Juice Newton (born Judy Kay Newton, February 18, 1952, Lakehurst, NJ) was
part of the first wave of country singers raised on rock, folk-rock, and
singer/songwriters, which is evident from her hit singles. "Angel of the Morning" and "Queen of Hearts,"
her two crossover hits, have country-pop arrangements, but their roots are in
'60s pop and new wave roots rock, respectively. That's why she managed pop
crossover hits in the early '80s and also why she was able to sustain country
success throughout the decade.
Although
Juice Newton was born in New Jersey, she was raised in Virginia. As she entered
high school, her mother gave her a guitar, prompting her infatuation with folk
music. After graduating from high school, she attended Foothill College in Los
Altos Hills, CA, where she continued to play folk in coffeehouses. During this
time, she met
Otha Young, a fellow guitarist and songwriter. The two formed a folk-rock
band called Dixie Peach and began playing bars around northern California.
Dixie Peach only lasted a year, but they did gain a local following while
they were active. After the band broke up,
Juice Newton and
Young formed
Juice Newton & Silver Spur, which had more country leanings than Dixie
Peach. They were also more successful. Their fan base was large enough to
convince the band to go to Los Angeles and try to land a record contract. In
1975,
Juice Newton & Silver Spur signed to RCA Records and released an eponymous
debut which spawned the minor hit single "Love Is a Word" in early 1976. Later
that year, the group released After the Dust Settles, which didn't attract much
attention, and RCA dropped them after its release. The band signed with Capitol
Records, releasing Come to Me in 1978. Like its predecessor, the album was more
or less ignored, causing
the Silver Spur to disband.
Though
Silver Spur had broken up,
Juice Newton and
Young continued to work together.
Juice Newton still had a contract with Capitol, and the pair immediately began
working on her solo debut. The result, Juice, was released in early 1981 and
quickly became a crossover hit. The first single from the record, "Angel of the
Morning," reached number four on the pop charts, and it peaked at 22 on the
country charts. "Queen of Hearts" was a bigger hit, reaching number two on the
pop charts and number 14 on the country charts. "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever
Known)," the third single taken from Juice, was her biggest country hit, peaking
at number one; on the pop charts, it hit number seven. Juice would eventually go
platinum.
Juice Newton's follow-up album to Juice, Quiet Lies, was released in the spring of
1982. It was also a hit, spawning the pop Top Ten "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard
on Me" and the number two country hit "Break It to Me Gently." The album won a
Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female; it also went gold by the end
of the year. Dirty Looks, her third solo album, was released in 1983. The record
marked the first time
Juice Newton failed to crack either the pop or country Top 40.
In 1984, she switched labels, signing with RCA.
Juice Newton's first album for the label, Can't Wait All Night, was a
transitionary album, seeing her move away from pop and begin to concentrate on
country. Old Flame, released in 1985, was her country breakthrough, spawning the
hits "You Make Me Want to Make You Mine," "Hurt," and the duet with
Eddie Rabbitt "Both to Each Other (Friends & Lovers)," which all went to
number one; the album had three additional Top Ten hits -- "Old Flame," "Cheap
Love," and "What Can I Do With My Heart."
Old Flame happened to be
Juice Newton's only major country hit. Its follow-up, 1987's Emotion, only yielded
one Top Ten hit, "Tell Me True." In 1989, she released Ain't Gonna Cry, which
featured the single "When Love Comes Around the Bend," which barely scraped the
Top 40.
Ain't Gonna Cry turned out be
Juice Newton's last album for several years. She abandoned country and began
performing showy mainstream pop, which she performed in nightclubs. Throughout
the '90s, she continued to perform live concerts without recording any new
material for years. Finally, she reunited with producer
Richard Landis in 1997, recording The Trouble With Angels, a collection of
re-recorded hits and new songs that was released in the spring of 1998. ~
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book Juice Newton
for your next corporate or private event.
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