Israel Houghton's Love God, Love People Tops the Charts

Hoganson Media Relations

CBN.com –Multiple Grammy, Stellar, and Dove Award winner, Soul Train Award winner and double RIAA certified Gold-selling artist Israel Houghton celebrated on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, sitting in with Rickey Minor and the Tonight Show Band last night on guitar and vocals as his critically acclaimed album, Love God. Love People., became the No. 1 selling album on the Top Gospel, Top Christian and Praise & Worship charts. Released Aug. 31 on Integrity Music/Columbia Records, the album also climbs seven notches higher than his 2009 Grammy Award winning hit album, The Power Of One, to land at No. 27 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Love God. Love People further hit No. 12 on the iTunes overall and No. 1 on the Christian/Gospel digital albums charts.

Highlighting the greatest Gospel commandment with Love God. Love People., Israel played the title track of the album for “The Tonight Show” crowd last night as his latest recording has garnered praise from critics reaching out to a diverse variety of music fans nationally and beyond. With Israel's recent appearances on The Yolanda Adams Morning Show and The Tavis Smiley Show, he is also set to be featured on The Donnie McClurkin Show later this month. Critics at media outlets ranging from CCM to Gospel Today and ChristianityToday.com to SoulTracks.com, CBA Retailer + Resources, GospelFlava.com, Breathecast.com, Crosswalk.com and more have lauded the new album, calling it “gospel music milk and honey,” “profound” “uplifting,” “spectacular,” “God dropped it out of heaven,” “excellent,” “amazing,” “musical and spiritual masterpiece,” “relentlessly original,” “wonderfulness” and more.

As the critics cheer the release, music from Love God. Love People. is also being heard nationally as the current radio single, “You Hold My World,” becomes a Top 20 Billboard Gospel Indicator chart hit. Additionally, the heart of the new album captured in the song “Others,” penned by Houghton and his wife, Meleasa, is gathering national airplay at AC radio.

Featuring the musically masterful energy that has become synonymous with Israel Houghton recordings, Love God. Love People. features special guest appearances by Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond and Take 6’s Claude V. McKnight, III, Mark Kibble and Joey Kibble, as well as song co-writes with Meleasa Houghton, Aaron Lindsey, Tommy Sims and Michael Gungor.

“Love God. Love People. is a return to a simple, foundational Gospel command: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself,” says Israel. “Virtually every song touches on this profound simplicity. It all comes down to ‘love God, love people.’ Period.”

Releasing simultaneously with the CD, Houghton’s Love God. Love People. iTunes LP is available at www.itunes.com/israelhoughton. The first ever Christian artist iTunes LP and first LP, mainstream or Christian, that includes interactive social network capabilities, a music mixer, Bible verses and the ability to create your own album cover, Houghton’s LP also interactively includes the new music, animated lyrics, chord charts, liner notes, performance videos, photos and other bonus materials.

Writing or co-writing all but one of the songs on Love God. Love People., Israel is an innovative worship leader, singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer who has also written or co-written 11 CCLI Top 500 favorites. Breaking down barriers and defying categorization with his music, Israel uses his own multi-cultural upbringing as a reference point with a desire to draw people of all races, ages and cultures together. Israel laughingly describes himself as “black kid who grew up in a white family in a Hispanic neighborhood.”

Active as worship leader in his local church, Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, Houston, Israel has 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 U.S. and around the world, has accompanied Alicia Keys at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards for a performance of George Michael's “Freedom '90,” and has performed at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, taking part in a segment saluting Gospel music alongside the likes of Aretha Franklin and BeBe Winans.

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 been featured on FOX, CBS, ABC, BET, CNN, TBN, and CBN, and has amassed a legion of followers that crosses 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, 3 Grammy Awards, 6 Dove Awards, 2 Stellar Awards and a Soul Train Award.