A miscarriage of justice always has severe consequences for everyone involved. Lives are destroyed, and those wrongfully convicted remain marked for life; even when everything seems to be resolved in the end, the damage is done.
A true story like this is the focus of 'Crying In The Summer Rain", the new single by veteran rocker and entertainer, Ritchie Newton. Based on real events, Ritchie Newton tells a tale of despair, a vicious cycle, but also moments of hope and light in this song. Watch the video below.
This second preview of his upcoming studio album, Higher Power, is released today in both audio and video format through NRT-Records.
After Ritchie Newton already caused a stir with the title track of his upcoming album, Higher Power, which quickly gained thousands of listeners on local streaming platforms and over 40,000 views on YouTube, he now presents "Crying In The Summer Rain", a gripping story between hard rock and classic heavy metal.
Created in collaboration with guitarist Armin Sabol (Peter Schilling, Die Fantastischen Vier), bassist Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent), and Jimmy Katone (Hit The Ground Runnin', Katone), who also appear in the accompanying music video, Ritchie Newton combines classic hard rock with heavy metal and lyrical depth, based on a true story.
With this, he unveils another chapter of his upcoming album Higher Power, which is set to be released in the first quarter of 2025 as limited-edition vinyl, CD, and digitally by NRT-Records.
Ritchie Newton, known as a rock musician, Elvis tribute artist, author, and the creator of the Metalheads Forever Rockcast, looks back on a remarkable life. Born on December 7, 1964, in Straubing, Bavaria, he discovered his passion for music early on, inspired by his grandfather, a professional musician. Despite a diverse career as a chef, BMW assembly line worker, and scaffolder, music remained his constant companion.
He began his musical journey in 1974 as a drummer in the marching band of Oberalteich. Two years later, he performed as a singer in front of his school class with the Elvis Presley song "His Latest Flame".
In 1980, he started his professional music career in the German rock band Rozzloeffel. In 1983, he founded the heavy metal band Lucifer and released his first single, "Pleasure of Life" / "Woman in Doubt", in 1986 under the name Ritchie V.
In 1987, he joined the hard rock band MASS and founded the speed metal band Pussy Lover in 1988, touring across Europe.
In addition to his music, he started his catering service Ritchie's Catering in 1992, cooking for music legends such as Fats Domino and Suzi Quatro. In the 1990s, he expanded his musical repertoire and founded the biker band Georgia Molly Gang in 1994, performing at many major festivals.
In 1996, under the name Rocka Ritch, he released the Bavarian rock album Süchtig, produced by Willie Duncan of the Spider Murphy Gang. To promote the album, he toured Bavaria with Hannes Ringlstetter, also known as Schinderhannes.
In 1997, his life took a dramatic turn when he emigrated to Thailand. From 1999, Newton found success as an Elvis tribute artist, touring Thailand and Europe.
In the following years, he appeared repeatedly on the VOX reality show Goodbye Deutschland.
A true creative mind, Ritchie Newton is not only a musician but also an author. His books include Rocksau 1 (2013), Das Land der Liebeskasper (2019), and Rocksau II (2019). His most emotional work, Die Angst, ihn zu verlieren(2018), tells the personal story of his son Rino and his struggles.
The book provides a deep insight into family challenges and the love of a father. His album Higher Power is dedicated to Rino and aims to musically convey the strength and hope he found during those difficult times.
In 2020, Ritchie took a creative break from the stage to focus on new projects, including the successful Rockcast show Metalheads Forever. In 2023, he signed a contract with the German label NRT-Records, which remastered and re-released his EP Moments and other works.
His album Higher Power, whose title track and music video premiered on September 27, 2024, features contributions from musicians such as Iwan May, Dandy, Dodi, and Reyfan Lapaehe.
Watch the video for "Higher Power" below:
Renowned musicians such as Armin Sabol (Die Fantastischen Vier, Peter Schilling), Frank Pané and Hans Ziller(Bonfire), Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake), Markus Pfeffer (Lazarus Dream), Dave Slaat (Crowheart), and Tobias Dorner (Jester’s Tears) have further enriched the album.
The music videos for "Higher Power" and the brand-new second single "Crying In The Summer Rain" were produced by Ritchie Newton's own production company Newton ArtworXX. The accompanying album Higher Power is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2025 via NRT-Records.
(Photos - Ritchie Newton)
