b. Judy Kaye Cohen, 18 February 1952, Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA. This singing daughter from a military family spent most of her childhood in Virginia. While completing a formal education in California, she fronted Dixie Peach, a country rock combo that was renamed Silver Spur for their RCA Records albums in the mid-70s. Despite assistance from top Los Angeles session musicians, immediate solo success was dogged by Bonnie Tyler's version of "It's A Heartache" eclipsing Newton's own, though she gained a US country hit by proxy when the Carpenters covered her self-composed "Sweet Sweet Smile' in 1978. Two years later, she arrived in Billboard"s Top 5 with a revival of Chip Taylor's "Angel Of The Morning" (her only UK hit) and then "Queen Of Hearts" (also a hit for Dave Edmunds), while the Juice album containing both peaked at number 22. She enjoyed more hits in the pop charts with "Love's Been A Little Hard On Me", Quiet Lies and a 1983 overhaul of the Zombies' "Tell Her No", but it was the country market that came to provide the bulk of her success. After an encouraging response when she performed "The Sweetest Thing I've Ever Known' at 1981"s annual Country Radio Seminar, this old Silver Spur track was remixed for a single to become a country number 1 the following year. Other genre successes included a reworking of Brenda Lee's "Break It To Me Gently', Dave Loggins" "You Make Me Want To Make You Mine", "Hurt" and a duet with Eddie Rabbitt, "Born To Each Other". She later married polo star Tom Goodspeed and concentrated on riding her many horses and working with her trio at small specialist venues.
DISCOGRAPHY: with Silver Spur Juice Newton And Silver Spur (RCA 1975)***, with Silver Spur After The Dust Settles (RCA 1977)***, with Silver Spur Come To Me (Capitol 1977)**, Well Kept Secret (Capitol 1978)***, Take A Heart (Capitol 1979)***, Juice (Capitol 1981)****, Quiet Lies (Capitol 1982)***, Dirty Looks (Capitol 1983)***, Can't Wait All Night (RCA 1984)***, Old Flame (RCA 1986)***, Emotion (RCA 1987)***, Ain't Gonna Cry (RCA 1989)**, The Trouble With Angels (River North 1998)**, American Girl (Renaissance 2000)***, Every Road Leads Back To You (Image 2002)***.
COMPILATIONS: Collection (EMI 1983)***, Greatest Hits (Capitol 1984)****, Greatest Country Hits (Curb 1990)***.

Encyclopedia of Popular Music
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