Fronted by husband and wife team Rhett and Jill McAllister, Arlington Priest combines Rhett’s heartfelt tenor and elegant guitar accompaniment with Jill’s soulful, dynamic voice and passionate interpretations, while bringing to the table a vocal blend that was honed by years of choral singing.
Rhett, originally from Charleston, SC, moved around a lot as a child. “With both parents singing in the church choir, and the lack of babysitters around, I often ended up on one lap or the other. I was intrigued from at early age by the sounds of voices blending together, so I would usually opt for choir practice instead of the usual kid stuff.” Most of Rhett’s early music experience was choral and classical. “I was actually a boy soprano until I was about 12 years old, so I was pretty much the quintessential man’s man from the get go. Having studied some piano early on, I got into Billy Joel and The Beatles, which turned me on to rock and pop. I got a guitar when I was in high school and learned a few chords, but I didn’t really start taking it seriously until I was in college.” At the Rail on Friday Night!!
The acoustic guitar. The colorful strap adorned with vintage scout patches. The soulful voice with a delicate mood. The scarred left cheek. Songs about human relationships, both good and bad. Optimistic, up-beat, and catchy. Deep, brooding, and spiritual. This is Chip Houston.
Enter Nashville’s Grammy-winning Producer Mitch Dane (Jars of Clay, Bebo Norman). The result is “Daybreak,” a collection of songs telling stories and showing snapshots of real life.
For 28 years, Chip Houston has called this southern city his home. And indeed it is. For Atlanta is where he was born, raised and realized his passion for crafting songs. It was Eddie’s Attic in Decatur where Chip cut his teeth on the local scene, playing in the same room where his great-grandmother, Willi-Mae Widner worked as a seamstress, decades before Belk’s became Eddie’s. Chip’s on the Rail stage on Saturday!
From the Archives — originally published on the Opelika Daily News on April 17, 2005. View the original page.
