He worked as a musician on WLS Radio in the Chicago area, recording with “The Hill Toppers” before becoming a regular bassist for Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians in 1935.
In Nashville, Newton's reputation for versatility and professionalism landed him a spot as the Opry's "house" bass player and he became one of the most utilised session musicians in the country field of music between the late 1940s to the mid 1950s, featuring on numerous recording sessions at leading Nashville studios.
[2] As a session man, Newton was prolific and can be heard on many of the most iconic country songs of the period such as I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry and Lost Highway (Hank Williams), Making Believe (Kitty Wells), I'm Moving On (Hank Snow), There Stands the Glass (Webb Pierce), I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know (The Davis Sisters), Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Bill Monroe 1954) and Man of Constant Sorrow (The Stanley Brothers).
Newton also introduced maracas into country music when he suggested to Johnnie Wright and Jack Anglin (Country duo “Johnnie & Jack” ) that they should differentiate themselves from other similar groups by introducing the instrument into their 1951 song Poison Love.
The result was a massive hit for the duo and a great feat of technical skill from Newton who played the bass and maracas simultaneously on the recording.