All-Star recording benefits Haiti earthquake victims with Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Jeremy Camp, etc

Photo of Kirk Franklin from press kit

Gospel Artists Record Live Song for Haiti

As reported in Gospel artists Kirk Franklin, Natalie Grant, Mary Mary, Marvin Sapp recording benefit song for Haiti, last week I caught wind of a special live recording of a song for Haiti organized by Kirk Franklin. Soon it was confirmed that some of the gospel music industry's biggest stars were in Nashville recording a song to help benefit the poverty-stricken nation of Haiti in response to the 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

Are You Listening: A Love Song for Haiti

The recording was spearheaded by Kirk Franklin, who was moved while watching the terrible images broadcast on CNN while Franklin was in a Nashville hotel Wednesday night January 13. Franklin and numerous other gospel artists were in Music City for the 2010 taping of the 25th Annual Stellar Awards, and Franklin invited fellow artists to take part in the recording of "Are You Listening: A Love Song for Haiti" to raise funds to help those in desperate need in Haiti.

Gospel Community's Answer to "We Are the World"

Franklin asked the Christian artists to join what he called 'the gospel community's answer to "We Are the World."' "We see these people as God's children," Franklin said. "We want to do our part and I just want people to know that the gospel community can respond to a powerful natural disaster."

More than 150 Gospel Artists Respond

Photo of Mary Mary from press kit

More than 150 gospel artists responded to Franklin's plea, including BeBe Winans and CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, Marvin Sapp, Natalie Grant, Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary, Shirley Caesar, Jeremy Camp, Marvin Winans, J. Moss, Smokie Norful, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Karen Clark-Sheard, Kiki Sheard, Donald Lawrence, Bishop Paul Morton, Micah Stampley and James Fortune.

Gospel Music Channel to Air Haiti Specials

Franklin contacted the executive producer of The Stellar Awards, Don Jackson, and asked that the Gospel Music Channel (GMC), which is telecasting The Stellar Awards on February 28, send cameras and crews to record the event.  GMC is producing the official music video for "Are You Listening: A Love Song for Haiti" which will world premiere in a one hour special presentation on GMC Friday, January 22 at 7:00 p.m. (ET), immediately before GMC's airing of  the global "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon (8:00 p.m.). The commercial-free special will be hosted by Lisa Kimmey-Winans and will feature exclusive interview footage with Kirk Franklin from the recording session. 

A Love Song for Haiti: The Making of 'Are You Listening'

Photo of Natalie Grant from press kit

GMC will air the special again on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 6:00 p.m. (ET), after which the music video will go into heavy rotation in all GMC music video blocks. GMC will also produce and premiere an exclusive "A Love Song for Haiti: The Making of 'Are You Listening'" behind-the-scenes special in February.

Verity Records president Jazzy Jordan, whose label will release the song both digitally and commercially, stated that everyone donated their time and their contributions, from the artists to the engineers and the studio.

Kirk Franklin said "Are You Listening: A Love Song for Haiti" was born right after 9-11 but that by the time he finished it, the timing had passed. "But as I watched what was going on in Haiti, the Lord brought it to my attention that it would be perfect. We recorded it as quickly as we can so that we can have it to radio and other outlets with all of the proceeds going to the people of Haiti."

Other gospel artists are also responding in Nashville. See Concert for Haiti Friday with Michael W. Smith, Nicole C. Mullen, Plumb, Tommy Sims, Breith, more.