The Queen of Hearts, Juice Newton, is coming to the ACT in Maple Ridge next month.
Newton is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. She has received five Grammy Award nominations in the pop and country best female vocalist categories, winning in 1983. She also won an Academy Country Music award for top new female artist and two Billboard female album artist of the year awards.
She is best known for her song Queen of Hearts, which was one of three consecutive Top 10 hits from her 1981 album Juice, her third solo album.
Newton will play at the ACT in Maple Ridge on Sept. 30.
Overall, she has multiple platinum and gold albums, 10 million records sold and 15 Top 10 hits. Other notable songs include Angel of the Morning, The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known), It’s a Heartache, Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me, Break It to Me Gently, Heart of the Night, Tell Her No, Dirty Looks, Stranger at My Door, A Little Love and Restless Heart.
The Track The Sweetest Thing spent 18 weeks in the Top 40.
Her album Quiet Lies (1982) was certified gold within months and spawned multiple hits, which landed her a Grammy Award for best female country vocal performance (1983), in competition with Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Rosanne Cash.
Her latest outing, Duets: Friends and Memories (2000) included Take It to the Limit and Without You.
The emotional force of Newton’s vocal delivery, coupled with her soaring notes and silken phrasing has made her an evocative and enduring performer. She earned two Grammy nominations for best female vocalist.
Inspired by the Byrds, Bob Dylan and folk artists like Tom Rush and Ian and Sylvia Tyson, Newton started out in a group, Silver Spur, before starting her solo career.
She added an Academy of Country Music Award for new female vocalist of the year (1982), back-to-back Billboard female album artist of the year honors, as well as Australian Music Media’s No. 1 international country artist win.
Newton, whose given name is Judy Kay Newton, knew from a young age that she wanted to become an entertainer. She would listen to the radio and study the craft of other artists along with the integrity of the music. She performed around her native Virginia Beach, Va. and after a while, moved to California.
Newton was living and performing in northern California when she met a gentleman who would play a key role in her musical career, music and life. Otha Young became a focal point for the music and band direction. Otha and Juice soon met a bass player named Tom Kealey and they performed locally and moved to Los Angeles after their fans encouraged them to become professional musicians.
Newton and the band Silver Spur signed with RCA Records in 1975 and released a self-entitled album. The band would record one more album on RCA before moving to Capitol Records.
In 1978, Newton went solo and, with Young at her side, she recorded two more albums before her breakout album was released. In 1981, Newton recorded her self-entitled album Juice.
Newton, who lives with her family in San Diego continues to record and tour around the world.
• Tickets are $52.50 and are available at the ACT, 11944 Haney Place in Maple Ridge. Charge by phone at 604-476-2787 or online at www.theactmapleridge.org.