Jeremy McCoy Claims Michael Tait’s Drug Abuse Was Known by Many
Jeremy McCoy, a studio and touring musician, is the latest to claim that people were aware of former Newsboys frontman Michael Tait's "cocaine benders" but chose to ignore them.
McCoy, who played bass guitar for artists and bands such as The Fray, Jeff Deyo (Sonicflood), One Republic, and Rebecca St. James, told The Roy's Report (TRR), shared that he was informed of Tait's drug use during the recording of the Newsboys' 2010 album "Born Again."
At the time, McCoy was hired to play bass for Newsboys' song, "Save Your Life," on the album, when Tait, who was immediately supposed to record vocals following his cut, was nowhere to be found.
"The next week, the producer let me know that Michael was on another one of his cocaine benders and had disappeared or ghosted everyone for several days," the musician recalled.
Regardless of Tait's misconduct, McCoy said the former Newsboys singer would be given a pass by management, including Tait being featured as a writer for "The Enemy," which appeared on the Newsboys' "Restart" recording in 2013, when McCoy and two co-writers were the original writers of the song.
"When the label called me to get my writer/publisher info, they told me the writer splits on it," McCoy said. "I told them that Tait wasn't a writer on that song. They said, 'He's saying he was.'"
As a result, the royalties were split fourfold instead of three.
"Of course, I never heard back from the label, and Tait stole 25% of the song, and it went on the record exactly as it is today," McCoy said.
Additionally, Newsboys used McCoy's original demo in the final version, except that Tait replicated the studio vocalist's performance and ad-libs.
"When they sent the produced/finished track to us, we were shocked to see that the producer literally just used our tracks (and) didn't change a single thing on it, then didn't give any credit to us," said McCoy. "I insisted that they at least credit co-writer Fred (Williams) with keys and me with bass on the record."
Despite being in the Christian music industry for 26 years, McCoy said it's "a grotesque understatement" that Newsboys management and other industry members were unaware of Tait's behavior.
"I don't know a single person who works in that industry that doesn't know. The extent the network of enablers and fixers that have surrounded Tait for so long has gone to either actively ignore or actively hide his behavior is unreal. To now sit back and listen to them all saying, "We had no idea," is infuriating. And unfortunately, it's permeated throughout the CCM industry, so that there are many other artists, writers, industry execs, etc., who have absolutely zero regard for holiness."
Tait, who also co-founded DCTalk, issued a statement in June confessing that he had been living a double life, which resulted in his departure from the Newsboys in January. Prior to Tait's confession, several male victims came forward alleging that Tait had sexually assaulted them, including a woman who claims Tait watched her get raped in 2014 after he drugged her.
Newboys, the band's management, including the band's owner, Wes Campbell, have all denied claims that they knew of Tait's behavior, and that Tait himself would deny them when confronted, Church Leaders reported.
Meanwhile, Christian songwriter Cory Asbury shared in an Instagram story, "everyone knew" about Tait's misconduct after the allegations surfaced after a follower asked if "'Christian' bands/artists are living a double life like Michael Tait[?]."
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Terry Wyatt/Stringer
Originally published September 05, 2025.
