Jonathon Douglass
| Hillsong United | |
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United We Stand live recording, 8 October 2005
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | Worship music, contemporary Christian, Christian rock |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Hillsong |
| Associated acts | Hillsong Worship, Hillsong Young & Free |
| Website | www |
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| Past members |
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Hillsong United (stylised as Hillsong UNITED or UNITED) is a worship band that originated as a part of Hillsong Church. Formed in 1998 as part of Hillsong's youth ministry, the band consists of several rotating worship leaders from the church, including Brooke Fraser, Joel Houston, Reuben Morgan and Marty Sampson. Due to several songs written by the youth ministry, Hillsong worship leader Darlene Zschech recommended that they record an album, which resulted in their debut extended play, One, which was released alongside the Hillsong Worship album Touching Heaven Changing Earth. Since then, the group has released eleven annual live albums, as well as four studio albums. The band composes songs and performs in church services as well as concerts in worldwide tours.
The band was originally formed in 1998, by close friends from within the youth ministry called "Powerhouse Youth", led by Hillsong Youth Pastors Phil and Lucinda Dooley for many years. As the house band for the Powerhouse meetings, they played original songs and rearranged popular radio tunes at their weekly meeting for local youth aged 16–25. Band members sometimes also contributed to the larger interdenominational ministry Youth Alive Australia and its albums. Most members of the band also attended Hillsong Church services.
Powerhouse grew and split in the late 1990s into two youth groups: Powerhouse (aged 18–25) and Wildlife (12-17). Reuben Morgan, assisted by guitarist Marcus Beaumont and vocalist/songwriter Tanya Riches, administrated all United nights, albums and events until 2003, when the role was passed on to Joel Houston. The three performed with the 18-25's Powerhouse band that also included Mark Stevens, Nigel Hendroff, Peter King and Raymond Badham. For the older group Peter King was the main piano player and music director, with guitarist Nigel Hendroff later taking the music directing role. In the younger ministry Wildlife, it was former Channel V Leg-Up competition-winning Able band boys Joel Houston and Marty Sampson, with Able band's Luke Munns and Michael Guy Chislett being the main drummer and guitarist, respectively, while Joel Houston played bass. They were initially trained by Russell Fragar. Marty Sampson, Holly Dawson, Mark Stevens, Katrina Peoples, Michelle Fragar, Tanya Riches and Bec Mesiti were some original key vocalists. In the Summer of 1997 the team made a huge impact at their youth ministry's Summer Camp. On returning from the camp, the youth ministries of Hillsong Church decided to join together monthly, calling these meetings the "UNITED" Nights.
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