Kirk Franklin assembled 150 gospel artists to record atribute song and video for Haitiearthquake victims. The video for the song "Are You Listening: A Love Song ForHaiti" recently premiered on the Gospel Music Channel.
BeBe and CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, Shirley Caesar, MaryMary, Donnie McClurkin, Smokie Norful, and Marvin Sapp are among the genre'sbiggest names who volunteered their services for the effort.
Franklinwas moved to record the song after watching the country's devastation on CNN onWednesday, January 13, the night after the earthquake.
Franklin was in Nashville for the StellarAwards taping that weekend. When attending an already scheduled prayer eventthe following night, Franklinshared his desire to unite the gospel community to record the song.
"We see these people as God's children," Franklin said at the prayer service. "We wantto do our part, and I just want people to know that the gospel community canrespond to a powerful natural disaster."
Franklin's plea receivedimmediate response, and the song was recorded that week in Nashville's Quad Studios.
Franklinactually wrote the song after 9/11, but did not complete it in time.
"It's a song God gave me," Franklin said in statement. "But by the timeI finished it, the timing had passed, and I was just never able to marry it toanything. But as I watched what was going on in Haiti, the Lord brought it to myattention that it would be perfect. We recorded it as quickly as we could sothat we could have it to radio and other outlets with all of the proceeds goingto the people in Haiti."
CeCe Winans added that it was important for Gospel artiststo participate in such a project. "That's what gospel is about," Winans said,"Loving people and being the extended hands of God."