User:IfDavidWasHere/sandbox

Ryan Ellis is an American Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader. He has written songs for Christian music artists such as Matt Redman, Natalie Grant, Meredith Andrews, Steven Malcolm, as well as others. He is credited as a songwriter on Chris Tomlin’s 2018 single “Resurrection Power,” which earned him a GMA Dove Award nomination and ASCAP’s “Most Performed Song” award that same year. In addition to being a songwriter, he is a former member of Isla Vista Worship and is a current member of Housefires, and has also released solo material since 2015.

Early life
Ellis was born and raised in San Diego, California. He was inspired by Pop and R&B music and grew up listening to artists such as Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men. As a teenager, he often felt alone without the support of a father figure, starting his life anew in different cities near the poverty line; however, he always considered himself an entertainer. Performing arts became something to pursue when everything else constantly changed in his life, which eventually led him to becoming a founding member of the original Jabbawockeez dance crew. After high school graduation, Ellis joined the Navy and served for five years; this included a tour of duty in Afghanistan. During that time Ellis had a personal encounter with Jesus, realizing that his musical talents could be used as a way to connect with his faith.

Career
After serving in the Navy, Ellis was later introduced to a worship ministry in Southern California called Isla Vista Worship and discovered that they did missionary work through their ministry, Jesus Burgers. Inspired by their example, he relocated to Isla Vista, CA to become a worship pastor in their ministry. He subsequently helped to oversee Isla Vista Worship, releasing his first project, a live album, "Live from the Upper Room II" on February 26, 2015, and an EP, "Kingdom Glory" the following month on March 9, 2015, both of which were released independently by Isla Vista Worship. In the years that followed, Ellis' work caught the attention of well-known contemporary Christian record producers, which led to collaborations and songwriting credits for Chris Tomlin, Natalie Grant, Housefires, Steven Malcolm, and Matt Redman.

__NOINDEX__