NEW YORK (Zomba) - Fo Yo Soul Entertainment/Zomba recording artist Kirk
Franklin announces new dates for 'Kirk
Franklin & Friends,' the next leg of his national tour in support of his latest CD Hero. The new upcoming tour dates will allow many of Franklin's fans in markets that do not traditionally get major concerts to attend his performance including cities such as Charleston, SC, Rochester, NY, Omaha, NE, Des Moines, IA and Macon, GA among others. The tour also plans to make a stop in New Orleans at the New Orleans Arena.
Fellow artists joining the gospel music star on the 'Kirk Franklin & Friends' portion of the tour is EMI Gospel artist and Dallas native Myron Butler along with his group Levi, as well as Stellar Award winning Sony Urban artists Men of Standard. Commenting on having his friends join him for this leg of the tour Franklin says, 'I am honored to welcome long time friends Myron Butler and his group Levi as well as my boys, Sony Urban artists, Men of Standard for the second leg of tour.' Remaining on the tour is Philadelphia-based Cross Movement Records' hip hop artist, Da' T.R.U.T.H of whom Franklin says is, 'the perfect marriage between the streets and the soul.'
The first leg of Franklin's 'Hero Tour' kicked off February 28 - with special guests Mary Mary - and played to sold-out venues in cities across the country including New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Austin, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Cleveland and Washington, DC to name a few. In a recent review of the show, the Newark Star-Ledger wrote, 'Franklin puts an unabashedly modern spin on gospel music, embracing hip-hop music as well as hip-hop showmanship.' Due to previous commitments this summer, the Grammy Award winning gospel sisters duo will not be continuing on this leg of the tour.
Kirk, the biggest selling gospel artist in the SoundScan era, is well-known for his dynamic and energetic performances, which have included two hugely successful 'Hopeville Tours' in the past few years. On the current tour, the gospel dynamo performs selections from his sixth CD Hero, which debuted in the No 1 position on two Billboard Magazine charts - Top Gospel Album and Top Christian Albums – and continues to maintain the top positions respectively. The music video for the second single, 'Imagine Me' is scheduled to be filmed later this month in Los Angeles. The video for 'Looking For You,' the first single release from the CD, continues in heavy rotation on BET.
The gospel mogul recently took a brief break from touring and was rewarded by receiving two 2006 GMA Music Awards – one for Best Urban Recorded Song for his No 1 single, 'Looking For You' and one for Best Urban Album for his latest chart-topping CD, Hero during Gospel music's biggest night of the year. The multiple award winner also served as show co-host and performed at the 37th Annual Gospel Music Association Music Awards (formerly the Dove Awards) held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. The awards show is currently being televised nationally in syndication through May 21 (check local listings).
Franklin has received other award recognition for his latest works. Earlier this year, the multi-talented artist received a Best Gospel Performance nomination from the 2006 Grammy Awards for his No 1 hit single 'Looking For You,' a 2006 NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Gospel Artist (Traditional or Contemporary), as well as a 2006 Soul Train Award nomination for Best Gospel Artist.
Aside from touring, the community-minded Franklin has teamed up with The Children's Defense Fund (CDF), a private, nonprofit organization that for more than 30 years has provided a strong, effective voice for all the children in America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. As newly-named Faith Ambassador to the organization, Franklin will help promote the tenth anniversary of CDF's 'Stand for Children' to build a movement to Leave No Child Behind and to provide a voice for better policy choices affecting the 37 million Americans, including 13 million children living in poverty. Visit www.childrensdefense.org to learn more about CDF's research, public policy initiatives, programs and outreach throughout the country.
Don't miss what The Philadelphia Inquirer describes as 'one of the hardest-working men in show business, as well as one of our hardest-working preachers,' when Kirk Franklin & Friends brings one of the most exciting and worship-filled gospel tours of the year to your market!
Stay tuned to www.KirkFranklin.us for all the latest news and updates.
