 There is only one you. You are a unique one of a kind and the Lord has given you special gifts and talents that only you can share with the world. Beautiful singer-songwriter Lee Newton came from humble beginnings. Having seen her share of hard times growing up in Canton North Carolina, she began singing in church when she was five years old. Her love of music grew as a child when her daddy, a cab driver, played country classics like Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and Patsy Klein while she rode around town with him in his taxi going on calls. Today her soulful voice, heartfelt lyrics and faith have touched the heart and audience across the world and it was all in God's timing. This is her story. This is today's Nashville. This is faith. Lee, I am so excited to sit down with you today. Welcome to today's Nashville. Thank you so much, Terry, for having me here. You know what? I have been following you on social media. You're everywhere and things are just really, really happening for you. I'm telling you, God has worked so many miracles and pulled so many strings for me in these last few years. It's just unbelievable. Let me take you back to your, I want to find out more about you. Let's start from the beginning. Well, when I was a little girl I grew up in Canton North Carolina and I was a cab driver's daughter. My dad drove a taxi cab for Champion Cab and in a little town it's called Paper Town USA next to the paper mill which is no longer there, they just shut it down. Yeah, but I grew up listening to country music with my dad and that was my escape to go ride around with him during the summer. And one year, I think I was about seven years old, my dad had his guitar at the cab stand and I picked it up and I started just planking around on it, you know, and he was like, okay, you know, I want to start teaching how to play the guitar. So he started teaching me how to play the guitar and he would start recording me and him singing together, you know, rolling in your sweet baby's arms and, you know, all the Hank Seniors songs and Patsy and I just fell in love with it. And it was just something that bonded me and my dad together. You know, he passed away when I was 11. Oh no. And so was it quick or was it true? Well, you know, when after I was born he started having a lot of heart attacks and, you know, he did work a lot. He worked, you know, seven days a week, months at a time. And it's kind of like my song Carolina. That is my testimony of how my mom and dad, you know, raised me and, you know, we did grow up really, really, really hard and poor. I mean, you know, I didn't know I was poor until I went to school and people started making fun of me. But, you know, there were many, many times as a child that we wouldn't have anything in the refrigerator except for a bottle of ketchup, you know. And I remember being a little girl going in there and squirting ketchup in my mouth. You know, that was, you know, there was, you know, my mom suffered for major depression. She had been an alcoholic and she got saved when she got pregnant with me. But on the other side, she went through a lot of depression and she would just stay in her room for days at a time. My dad would be gone working. So it was a lot of me being a little girl, bending for myself, but being a little dreamer, you know. Was it just you or did you have siblings? I have siblings, but they're older. My sister is eight years older than I am. And then my brother is 12 and then 16. So they, they were all older than me. And so it was basically me and, you know, my mom, when she would have her, her highs, she would just be a little dreamer herself, you know. And she always, one thing about it, she always took me to church. It didn't matter if we were in tent revivals when you were in, you know, every church service that we can be in, my mom had me there and she started getting me to sing in church when she started seeing the love that I had for music. So my mom and dad both just really encouraged, you know, me being a singer and they knew that it was something that I loved so much. And so now that, you know, I feel really close to my dad. Every time that I sing, every time I talk to, you know, about him, it's got something to do with music because he gave me a gift that will, will never go away. Yeah. You know, if I'm sad, hey, I could turn on a song that helps soothe me. So what about after he passed away, what were those years like? It was hard because my mom, like I said, she went through a lot of depression. And how old were you when he passed? I was 11. 11. So that's when a little girl just need, you know, just starting to grow up and you're just, you know, and, and I didn't have anybody, you know, my sister, she kind of moved away and she'd never come around a lot just because of the way my mom, you know, my mom was a hoarder. She, you know, I never had any, I couldn't bring anybody ever over to the house. I was nobody. I was not popular in school at all because when you're poor and, you know, when people make fun of you, you know, you just kind of hang out by yourself. So it was hard. It was really hard just trying to find who I was as a person. How'd you get through it? Music. When I, when I got to high school, that I started, I didn't make really good grades neither. But it wasn't because I didn't try. It was just because I don't think I had that home life of somebody being there for me. And you know, but yeah, when I got in high school, my chorus teacher, she honed in on that. And when she picked me to sing my very first song in 10th grade in front of people with a live band, I sang a Laurie Morgan song. And I loved Laurie Morgan and the Judges. Those are my two big idols. And I knew right then and there, I'm like, this is what this is what I want to do. I mean, I felt close to my dad. I felt just the energy of just adrenaline. I mean, I just loved being on stage. I loved interacting with people. And from that moment on, there was nothing else I could do professionally that, you know, that would ever come close. So what happened after your sophomore year? I ended up quitting school when I was in when I was in 12th grade, a second month in, I quit to help take care of my mom. I started I got a job when I was 14. And I would take care of my mom. And when it come down to where I had to come down to working or school, I had to pick to work to take care of her. And was she getting worse? She, you know, she, she was. And she like I said, she would have these moments to where, you know, she would go into a rage or she would never know what just wouldn't ever know what it was going to be like. What was going on inside of you during this time? And how do you feel about all of it? You know, being a mother now, looking back, I've always tried, you know, to look always try to see the best in every situation. I've always been like that. And so, you know, I tried to make the best of it. I didn't want to get away. So I ended up getting married so young. Just to kind of get away, I think, from the whole situation. But, you know, I did start forming a relationship with my mom more into my adulthood years. Just really trying to understand who she was as a person. And I know she had a lot of demons that she was dealing with in her past. And that just, I think it carried on into her adulthood years. And, you know, I respect my mom. And I know that she did the best that she could with what she had. And, you know, I just, I really always try to help her throughout, you know, until she passed away in 2016. So, yeah, I miss her a lot, you know, because even now, getting even more older, I really see a lot more that probably was overlooked, you know, by doctors and different stuff with her that, you know, maybe they could have helped her a lot more. And you faced more trials. And we're going to talk about it when we come back. Lee, you told me about you getting married early. What was it like? The last several years, it become abusive. And it was really hard. And, you know, I have little cash man. I have two older kids, but I have my little boy that's seven years old. And when he was four, you know, that's when I ended up having to flee from a situation that it got to where it was in front of cash. And I knew from that moment, I had to get out. I had to get away. I had created this world where everybody didn't even know what was going on. They just saw the smile on the outside, you know, and they didn't know what was going on behind closed doors. And so that day, I ended up leaving and literally running with my little boy. I had no shoes on. And he had no shoes on. And it was morning. And I ran out the door and left everything. You know, I'm thinking to myself, I'm like, God, you know, I know you don't want me to be in this situation. And, you know, please lead me guide me where you need me to go, you know. And in that moment, I felt appeased even though he had wiped all the money out of the bank account, had nothing. I had no place to live. I was basically homeless with a little boy. And I'm like, okay, God, you this is this is I'm following you. He sent me angels, everybody, all my friends, everybody that I had sang and posted videos to that requested songs to touch their hearts. They were coming forward and this little lady took me and cash in for a couple weeks and gave us a place to stay. And then God gave me a way to be able to get a little brick little 400 square foot little home that didn't even have a kitchen drawer in it. But all my friends came together and they helped me decorate it. And I had everything I needed. Cash and I never needed or wanted from for anything from the moment I left, God made a way. We had everything and not only did God make a way for that, I had I became Lee Newton in that house. That house, you know, made me who I am as a person, as an artist. I started writing my songs and I started writing Strength of a Woman right during that moment. Tell me about that. I was on my way to the Lawyer's office and I had to come up with $5,000 for this retainer fee. Everybody come together. I was able to get enough money to get somebody to fight for me and cash. We're driving to the Lawyer's office and all of a sudden this thing goes, I'm a warrior getting through this crazy life. Might get knocked down, but I got God on my side. And I'm telling you that song wrote itself. It was God's song not only to me but even to this day, I get messages from men, women that that song has helped them. So I know and I knew from that moment on I had to get it recorded and God made a way for me to come to Nashville and not just get it recorded but get it recorded right. I got to go to a nice studio, best producer and I was able to pay that person back. God just kept making everything happen and people, good people come into my life and surrounded me and started protecting me and I had this beautiful circle of friends and I'm telling you I knew that it was my mission from that moment on to start getting my songs out that that's what God wanted me to do is tell my testimony because everybody's like, oh gosh, you got to be quiet about that. Nobody don't need to know about all this stuff. No, they do because I've went through it and I know that God was there. What encouragement to other women? What would you say to somebody right now who's listening that you know they're in an abusive relationship? Get out because it does not get any better and when I knew that that was the only option for me to get out because I was not going to have that in front of my son I was like, oh, what am I going to do? I mean if this was during the pandemic I had gotten laid off from my job. I had no money. I had nothing. Everything you know I was even trying to fight for what I had worked for but at that time I had nothing but find a way. There are people out there that will help you if you just got to ask because he thought because he took that money and everything away from me that I would have to go back but I had faith and I knew that God was going to take care of me and Cash and he did. He did and all these years that I've done music for years and years but it took up into this moment for me just to give my life, my being, everything about me to God and he made a way and he's made a way for everything so far. Let's talk about your faith. Tell me when you began to grow in your faith and when you found Jesus. Like I said my mama always took me to church. My daddy never stepped foot in the church but he was a very religious man. He never he worked every day but I remember him sitting on the edge of the bed looking out at the the big beautiful Baptist church. It was Calvary Baptist Church. It was on the corner of our street. Had beautiful stained glass windows and I remember him changing the words to the Johnny Paycheck song and instead of the outlaws prayer he would do the cab driver's prayer and you know he'd talk about those stained glass windows and how he looked and you know and like I said we didn't have much but my mom would take me to church and I love Jesus from very early on in life and I've always turned to him now I'm straight. I think everybody has. You go down rows that you think that hey I know better and I've got this I'm going down this way you know and God will make a way to bring you back around. You might learn a lot of stuff in between those those detours you know but I've always had a relationship with God but it really it did take that moment of I think that's when I got the most closest and and have been to God when all that happened and I was at my very very lowest and and I hate that it took me having to go and get to that very low point for me to really completely just give everything I have to God. Sometimes he takes us there doesn't he? He does and you have to go through to get through. You do and you know and I will not be scared I tell everybody how much I love God and how much he's done for me how much he's done for cash and and what he can do for you and he's taking you to big places you're coming here to Nashville and we're going to talk about it when we come back. Lee you were talking about the time where God really had you in a place a couple years ago and you started discovering who you really were. Yes in the moment it was like I said during the during COVID so it gave me a lot of extra time not only with cash getting to be with him I was just trying to find out who I was as a person and in my songwriting is where that's why I started really writing a lot and I started pulling from everything that I had went through in my past and when I started writing those songs I would put them out on social media and you know a lot of people were that's all you know everybody was in social media because a lot of people wasn't going out to hear anybody and so you know I think that to an advantage you know people started really listening more and but they started connecting to the songs I was writing like Lee you know you wrote so many songs that you're talking about my life you know and so I mean there's just no other feeling you know when you get a woman that's sending a message to you I've had several but one where you know she's had cancer and she you know she shows you pictures of the hair and and her sink and she's got it to the song of your strength of a woman and it shows her fighting back and going through chemo and her hair growing back and she's winning this and then there's another lady her name is Kim and she used my song as her testimony and she said that song went to her and that she she had to get prosthetics she started skydiving she's snorkeling she is a runway model she is jumping out of airplanes she is writing a book and this song she said it tells everything that she went through now that's the power of a song I mean that's like wow and she said she listens to it every day the lord is doing amazing things how did you get to Nashville and and start were you sending your music to because I know you're working with a lot of country I know it's good it is good I know me about that so um you know I'm very big on social media I feel I'm like wow you know and I've been very open I'm very open with my wife I'm open with mine and cash's love together I'm open with my music and and I'm not afraid to ask my it's one thing my daddy always said he said hey never be afraid to ask because all they can do is say no you know and I take it as a not now if I get a no it's a not now okay it's just gonna happen but it's just not now but I you know I just started plugging away I started putting my videos out there I started using social media as a tool I started doing the videos and putting it out there and it's like one connection led to another and then I would it's almost like they they've seen my heart they've seen how genuine I was they've seen that you know I wanted this so bad and you know it's not the fact of making it I don't want to make it I want to be able to share my music you know I do have if there's a making it moment that moment I've always wanted to play the offering always well you're getting ready yeah well I'm not the grand old opera but I do get to play I just found out yesterday I get to play on the grand old opera stage at the JMA awards at the opera house so that's I won't be able to have that moment with my dad because in that song and I get to sing carolina which is a song about my my mom and dad and the very last lyric of it is you know tonight I'm on this opera stage I can almost see my daddy's face proud of his girl from carolina and I finally get to say that because normally all the places that I've been able to open up for in the people I usually I have never said the opera stage and that's what's actually in the songs I'll get to say at this time so but you know but God started putting people in my life and like I said the circle and it's like one person led to another you know you're working with T. Graham Brown we're getting ready to release in a single um precious Lord take my hand um I've got can you sing a little bit I can let's say precious Lord take my hand lead me on I'm we beautiful I'm doing that with T. Graham I mean it's just um this album and the gospel album I'm telling you I knew after I released my country album Unleashed I told God I'm doing a gospel album I don't know how because I had spent everything I had on Unleashed I don't have a manager I don't I do everything on my own I do my pictures I do everything my videos everything on my own and I'm like okay God you want me to do this gospel album I want to do it let's make it happen and by gosh he did Larry Strickland helped produce so many tracks on there Ben Isaacs is on there Rhonda Vincent is on there Deborah Allen is on there Joe Bonzo with the Oak Ridge Boys all these artists came and they're like I ask them and they're like yes Lee I'll help you I'm I'm I'm they they are amazing they are and you know not only did they say yes like I have really formed some really amazing friendships with them and we talk a lot and we I mean you know just Deborah Allen is the sweetest oh my gosh she's been on today's I love her and she'll call me up and she'll get on the piano and play some what I mean she just I would have never in a million years like sometimes it's like a surreal moment oh my god I'm just this little kitten cab driver's daughter like I cannot believe you know I may have had Pantelus be on my album Leroy Parnell I mean the people it gotta open for Ronnie Milsep and I just open for Randy Travis I mean but God has like put so many great people that's been willing to go out on a limb and help me and the promoter's like he's sweet isn't the Lord sweet it is he knows the desires of our hearts and he gives it to us and it's you know you ask and I and that and my heart's pure and it's what you know I want it so bad I just want to be able to sink ever since that little girl with the little hairbrush on my daddy's coffee table and him he named me Brenda my first name is Brenda so I was named after Brenda Lee that is on my bucket list to meet Brenda Lee because I was named after I think you probably will I hope and pray you know but I mean I you know he's like Brenda Lee you're going to be on the stage at the opera one day and I want to be in that front row and you know what it might not be the grand old opera not now maybe later but not now but it'll be at the jma awards in october I will be on the the opera stage and my seat that I've got is in the front row so when I'm not going to be sitting there because I'm going to be performing my daddy's going to be in that front row and he is going to be pray he's already proud of his girlfriend carolina Lee you are so precious thank you so much for being on today's national I know you're going to bless so many people thank you my friend have you straight from that path like Lee said God has a way of turning you around he's standing right in front of you take his hand this is today's Nashville this is faith cornerstone television wishes to thank all our faithful viewers whose consistent prayers and financial support have made this program possible