Saturday March 7, 02:30 PM

Singer, worship leader Houghton shares 'The Power'

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Few singers cover diverse musical territory as effortlessly as Israel Houghton -- a feat he attributes to "being a black kid who grew up in a white family in a Hispanic neighborhood."

Those varied social and musical influences simmer on his forthcoming solo album, "The Power of One," which will be released March 24 on Integrity Music/Columbia Records.

Best known for recording Grammy Award-winning live albums with his group New Breed, Houghton took to the studio for his solo project, but he certainly didn't do it alone. In addition to an acclaimed group of session musicians, Houghton recruited such special guests as tobyMac, who lent his vocals to the rocking "You Found Me." Mary Mary joins Houghton on the soulful ballad "Every Prayer"; reggae vocalist Chevelle Franklin sings on "Surely Goodness" and joins Houghton and Delirious frontman Martin Smith on "Sing (Redemption's Song)."

To promote the album, on March 10, Houghton will become the first gospel/Christian artist to have an iPhone app, which will be available for free at the iPhone App Store. The application will give users iTunes links to purchase "The Power of One," as well as Houghton's entire discography. Users will also be able to listen to 30-second previews of every song on his previous six albums and access news from his Web site and blogs, YouTube videos, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other content.

Houghton tours extensively and leads worship at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, attended by 42,000 people each weekend. "I'm still at Lakewood at least twice a month and traveling the rest of the time," he says.

In April, Houghton will finish the Hello Love tour with songwriter and worship leader Chris Tomlin and plans to embark on the Power of One tour later this year. He also plans to tour abroad, with dates already booked in Asia and South America. "We go to Africa probably four times a year, and this year is going to be no exception," Houghton says.

For his part, the singer always considers how a song will sound live. "What I want to come across is the passion and the desire that we have to get this message out," he says. "That was definitely our goal."

(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters) (please visit our entertainment blog via www.reuters.com or on http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)