The Newbeats Biography & Awards

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Artist Info

Formed

1964

Disbanded

1974

Members

Marcus Mathis, Larry Henley, Lewis "Dean" Mathis

Biography

Best remembered for their 1964 smash "Bread and Butter," Nashville pop vocal trio the Newbeats teamed singer Larry Henley with brothers Dean and Mark Mathis. The Mathises previously performed as the duo Dean and Mark, notching a minor hit in 1959 with the single "Tell Him No"; three years later, Henley briefly collaboated with the siblings before mounting a largely unsuccessful solo career at Hickory Records. When the Mathis brothers joined the label in 1964, the three reunited as the Newbeats; featuring Henley's distinctive falsetto, the group's debut single "Bread and Butter" rocketed to number two on the U.S. pop charts, soon followed by the Top 20 entry "Everything's Alright." The Newbeats' third hit "Break Away (From That Boy)" cracked the Top 40 in the spring of 1965; although "Run Baby Run (Back Into My Arms)" reached as high as number 12 that fall, it was the trio's last chart entry, although they remained with Hickory until 1972. Brief stints at Buddah and Playboy followed before the Newbeats dissolved in 1974; after releasing a handful of solo records, Henley turned his energies to songwriting, most famously authoring the Bette Midler smash "Wind Beneath My Wings." ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide