Last week, the most widely acclaimed recording ever for Houghton has in its retail debut also become a No 1 best selling album. The Power Of One climbed to the top of the Christian, Gospel Overall and Praise & Worship sales charts, to No 34 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart, to No 11 on the iTunes overall and to No 1 on the Christian/Gospel digital albums charts.

Israel Houghton’s The Power Of One marks his first solo studio offering after a string of highly successful New Breed live concert projects and features guest vocals from such genre-leading artists as tobyMac, Martin Smith of Delirious?, Mary Mary and Chevelle Franklyn. From its genre-blending roots reggae and heavy rock to sanctified funk and power pop, the album features songs of hope, redemption and revelation.

Taking the new songs on tour, Houghton’s national major market, 37-city tour with Chris Tomlin that began January 22 has logged packed venues coast to coast as Houghton prepares for his first appearance at Yankee Stadium in New York with his pastor, Joel Osteen (Lakewood Church, Houston). This “A Night of Hope” event Saturday, April 25, marks the first non-baseball event at the new stadium.

On the same day, Houghton will be featured on the new Gospel Music Channel programme, “Revealed”. Israel performs fan favorites and new songs from The Power Of One for the show’s live audience, as well as shares his story and insight into his songs.

In addition to his touring, millions of iPhone or iPod Touch users can now discover new music from Israel Houghton, and much more, through his first ever, Christian artist iPhone Application. Available now for free at the iPhone App Store, Houghton’s app is on a short list of recording artists that have their own apps, including Akon, David Cook, P!nk, Fall Out Boy and only a few others.

Active as worship leader at Lakewood Church, Israel has written or co-written 11 CCLI Top 500 favorites, served as worship leader at Hillsong conferences, Franklin Graham crusades and is a featured CompassionArt songwriter and artist. Israel also ministers through concerts in the US and around the world, including accompanying Alicia Keys at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards for a performance of George Michael’s “Freedom ’90″, and as a performer at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, taking part in a segment saluting Gospel music.

In 1995, Israel and Meleasa Houghton founded New Breed Ministries, an organization they continue to run and that is comprised of noted musicians and singers who serve within their respective churches and together serve the Church at large.

Since then, Israel has amassed a legion of followers that bridges generational lines with popularity across African American, Latin and Caucasian listener lines. While blasting down barriers, 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.

Israel Houghton is signed to Integrity Music, distributed to Christian retail by Provident-Integrity Distribution and to the general market by Columbia Records/Sony Distribution. For more information, go to www.israelhoughton.net

SOURCE: Breathcast.com

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Israel Houghton’s “The Power Of One” CD Giveaway- At GospelPundit.com

“This is the first time I’ve entered into a project with no premeditation,” says Houghton, whose last album, A Deeper Level, was awarded a Grammy this year following its 2007 release.

“In the past I’d go into a project saying we need this kind of song here and that kind there – worrying if it would sell or if the Church would accept it,” he noted in his announcement of the new project. “This time it was fun to go into creating a record with no rules and just do what was in our hearts.”

Houghton called the experience behind producing Power of One “a very cathartic” one.

For his newest album, which releases Mar. 24, 2009, Houghton invited some of his friends representing very different musical genres to join him. Noted rapper tobyMac is featured in the rock song “You Found Me,” while the gospel ballad “Every Prayer” features popular duo Mary Mary. Well-known reggae vocalist Chevelle Franklin joins Houghton on the Bob Marley-influenced “Surely Goodness.” Franklin also joins Houghton and delirious? frontman Martin Smith on the worshipful British-rocker “Sing (Redemption’s Song).”

“[T]he album features the youthful and musically masterful energy that has made Israel among the most highly influential tastemakers across a variety of musical genres,” promoters of the new album say.

Also notable in Houghton’s upcoming album is the challenge it presents to people of faith “to be as impassioned and Christ-like in their earthly walk as humanly possible.”

“If you look at our albums thematically, the early ones were about the church and what God is doing,” said Israel regarding the past albums he released with his group, New Breed.

“On the most recent records, our message has shifted into more social and global concerns, focusing on identity and the purpose of God in everyone’s life,” he added.

Houghton says it was two and a half years ago – when he was asked to write a song for a mainstream artist – that he began to understand the connection between worship and justice.

Now, he says, “I strongly believe that those of us who consider ourselves worshippers need to have a heart for social justice.”

“‘Power of One’ is the song we wrote specifically around that thought for this album,” he added.

As a singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Houghton has written or co-written 11 CCLI Top 500 favorites, creating a canon of songs that have become standards in houses of faith around the globe. He is also a worship leader at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, the largest church in America.

The Power of One will be Houghton’s eighth album – his seventh with Integrity Media.

SOURCE: Written by Kevin P. Donovan
Christian Post Reporter , ChristianPost.com