Joel Houston

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Joel Houston

Background information
Birth name Joel Timothy Houston
Born 18 September 1979 (1979-09-18) (age 30)
Origin Sydney, Australia
Genres Worship, rock
Occupations Producer, songwriter, performer
Instruments Bass guitar, vocals, acoustic guitar
Years active 1999 – present
Labels Hillsong music
Associated acts Able
Website The I Heart Revolution
Notable instruments
Acoustic and Electric Guitar

Joel Timothy Houston (born 18 September 1979) is a musician and songwriter, best known as leader of Sydney based worship band Hillsong United the youth worship band of Hillsong Church, 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 and founders Brian and Bobbie Houston and grandson of Frank Houston (who was the Senior Pastor of Sydney Christian Life Centre which is now the City Campus of Hillsong Church). He has two siblings, a brother Benjamin and a sister, Laura.[1] Houston was also the bass player for the band Able, which was composed of Marty Sampson, Michael Guy Chislett and Luke Munns, which won the Channel V Leg Up competition in 2001.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] 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.[2]

[edit] The Land of Nod and Able

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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 Able 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 recording studio in Byron Bay, but shortly after releasing the EP, the band decided to focus on putting music towards the United Live band.

[edit] 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, Joel 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. 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.[1][2] In March 2007, Hillsong United's eighth album All of the Above debuted at #6 on the ARIA charts.[3] His song, "Everyday", is ranked number 49 on the CCLI top 100 songs. Houston currently serves as Creative Director at Hillsong Church.

[edit] Discography

Albums on which Houston has written and performed songs:

  • United We Stand (2006)
  • 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
  • The I Heart Revolution: With Hearts As One (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"
  • A_Cross // the_EARTH: Tear Down The Walls (2009)
    • "No Reason To Hide" with Crocker
    • "Tear Down The Walls" with Crocker
    • "Your Name High"
  • Faith + Hope + Love (2009)
    • "The First and The Last" with Reuben Morgan
    • "For Your Name" with Jad Gillies & Morgan
    • "No Reason to Hide" with Matt Crocker

[edit] Sources


[edit] References

  1. ^ Jones, Caroline (1 August 2005). "The Life of Brian - Transcript". Australian Story. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2005/s1428533.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-19. 
  2. ^ Blessed. Hillsong Music. 2002. 
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