Joel Houston

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Joel Houston


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Background = band_singer
Birth_name = Joel Timothy Houston
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Born = bda|1979|09|19
Died =
Origin = flagicon|Australia Sydney, Australia
Instrument = Bass guitar, vocals, acoustic guitar
Voice_type =
Genre = Worship, rock
Occupation = Producer, songwriter, performer
Years_active = 1999 – present
Label = Hillsong music
Associated_acts = Able
URL = [http://www.theiheartrevolution.com/ The I Heart Revolution]
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Joel Timothy Houston (born 19 September, 1979) is a musician and songwriter, best known as the key worship leader and producer of Sydney based worship band Hillsong United, the worship band of Hillsong Church's youth group, also known as Hillsong United. In 2008 he became the Creative Director at Hillsong Church. He is the oldest son of the church's senior pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston and grandson of the church's founder Frank Houston. He has two siblings, a brother Benjamin and a sister, Laura. [cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2005/s1428533.htm|title=The Life of Brian - Transcript|work=Australian Story|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|author=Jones, Caroline|date=1 August, 2005|accessdate=2008-05-19] Houston was also the bass player for the band Able, which comprised of Marty Sampson, Michael Guy Chislett an Luke Munns, which won the Channel V Leg Up competition in 2001.

Biography

Early life

Houston began playing piano at a young age, at the suggestion of his parents. As he was not interested in piano, he soon diverted his efforts to playing guitar instead. [cite video|title=Blessed|work=Special features|publisher=Hillsong Music|date=2002]

The Land of Nod and Able

In 1996, Houston joined the Jam United band at age 17. Initially, he wished to play guitar, but with the absence of bass guitarists, he was assigned the bass guitar duties. At the same time as this, Houston met with fellow Jam United members drummer Luke Munns and guitarist and vocalist Marty Sampson and the three began writing music as a secular band named "The Land of Nod". Shortly after this formation was put together, younger Jam United member Michael Guy Chislett began to play with the group, and seeing that Chislett was a quality guitarist, Houston decided to play bass guitar for the group. Following this change of instrument, the band renamed themselves as Johangambleputty and in 2001, the band was selected by Channel V as its Leg Up competition winners. With the winnings from this competition, Able put together "The Able EP" at a recoring studio in Byron Bay, but shortly after releasing the EP, the band decided to focus on putting music towards the United Live band.

Hillsong United and Hillsong

Houston's first debut with the Hillsong United as a vocalist was in 2002, however he had been playing bass guitar with the band for several years prior to this, and contributing various songs, including the title track from the group's debut full length live album, "Everyday". As part of Hillsong United music team, Houston has helped lead worship conferences in North America, South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. He has also contributed to the main Hillsong album recordings as well, which are led by worship pastor Darlene Zschech (1995-2007). Many of the songs he has written or co-written are sung in churches worldwide and have been translated into 32 languages, including Korean and German. His music has been featured on Hillsong albums that have quickly risen on both the Australian and American Christian music charts. [http://therockacrossaustralia.com/top20ind.shtml] [http://www.koorong.com.au/music/musiclists.htm] In March 2007, Hillsong United's eighth album "All of the Above" debuted at #6 on the ARIA charts. [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/hes-on-a-mission-for-god/2007/05/19/1179497285031.html] His song, "Everyday", is ranked number 49 on the CCLI top 100 songs. Houston currently serves as Creative Director at Hillsong Church.

Discography

Albums on which Houston has written and performed songs:
*"Everyday" (1999)
** "Everyday"
*"For This Cause" (2000)
** "For This Cause"
** "Everyday"
* "Best Friend" (2000)
** "Best Friend" with Marty Sampson
*"You Are My World" (2001)
** "My Best Friend"
*"Blessed" (2002)
** "One Desire"
* "To the Ends of the Earth" (2002)
** "All About You"
** "All"
** "To the Ends of the Earth" with Sampson
** "Am I To Believe"
*"Hope" (2003)
** "To the Ends of the Earth" with Sampson
* "More Than Life" (2004)
** "One Way" with Jonathon Douglass
** "Evermore"
** "Open Up the Heavens"
** "Where the Love Lasts Forever"
*"For All You've Done" (2004)
** "One way" with Douglass
** "Evermore"
* "Look to You" (2005)
** "Salvation Is Here"
** "Tell the World" with Douglass & Sampson
** "Shout Unto God" with Sampson
** "'Til I See You" with Jad Gillies
*"God He Reigns" (2005)
** "Salvation Is Here"
** "Yours Is the Kingdom"
* "Super Strong God" (2005)
** "One Way" with Douglass
* "United We Stand" (2006)
** "The Time Has Come"
** "From the Inside Out"
** "Revolution" with Scott Ligertwood, Sampson, Brooke Fraser, & Michael Guy Chislett
** "No One Like You"
** "The Stand"
*"Mighty to Save" (2006)
** "The Freedom We Know" with Matt Tenikoff & Sampson
** "From the Inside Out"
* "Supernatural" (2006)
** "Everyday"
*"All of the Above" (2007)
** "Point of Difference"
** "Break Free" with Matt Crocker & Ligertwood
** "Desperate People" with Chislett
** "Solution" with Crocker
** "My Future Decided" with Sampson and Douglass
** "Never Let Me Go"
* "Saviour King" (2007)
** "Break Free" with Crocker & Ligertwood
** "In the Mystery"
* "In a Valley by the Sea" (2007)
** "Break Free" with Crocker & Ligertwood
* "" (2008)
** "The Time Has Come"
** "One Way" with Douglass
** "'Til I See You" with Gillies
** "The Stand"
** "Break Free" with Crocker & Ligertwood
** "Where the Love Lasts Forever"
** "Tell The World" with Douglass & Sampson
** "My Future Decided" with Douglass
** "Shout Unto God" with Sampson
** "Salvation Is Here"
** "From The Inside Out"
** "Solution" with Crocker
* "This Is Our God" (2008)
** "Your Name High"
** "Run"
** "With Everything"

ources

* [http://www.hillsongmusic.com Hillsong Music Australia]
* [http://www.hillsongunited.com Hillsong United Website]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=39566875 Personal Myspace page]
* [http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2007/hillsong-0607.html Christianity Today interview]
* [http://www.hillsong.com/music/product.php?xProd=2880 "The Story Behind "All of the Above"] - Written by Joel Houston
* [http://songdiscovery.com/index.cfm?tdc=dsp&page=home SongDiscovery.com] interviews Joel Houston [http://www.songdiscovery.com/index.cfm?tdc=dsp&page=articles_previous_detail&aid=40] , [http://www.songdiscovery.com/index.cfm?tdc=dsp&page=articles_previous_detail&aid=32]
* [http://www.beliefnet.com/story/193/story_19329_2.html "A Passion for His Presence"] article at Beliefnet
* [http://www.freshradio.net/Interviews-Detail.asp?InterviewsID=13 Fresh 103.2 Interview]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/blast/hillsong_united_review.shtml BBC "Heart-throb rock gods united in song"]
*The Bulletin [http://www.bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=277807 interview] [http://www.bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/galleries/default.aspx?subsectonid=10492&slide=10 and photo gallery]

Persondata
NAME=Houston, Joel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Rock musician
DATE OF BIRTH=19 September, 1979
PLACE OF BIRTH=Sydney, Australia
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=

References