Multiple GRAMMY, Stellar and Dove Award winner, Soul Train Award winner and double RIAA certified Gold-selling artist Israel Houghton, joins an all-star cast for the 2009 Heroes Red, White & Blue Inaugural Ball.  Held Jan. 20 in Washington, DC, at the Warner Theatre beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET, the event is being executive produced by GRAMMY Award winning Nile Rodgers and hosted by Tiki Barber, sports broadcaster and former New York Giants (NFL) running back.

At the event, Israel plans to perform songs from his upcoming The Power Of One recording releasing March 24, 2009 on Integrity Music/Columbia Records.  The album marks Israel's 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 Power of One features songs of hope, redemption and revelation. 

In addition to Houghton, performers at the "Heroes Ball" will include Josh Groban, Anita Baker, Bebe and Cece Winans, George Duke, Slash, Naz, CHIC, Robert Randolph, Donnie McClurkin, Gary Morris, Lillias White and more. Billed as "Legends Past, Present and Future," the concert brings together multi-generational music icons to honor wounded servicemen and women recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, their families, active-duty personnel serving overseas, military leaders and other honored guests. The event will also benefit USO (www.uso.org) and TAPS (www.taps.org), and will be broadcast in its entirety to military bases around the world via the Pentagon Channel.

Limited tickets for this event are on sale now at www.heroball.org.

Immediately following the Heroes Ball, Israel embarks on a national major market, 37-city tour with Chris Tomlin (beginning Jan. 22).  For his latest tour information, go to http://www.myspace.com/israelandnewbreedofficial.

Active as worship leader in his local church, Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, Houston, 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 U.S. 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.  He also penned his first book with New Breed, A Deeper Level (Whitaker House), and wrote a chapter in the upcoming The Art of Compassion charity book.

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