album, including his hit "Ebony Eyes".
Near the end of 1977, "It's a Heartache" became Newton's first solo record and a major hit in Mexico, where it was eventually certified Gold, and in 1978, she released it in the United States. “It’s a Heartache” was the first of Newton's eleven singles to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Also in 1978, The Carpenters' version of the Newton/Young-penned song "Sweet, Sweet Smile" reached the Top 10 on both the Country and Adult Contemporary charts, and No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1978, Newton legally changed her name from "Judy Kay Newton" to "Juice Newton" ("Juice×JuiceFebruary 1981 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1 1Angel of the Morning4:121 2Shot Full of Love3:221 3Ride ’Em Cowboy3:301 4Queen of Hearts3:291 5River of Love2:532 1All I Have to Do Is Dream3:102 2Headin’ for a Heartache2:462 3Country Comfort4:172 4Texas Heartache2:592 5The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known)4:04" having long been her nickname).
Newton's solo debut album, Well Kept Secret×Well Kept Secret1978 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1So Many WaysA2Close EnoughA3I’ll Never Love AgainA4Go EasyA5A Love Like YoursB1Hey BabyB2Tell My Baby GoodnightB3No ReasonB4It’s Not ImpossibleB5If There Could Be, was released later in 1978. Neither Well Kept Secret nor its sole single, "Hey Baby", charted, but Capitol Records did renew Newton's contract. In 1979 Capitol's investment in Newton began to pay off as Newton had her first Top-40 Country hit with "Let's Keep It That Way" (another one-off single). Later that year, the album Take Heart×Take Heart1979 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Sunshine2:57A2Just Holding On3:39A3Until Tonight3:15A4Any Way That You Want Me3:26A5Tear It Up3:16B1You Fill My Life3:27B2One Step at a Time3:05B3San Diego Serenade3:40B4The Dream Never Dies3:46B5Lay Back in the Arms of Someone3:29 featured five modestly charting singles: "Until Tonight", "Any Way That You Want Me", "You Fill My Life", "Lay Back in the Arms of Someone", and "Sunshine". In 1980, "Sunshine" became Newton's second top-40 country chart single, "You Fill My Life" reached No. 41, and "Until Tonight" was No. 42. Both of Newton's initial solo efforts performed with modest success but failed to have lasting impacts on the album charts.

Early 1980s pop music success

In 1981, Newton's third solo album, simply titled Juice×JuiceFebruary 1981 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1 1Angel of the Morning4:121 2Shot Full of Love3:221 3Ride ’Em Cowboy3:301 4Queen of Hearts3:291 5River of Love2:532 1All I Have to Do Is Dream3:102 2Headin’ for a Heartache2:462 3Country Comfort4:172 4Texas Heartache2:592 5The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known)4:04, was released. It spawned three consecutive Top-10 pop hits, namely "Angel of the Morning×Angel of the MorningFebruary 1981 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAAngel of the Morning3:49BHeadin' for a Heartache2:46" (written by Chip Taylor), "Queen of Hearts×Queen Of Hearts1981 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAQueen of Hearts3:29BRiver of Love2:53," and an updated version of "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" (the original version had appeared on the Silver Spur debut album), which earned Newton the first of several No. 1 Country chart singles. A fourth single, "Ride 'Em Cowboy", from Juice was released in 1984 to support Newton's first Greatest Hits album, reaching the Billboard Country Top 40 chart.
In 1981, Newton's video for "Angel of the Morning" was the first country-music video to air on MTV, the third by a female solo artist (after videos by Pat Benatar and Carly Simon), and the 40th to air on the channel overall.
Juice sold more than a million copies in the United States and went Triple-Platinum (300,000 copies) in Canada. "Angel of the Morning" and "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" each reached No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, where Newton would chart regularly for the next several years. In 1982, Newton received two Grammy nominations for Best Female Vocalist: one for "Angel of the Morning" in the Pop category, and another for "Queen of Hearts" in Country.
These two singles became her biggest sellers in the United States, each earning an RIAA Gold certification. (In 1981 and 1982, when these singles were certified, the RIAA standard for Gold singles was "more than 1 million copies sold"; in 1989, RIAA lowered the standard to 500,000 for Gold single certifications.) The songs were also sizable hits in Canada, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries. For example, "Angel of the Morning" peaked at No. 1 in Canada and No. 43 in the UK Singles Chart in 1981. While "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" did not receive a U.S. certification, the song's popularity propelled album sales from Gold to Platinum, and the recording remained in the Top 40 (of the Hot 100) for 18 weeks. "Shot Full Of Love" was released as a single in the UK, but failed to chart.
In the spring of 1982 Newton released her fourth solo album, Quiet Lies×Quiet Lies1982 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Heart of the Night4:102Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me3:163Break It to Me Gently4:054Love, Sail Away3:325I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can3:576I'm Gonna Be Strong3:407Trail of Tears2:598Adiós Mi Corazón4:129Falling in Love3:3310Ever True4:05, which sold 900,000 copies in the United States. The album went platinum in Canada (100,000 copies). It spawned the Top 10 Pop and Adult Contemporary hit "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" (which garnered her another Pop Female Vocalist Grammy nomination). "Break It to Me Gently" was the second single and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, No. 2 on the Billboard Country chart, as well as No. 9 in Cash Box and No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The recording, a contemporary remake of a Brenda Lee hit from the 1960s, won Newton her first Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, beating out contemporaries Dolly Parton, Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris and Sylvia. The album's third and final single, "Heart of the Night," reached No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary chart in early 1983 and climbed to No. 25 on the Hot 100.
The album also garnered Newton an award from Australia as the "Top International Country Artist" for the continent. In 1982, Newton toured with country band Alabama on the "Salem Spirit" double-headliner tour. (Various acts opened for Newton and Alabama.)
The direction for Newton's sixth and final Capitol album, 1983's Dirty Looks×Dirty Looks1983 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Dirty Looks3:472Tell Her No3:323Til I Loved You3:554Keeping Me on My Toes4:095Twenty Years Ago3:426Don't Bother Me3:417Stranger at My Door3:278Slipping Away4:089Runaway Hearts4:4710For Believers2:15, was decidedly more rock-oriented and experimental than her usual blending of folk, pop and country styles. The album spawned a moderate-sized hit with "Tell Her No" (Hot 100 No. 27/AC No. 14) and the title track, a rock-edged number that charted low in the Hot 100. The single "Stranger at My Door" had a brief run on the country chart. The album was a moderate success, selling more than 300,000 copies in the United States and going Gold in Canada (50,000 copies). (The song "Dirty Looks" was written by Dave Robbins and Van Stephenson, who would later become part of the Country group Blackhawk in the 1990s. The pair also wrote Newton's 1984 country single "Restless Heart.")
According to a 1984 front-page article in Billboard magazine, changes at Capitol led Newton to return to RCA. The 1984 album Can't Wait All Night continued with a rock-oriented sound. The launch single, "A Little Love," and the title track became Newton's final charting pop singles to date, reaching No. 44 and No. 66, respectively, while "Restless Heart" made No. 57 on the country chart. "A Little Love" became Newton's seventh and final Top-10 hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, reaching the No. 7 spot. Newton's final double-header "Salem Spirit" tour with Alabama took place during this time, with Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers as the opening act.

From pop to country

Newton had always been moderately popular in country music; she responded to her waning popularity in the pop market by targeting her next album, 1985's Old Flame×Old Flame1985 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Cheap Love3:29A2You Make Me Want to Make You Mine4:08A3Hurt3:41A4Old Flame3:01A5Stuck in the Middle With You2:51B1Feel a Whole Lot Better3:29B2What Can I Do With My Heart3:34B3With You3:37B4One Touch3:25B5Both to Each Other (Friends & Lovers)3:53, solely to country audiences. The strategic move was a success; the album revitalized her career, reached No. 12 on the Billboard album chart and featured six Top-10 country hits, including the No. 1s "You Make Me Want to Make You Mine", "Hurt", and "Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)" (with Eddie Rabbitt), none of which (unlike her previous efforts) appeared at all on the pop charts. The duet was released to the public before the pop version "Friends and Lovers" by Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson; the pop version was released to radio and stores two weeks after Newton and Rabbitt's version first appeared, even though it was recorded first. Newton's version was originally available only on a special edition of the Old Flame album and on the Eddie Rabbitt album Rabbitt Traxx. The "Old Flame" album produced hit singles for more than sixteen months, with the final release being "What Can I Do with My Heart" (written by Otha Young), which reached the Top 10 in early 1987.
Newton returned to the Top 10 in 1988 with "Tell Me True" from her 1987 album Emotion×Emotion1987 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1First Time Caller3:402Tell Me True3:103Emotions3:054Walkin’ Into Trouble2:555If I Didn't Love You3:446I Still Love You4:257Someone Believed3:428Old Bye and Bye3:479’Til You Cry4:05. The album's lead single, the progressive-country tune "First Time Caller", stalled at No. 24. Her final album of the decade, Ain't Gonna Cry (1989), was not promoted by the label and did not chart. But it did spawn her final Top-40 country hit to date, "When Love Comes Around the Bend", which RCA refused to release as a single because Newton's contract had not been renewed.
After being dropped by RCA Records in 1989 (along with several other country artists, including Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, as country music as a whole was about to undergo momentous change), Newton took time to focus on her family life. Newton took a hiatus from recording albums, touring sporadically until returning to the music scene in late 1990s when she released the albums The Trouble with Angels×The Trouble With Angels28 April 1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Angel of the Morning4:162Ride ’em Cowboy4:103Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me3:114When I Get Over You3:515The Trouble With Angels4:006This Old Flame3:377Break It to Me Gently4:078Red Blooded American Girl5:039Queen of Hearts3:2910The Sweetest Thing4:15 (1998) and American Girl×American Girl12 October 1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Ask Lucinda2:482Listen to the Radio3:133Love Hurts4:014They Never Made It to Memphis2:505Keepin’ Me Alive3:216I've Been Mistreated2:597Crazy Little Thing Called Love2:468Nightime Without You2:359The Trouble With Angels3:5610Red Blooded American Girl5:0011There Goes My Love2:4212You Can't Say You Don’t Love Me Anymore3:02 (1999).

1990s to present

In 1994, Newton contributed the track "Lovers of One Day" to an Édith Piaf tribute album which also included songs by Pat Benatar and Donna Summer.
In 1995, Newton recorded a double album of pop duets×Duets14 August 2017 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Baby I’m a Want You3:482These Dreams4:303Sea of Love3:154Still the One3:525Come a Little Bit Closer4:176If You Don’t Know Me by Now3:367I Hear You Knocking3:598Biggest Part of Me4:589Funny How Time Slips Away3:3310Fooled Around and Fell in Love4:0111Take It to the Limit4:2012Heart of Gold3:3613Both to Each Other3:5014My Love4:1915Somebody’s Baby3:48 (which was slated to be sold via infomercial), but the project was riddled with legal issues, resulting in a low-impact, "accidental" release of the "Platinum & Gold" series of duets in the early 2000s (the CD set was released without Newton's permission). Subsequently, bootleg CDs including most of the duets turned up on U.S. store shelves as Gold & Platinum, Volumes 7 and 8. Those CDs also contain 1995 solo versions of three of Newton's pop hits: "Angel of the Morning×Angel of the MorningFebruary 1981 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAAngel of the Morning3:49BHeadin' for a Heartache2:46", "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" and "Queen of Hearts×Queen Of Hearts1981 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAQueen of Hearts3:29BRiver of Love2:53". Newton's duet partners included Willie Nelson, Melissa Manchester, The Pointer Sisters and Frankie Valli. In 1998, Newton released The Trouble with Angels, a collection of seven re-recorded hits and three new songs, including the single "When I Get Over You". The 1998 effort was quickly followed by American Girl in 1999, which was Newton's first album of all-new material since 1989 and featured the single "They Never Made It to Memphis". The collection featured tracks written by Otha Young, Freddie Mercury, Nanci Griffith, Tom Petty and Newton herself.
Every Road Leads Back to You (which consists of live material and a bonus EP of four studio recordings of original songs) was released in 2002 with an accompanying DVD. American Girl Vol. II, which was originally sold exclusively at cdbaby.com and at Newton's live shows, was released in 2003 and reissued in 2006 and again in 2011 by Brookside Records.
In 2005, Newton appeared on the TV show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, on which she performed a folk-rock rendition of "Pieces Of Me" and a truncated version of "Queen of Hearts"; online voters selected Newton's performance as their favorite of the five acts that appeared on the episode. In the mid-2000s, Newton also contributed tracks to the albums An All-Star Tribute To Cher ("Reason to Believe") and An All-Star Tribute to Shania Twain ("Come On Over").
On November 15, 2007, Newton released The Gift of Christmas, her first Christmas album. The 12-song album includes a new version of Newton's "Christmas Needs Love to Be Christmas" and "Mary's Boy Child", as well as a special Christmas version of "For Believers", an Otha Young-penned song first recorded in 1983 for the Dirty Looks album.

On August 6, 2009, Newton's longtime musical partner Otha Young died of cancer. The pair worked together for 37 years.
In 2010, Newton's Duets: Friends & Memories album was released by Fuel 2000. The album contained duets performed with Willie Nelson, Melissa Manchester, Frankie Valli and others. One single ("Funny How Time Slips Away") was released.
In 2011, Fuel 2000 released Juice Newton: The Ultimate Hits Collection, which included her own version of the Carpenters' 1978 hit "Sweet Sweet Smile", which Newton and Otha Young wrote in the '70s.
In 2012, BGO Records issued a two-CD set containing Newton's three 1970s Capitol albums: Come To Me×Come to Me1977 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Low Down and Lonesome2:562Come to Me3:373Back Down to Lonely4:194Crying Too Long3:425Wouldn't Mind a Thing3:396Good Luck Baby Jane3:567Save a Heart3:228The Fire Down Below4:029Good Woman at Home3:0510You've Been Around2:46, Well Kept Secret×Well Kept Secret1978 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1So Many WaysA2Close EnoughA3I’ll Never Love AgainA4Go EasyA5A Love Like YoursB1Hey BabyB2Tell My Baby GoodnightB3No ReasonB4It’s Not ImpossibleB5If There Could Be and Take Heart×Take Heart1979 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Sunshine2:57A2Just Holding On3:39A3Until Tonight3:15A4Any Way That You Want Me3:26A5Tear It Up3:16B1You Fill My Life3:27B2One Step at a Time3:05B3San Diego Serenade3:40B4The Dream Never Dies3:46B5Lay Back in the Arms of Someone3:29. This marked the first time these albums have been available in the CD format. With the release of this set, all Newton's 17 studio albums have been issued on CD.
In the 2016 film Deadpool, Newton's version of "Angel of the Morning" was used for the opening credits montage. As a result, the track re-charted on the Billboard Country chart, reaching No. 43, and also hit No. 3 on Spotify's World Music chart. In 2020, Newton's version of "Angel of the Morning" was featured in the film Promising Young Woman.

Personal life

Newton bought a thoroughbred gelding named Puppy in 1983 and stabled him at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. The center's manager was polo star and coach Tom Goodspeed. Newton married Goodspeed in 1985. They have two children: Jessica and Tyler.
Besides continuing in the music business, Newton works as a horse trader, dealing mostly in European breeds. She also played polo herself.

Studio albums

Juice Newton & Silver Spur (1975)
After the Dust Settles (1976)
Come to Me (1977)
Well Kept Secret (1978)
Take Heart (1979)
Juice (1981)
Quiet Lies (1982)
Dirty Looks (1983)
Can't Wait All Night (1984)
Old Flame (1985)
Emotion (1987)
Ain't Gonna Cry (1989)
The Trouble with Angels (1998)
American Girl (1999)
The Gift of Christmas (2007)
Duets: Friends & Memories (2010)