Fitz Houston

Hometown

Bristol, VA

Bio

      "Since becoming aware of the creative channel within me empowered by God," says Fitz Houston, " I have been able to convert what can often be stressful times for a creative person into constructive energy towards expressing myself as an artist in any way possible."   This mouthful of a statement certainly applies to Fitz Houston.           

     Since 1971, Fitz has written over 100 songs and 150 poems.  His lyrical pieces  include numerous ballads expressing various aspects of love, life and relationships as does his poetry.        

Even though Fitz's musical began first on piano, he first put his lips to the trumpet at age seven, and has been playing it ever since. 

He is also a publisher.  One of the songs he published under Houston Spectrum Unlimited (ASCAP), a rap song called “Poor & Unfortunate,”  was used in an episode of the hit series “227.”  He co-published the song  “My Heart Says Yes,” recorded and performed by the group LaRue.   Fitz performed his smooth ballad “Love Has Found a Way,”  during an appearance on the Montel Williams Show in 1993.              

Fitz didn’t begin focusing on inspirational jazz until recently.  One day he was asked to sit in with the horn section at his church, West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles.  The rest is history.  He loved playing for the Lord so much that ministering to people through his trumpet became his main mission in life.  Now a born-again Christian, Fitz played trumpet with the praise and worship rhythm section during Sunday services for the next nine years.            

In the early summer of 1995, Fitz and a fellow horn player from his church temporarily formed a group called Lovers of Christ , when Fitz was invited to perform in a week-long crusade in London.  While there, the duo performed at the DMI Gospel Awards.  During the crusade, Fitz was also designated the praise and worship leader at most of the events and services. As a result of the crusade, he is currently co-producing and performing trumpet and vocals on his first maxi-single CD to include a Christian rap song “Nobody Does It Like Jesus, and the inspirational trumpet solo “A Moment with God.”    His meditational project “Interludes of Praise and Power”, scriptures spoken over original jazz, is being co-produced with his wife of seven years, Jahna Cole Houston under the couple’s own label GRACE  Records.            

An accomplished actor, Fitz's many theater credits include Sgt. Waters in “A Soldier’s Play,” Bono in August Wilson’s “Fences,” TonTon in “Once on This Island,”  the title role of the Wiz in a Los Angeles dinner theater production of The Wiz;  Guys and Dolls; The Amen Corner; the original hit gospel musical, For This Reason; the touring cast of Lunch; Robert Townsend's The Five Heartbeats, and the national touring production of Woman of the Year starring Lauren Bacall. His TV credits include “Married with Children,” “Seinfeld,” “Sister, Sister,” “The Parent ‘Hood,” “Mike Hammer: Private Eye,” “227,” “ROC,” “Sparks,” “The Bold & The Beautiful,” “The Young & the Restless, and the PBS series “On Common Ground.”  He appears in the upcoming features “Footsteps” starring Maria Conchita Alonso, “Eastside,” starring heartthrob Mario Lopez and “Four Dogs Playing Poker,” starring Tim Curry and Stacey Edwards.           

Also a prolific writer, he also wrote and directed a fresh, upbeat stage play “Feud of the Century, for the IN DEPTH Anti-Smoking Program, which features the his jammin’ rap song “DON’T SMOKE,” and was presented for the Centinela Valley School District in southern California in June 1999.  Earlier this year, he wrote and directed his second youth oriented play “Too Young to Die” for the Centinela School District, which will also be performed in the fall for the State Board of Education.  Fitz later produced the play as a short film.

Houston also owns his own film editing company, Unlimited Production Services.    He has produced and directed the Christian plays, "Your Soul is at Stake (Flesh vs. the Spirit)",  "The Healing Power of Christmas" and the anti-viloence short film "Too Young to Die."  He produced, wrote and edited the short film "Just Another Day."   His wife, Jahna Houston, debuted as Director.  The husband and wife team currently produce projects under their production company, JahnaHugh Productions.  

 Also a praise & worship leader and accomplished flugelhorn player, Houston has released four Christian CD projects, “INTERLUDES I & II (for prayer and meditation),” “RAPPIN’ AND PRAISIN’ HIS NAME”, "JAMMING WITH THE LORD" and “SIXTY-SIX BOOKS IN THE BIBLE, a fun rap song that teaches you the order and the books in the Bible.  (www.66booksinthebible.com )              

Houston also produces his own cable variety shows, GOSPEL VIBES, which showcases unknown Christian talent (http://www.gospelvibestv.org), THE ACTING ZONE, which showcases film shorts, original monologues and scenes, and A NEW DIRECTION, a Christian ministry talk show which covers sensitive Christian issues.                  

 As a writer, he has just published a number of Christian books including “GUIDED TOWARDS THE LIGHT” (the first in a series of mini-books),  “MEN, LET’S TALK.” (book and the workbook) as well as “DIVINE RHYMES 100 ( inspirational poetry http://www.poetryforyourspirit.com ).    

 Houston is the proud dad of a 25-year old son, Jonathan, who graduated from Tuskegee University.  His wife of 15 years, Jahna Cole Houston, is the reigning the Volunteer America National Ambassador and Classic Beauty 2008   For more information about Fitz and/or his products log on to:  http://www.fitzhouston.net . 

Influences

My musical influences regarding my arrangement are Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock.  My influences towards my flugelhorn are Freddie Hubbard, Rick Braun, and Miles Davis.

Upcoming Events

Gospel Vibes is currently airing ongoing in and around the Los Angeles Area on Time Warner public access cable channel.  Check your local listing for the times or log on to http://www.gospelvibestv.org for the latest schedule.  You may also view clips of guests on Gospel Vibes at http://www.livevideo.com/GospelVibesTV or view clips of Fitz's appearances on television at http://www.livevideo.com/HoustonSpectrumTV .

Thanks

I give special thanks to my mother who introduced me to music and persistently supported me through the years when it could easily have been dropped as a fad.  It was her musical support in my young years that motivated me to seek to do the best I could musically which lead to wonderful musical experiences through over the years.  Thanks mom!