Newsboys, Voices of Lee to play Faith and Family Night at Riverbend

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo The Voices of Lee sang patriotic and worship songs as part of a two-hour Fourth of July community celebration at First Baptist Church of Cleveland.

Tuesday night, otherwise known as Faith and Family Night at Riverbend 2013, will take on a familiar look and sound.

Newsboys, which has played here on a couple of occasions, and the Voices of Lee from Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., will perform on June 11 at the festival, according to Joe "Dixie" Fuller, talent and production coordinator.

Newsboys last performed at Riverbend in 2005. The group formed in 1985 in Mooloolaba, a town in Queensland, Australia. The current band consists of lead vocalist Michael Tait, keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein, guitarist Jody Davis and drummer Duncan Phillips.

They have released 16 albums and their latest, "God's Not Dead," has generated three No. 1 Christian hits with the title track, "Born Again" and "Your Love Never Fails."

"Their numbers are really good," Fuller says.

The Voices of Lee is a 12-member a cappella ensemble. The group finished third on NBC's "The Sing Off" in 2009.

"I first saw them at one of the Ocoee River Days events, and they blew me away," Fuller says.

Voices of Lee is not the choir that sang at the recent inauguration of President Barack Obama -- that one had about 200 members -- but vocalists who sang in Washington are members of Voices of Lee.

During Faith and Family Night, only three of the festival's five stages will be used, and there is no alcohol sold on site. Admission for the night is a festival pin, good for each night of the event, or a $5 wristband, good for Tuesday night only.

The festival is scheduled to take place June 7-15 along the 21st Century Waterfront.

Previously announced acts are country singer Jake Owen headlining on June 7, R&B/pop vocalist Brandy on the Coca-Cola Stage on June 9, country star Dierks Bentley on the main stage on June 12; jazz guitarist Larry Carlton on the Unum Stage on June 13.