John James Records New Music for the First Time in 30 Years
“You talk about God has a sense of humor,” James said as he discussed returning to music.
“You know, 30 years, mate, I passionately said—passionately—that I will never, ever, ever sing again,” he said. “I would have been happy to go to my grave and never have sung a note.”
James said he believed “the lies of the enemy” for decades, convincing himself God could never use him again.
“You believe the lies for so long that the lies become more real than the truth,” he said. “The lies become fortified strongholds in our identity.”
James said that, about a year-and-a-half ago, God reignited his desire to write music.
“I didn’t even own any instruments,” he said. “I had to go out and buy instruments, a MIDI keyboard, a laptop, and then spend hours on YouTube doing tutorials of how to use a laptop and Logic Pro and record.”
A year later, James completed a new album titled “God of the Second Chance,” which he is giving away for free to those who preorder his book.
“It is so like God to take the brokenness and bring a redemptive story out of it always,” James said. “It just amazes me.”
James hopes to return to the stage for the first time in 30 years with a live concert planned for July in Nashville, Tennessee.
John James Reacts to Scandal Surrounding Former Newsboys Frontman Michael Tait
ChurchLeaders asked James to share his reaction to sexual abuse allegations brought against former Newsboys frontman and DC Talk singer Michael Tait.
Tait abruptly announced on Jan. 16, 2025, that he was leaving Newsboys, a position he had held since 2009. Since then, he has been accused of grooming, sexually assaulting, and drugging young men, including minors, as well as watching a young woman be raped in 2014.
“I think just as shocked as everyone else. Um, just as hurt and bewildered,” James said. “But then the unique perspective for me was like déjà vu because 30 years earlier the bombshell broke and dropped with me.
James said social media has intensified public reaction compared with when his own scandal unfolded decades ago.
“Is that the defining legacy of over 50 years of the band’s career?” James asked. “Is that the defining legacy now that it will go down in history?”
He said he believes God can still work redemptively through tragedy.
“I can’t help but look at my story—my story of redemption,” he said. “And if we take redemption off the table with the Newsboys, Mike Tait, and this whole scenario, then what redemption is there for any of us?”
