Alexis Houston

Speak Love-Life Lessons ?I decided to pursue this because I had a passion for music, it made me feel good ? it moved me. I haven't found anything else that has brought me nearly this much joy,? says Alexis Houston. What might have brought her parents more joy was the ability to call her ?Dr. Houston'as she was studying medicine before her full-time foray into the arts. This great love made it impossible to pursue anything else and

?I decided to pursue this because I had a passion for music, it made me feel good ?
it moved me. I haven't found anything else that has brought me nearly this much
joy,? says Alexis Houston. What might have brought her parents more joy was the
ability to call her ?Dr. Houston'as she was studying medicine before her full-time
foray into the arts. This great love made it impossible to pursue anything else and
made the directive to step out and use her intellect and creativity to bring
something special and unique to each and every performance. This young
singer/songwriter is putting an interesting spin on today's popular music.

This New Jersey native has been delighting audiences since she was six years old and
credits singing in church choirs at New Hope Baptist Church (Newark, NJ) for giving
her the desire and commitment to perform. It was here under the watchful eye of Anne
Drinkard Moss and her sister, Soul and Gospel Legend, Cissy Houston that she further
honed her music skills, singing in the various choirs of the church. It is from this
very same church background that the world got the likes of Dionne and Dee Dee
Warwick, and Whitney Houston; members of a family that have truly made an impact in the world of contemporary entertainment.

While away in school, Alexis continued to develop her love for music by singing and
eventually composing. Both skills led her to opportunities to write and record music
for numerous advertising firms as well as scoring music for television. Alexis has
managed to ?rack up' an impressive resume that includes penning and recording
jingles for many major advertising campaigns including: AT&T, Diet Coke and
McDonald's. She has been an assistant musical director, and arranger for tours of
various artists. Scoring music for theatrical productions for the Negro Ensemble
Company's ?Ensemble in Black', Jean Cocteau's ?The Human Voice'. She will also be
appearing in the film ?My Guaranteed Student Loan' with acting legend Celeste Holme
and Rain Pryor.

Getting her start as a songwriter and producer, Alexis was convinced to take the
foreground by prominent friends. Paul Russell of SONY ATV Publishing was one such
champion. ?I had something to say,? adds Alexis. Between that, her four and a half
vocal octave range and a voice that embodies the soul of Aretha Franklin, the sultry
depth of Sarah Vaughan (a fellow New Jersey native) and a dexterity that is
unmistakably Houston, Alexis has been a most sought after performer. Comparisons to
Vaughan are a delight for Alexis, whose mother once noted the similarity of her
voice to that of Vaughan and Anita Baker ? another favorite of hers. ?You gravitate to voices that are similar to yours, I suppose,? she concludes.

Alexis'solo, debut project Speak Love/Life Lessons, was created as a ?musical autobiography?. The songs reveal the growth of a young woman through the experiences of different relationships in her life and how ?love' in all its various forms plays a key role in this process. ?Not only did I want the songs to reflect me, but the
production as well,?says Alexis. ?I wanted that to reflect my experiences and my
tastes just as much. I believe we achieved that on this album.?

On this debut, Alexis pulls from all her musical influences: Pop, Jazz, Gospel,
Electronica and Rock and blends them into mix that is uniquely her and undeniably
special. To compliment Alexis' own writing and production, the project benefits from
collaborations with Grammy nominated songwriter/producers; Gregg Pagani (Charlie
Wilson, Patti LaBelle, Kenneth ?Babyface' Edmonds,), Ivan & Carvin (Justin Timberlake, Musiq Soulchild) and The Insomniax ( JoJo, Bobby Valentino) and Jake Ridley (Christina Aguilera).

Alexis Houston grew up around music. It did not seem apparent back when she was a child, but she was soaking up all the experiences that combine to color her natural
talent. ?As an adult, I am realizing and appreciating all that has done for me,? she
says. With a listen to ?Speak Love/Life Lessons', we believe you will too.