Kirk Franklin Comes To “The Experience” on March 23rd – Set to Premier New Album “Hello Fear”

Dedry Jones’ “The Experience with Kirk Franklin” will be taking place at the Harold Washington Cultural Center at 7 pm.  Advance tickets are on sale at Jones’ store, The Music Experience or at the store’s website – www.amusicexperience.com.  For the nominal fee of $20 (plus a $1 service charge), fans of Franklin will not only receive a copy of his hot-off-the-press Hello Fear CD that they can have signed that day, they will get to witness interview master Jones pull never before heard stories from the gospel legend, and watch Franklin perform a mini-concert of new songs and history-making classics. In a time when affordable entertainment is as scarce as bishops without Bibles, this spiritually uplifting, up-close-and-personal “Experience” with gospel superstar Kirk Franklin will be the deal of the year for his faithful fans.  Jones remarks, “Personally, I am genuinely excited about Kirk Franklin returning to The Experience. What I discovered before was his humility and his commitment to his craft and his ministry. What I think we often overlook is Kirk’s talent. He is an amazing songwriter and he has a brilliant ear for music, melody and voice. He’s open and approachable. I can’t wait to Experience Kirk Franklin again.”

Kirk Franklin’s Hello Fear (being released on Verity Gospel Music through Sony Music) continues the living legend’s eclectic and all-points-reaching approach to music ministry with songs that span the musical styles of traditional gospel, go-go, classical, techno, hip hop and pop. Featuring his in-house family of stellar singers and musicians plus special guests Beverly Crawford, Marvin Sapp, Rance Allen, Marvin Winans, John P. Kee, Mali Music and The Texas Boys Choir, the 15-song project is a soul-stirring continuation of Franklin’s pan-stylistic rejuvenation of spirit.

Chicago native Dedry Jones has been leaving a passionate and purposeful stamp upon local retail since he opened his first store, Track One Records, in 1989. Over the past twenty-two years in the music industry, Dedry was a founder of midAIR, a board of retailers that presented three retail conferences for independent retailers, started the second oldest urban retail coalition in the country (the United Music Retailers) and was a founding member and the spokesperson for the national urban independent retail enclave, The Independent Music Group. In 2002, he created The Experience. He has nearly 60 of the varied, unforgettable events under his belt, including Natalie Cole, Yolanda Adams, Maxwell, Ashford & Simpson, Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan, Donna Summer, Will Downing, Al Jarreau, George Duke, Lalah Hathaway, Brian Culbertson and John Legend.  The Experience was also done with gospel star Vanessa Bell Armstrong which was recorded for a “live” CD.

Following his 2011 season opening session with gospel star Deitrick Haddon for Church on the Moon, Dedry Jones’ “The Experience with Kirk Franklin” for Hello Fear continues the legacy of excellence for both Chicago retail guru Jones and contemporary gospel pioneer Franklin.