Kirk Franklin Celebrates Platinum Success

Popular Artist Has Memorable Year

Nashville, TN – Gospo Centric Records announced today that The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin, the 2002 release from multi-Grammy and Dove award-winning artist Kirk Franklin, has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album was certified Gold less than a month after its release and has sold one million copies to date.

The successful release of The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin has earned Franklin three NAACP Image Awards, five Stellar Awards, two Dove Awards (artist and producer of The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin) and eight Dove Award nominations. During the past year, Franklin has been featured by such venerated media outlets as Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, BET's Journey's in Black, People Magazine, Charisma Magazine, CCM Magazine and Peter Jenning's Search of America – A July 4th Musical Celebration, among many more. Billboard Magazine named Franklin the #1 Top Gospel Artist of 2002 and The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin was named Billboard's #1 Top Gospel Album of 2002.

Franklin has sold 12 million records to date, making him one of the top-selling gospel artists of all time. He currently has five Platinum records including God’s Property (three-time certified Platinum) and The Nu Nation Project (two-time certified Platinum).

Gospo Centric & B-Rite Music, owned by Vicki Mack-Lataillade and her husband Claude, was founded by Ms. Mack-Lataillade in 1993 with $6,000 she borrowed from her father’s postal pension. In addition to Franklin, Gospo Centric & B-Rite Music artists include Dorinda Clark-Cole, the Female Vocalist of the Year from this year's Stellar Awards; Grammy Award winner gospel music legend Tramaine Hawkins; Stellar Award winner Kurt Carr & the Kurt Carr Singers; Stellar Award winner Trinitee 5:7, whose Gold-selling debut CD is nearing Platinum; Six-time Stellar Award nominee Byron Cage; Reggae legend Papa San, Stellar Award nominee Natalie Wilson & the SOP Chorale and Grammy Award-winning producer / recording artist Percy Bady.