The Rev. John Newton's hymn "Amazing Grace" has become a national hymn, uniting people of all walks of life and reflecting ...

The song "Amazing Grace" was first performed on New Year's Day, 1773, and has gone through many changes over the years.

As we look at another New Year’s Day, it’s a good time to reflect on a song that unites rather than divides us: the Rev. John Newton ... story on the history of “Amazing Grace” reveals ...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "AMAZING GRACE") PAUL ROBESON ... SAMANTHA BALABAN, BYLINE: This history begins with an unlikely author. JAMES WALVIN: John Newton was a strange mix of a person.

RASCOE: "Amazing Grace." The song was first performed on New Year's Day 1773, over 250 years ago. NPR's Samantha Balaban is our guide through its extraordinary history. SAMANTHA BALABAN, BYLINE: This ...

PAUL ROBESON: (Singing) Amazing grace. SIMON: "Amazing Grace." The song was first ... BYLINE: This history begins with an unlikely author. JAMES WALVIN: John Newton was a strange mix of a person.