Israel Houghton

Israel Houghton is known for injecting contemporary gospel and worship with a blazing, youthful energy that has made him among the most influential tastemakers in his field. As a singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and worship leader, he has created a canon of songs that have become standards in houses of faith around the globe. He has accomplished this largely as the leader of "Israel and New Breed," a Grammy, Stellar and Dove Award-winning musical ensemble and ministry organization that has amassed gold-selling albums and critical platitudes reserved for the best of the best.

Over the past decade, Israel has amassed a legion of fans while blasting down musical barriers, and drawing together people of all races, ages and cultures through worship.  He has been fittingly graced with 2 Gold-selling albums, 6 Dove Awards, 2 Stellar Awards, a Soul Train Award, and 2 Grammy® Awards - one for "Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album" for A Deeper Level and one for "Best Traditional Gospel Album" for Alive In South Africa.  Ironically, there is very little that is "traditional" about the way Israel approaches music and ministry, defying categorization with an ease that other artists envy.

"It's not a white sound or black sound, it's a Kingdom sound," explains the songwriter and producer. And it is because of this progressive connection to now-generation believers that Israel's music has been fanatically embraced around the globe.

For his most current musical offering, Israel steps away from the members of New Breed, who are themselves active in their own ministries, to record a solo project that is his most personal effort to date. The album, Power of One, challenges people to change the world. "I strongly believe that those of us who consider ourselves worshippers need to have a heart for social justice," says Israel who penned the CD's title song specifically around that theme for the album.

As part of his personal effort to change the world, Israel supports a variety of compassion-focused ministries including the international relief and aid organization World Vision and a medical missions ministry birthed out of Houston's Lakewood Church where he serves as a worship leader.

Biography courtesy of Columbia Records