Hero (album)
Encyclopedia
Hero is an American Gospel music
album released in 2005 by Kirk Franklin
on GospoCentric Records
. It is the 8th album by Franklin. Hero was certified as Gold by the RIAA on and Platinum on .
In 2007 Hero won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
and "Imagine Me
" won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song
.
, the album features songs with several urban contemporary gospel
and R&B
artists including Dorinda Clark Cole
, Tye Tribbett, Marvin Winans (member of the Winans
), Stevie Wonder
, and Yolanda Adams
" and "Imagine Me".
"Looking for You" was released as a single on September 20, 2005 in the U.S. and was a top-five hit on the Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart .
chart on ,
It also reached No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart.
" also won a Dove Award for Urban Recorded Song of the Year.
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
album released in 2005 by Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...
on GospoCentric Records
GospoCentric Records
GospoCentric Records is an Inglewood, California based Gospel music record label started as an independent label by Vicki Mack Lataillade and Claude Lataillade in 1993. The label rose to prominence in the 90's largely on the runaway success of gospel artist Kirk Franklin. The label has grown to...
. It is the 8th album by Franklin. Hero was certified as Gold by the RIAA on and Platinum on .
In 2007 Hero won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album has been awarded since 1991. An similar award, the Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary, was awarded from 1978 to 1983...
and "Imagine Me
Imagine Me
"Imagine Me" is a single by American gospel artist Kirk Franklin from his 2005 album, Hero. The song peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number two on the Billboard Gospel Songs chart. The song won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song....
" won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song
Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song
The Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to songwriters for quality gospel songs....
.
Synopsis
Produced by Franklin and J MossJ Moss
J. Moss , Detroit, Michigan is an American singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, and producer.-Early years:...
, the album features songs with several urban contemporary gospel
Urban contemporary gospel
Traditional black gospel is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
artists including Dorinda Clark Cole
Dorinda Clark Cole
Dorinda Clark-Cole is a two-time Grammy Award winning American evangelist and gospel singer. She is best known as a member of The Clark Sisters and as a daughter of pioneering choral director Mattie Moss Clark.-Early life:...
, Tye Tribbett, Marvin Winans (member of the Winans
Winans family
The Winans family is an African-American family of Gospel music artists from Detroit, Michigan.-Family members:* David "Pop" Winans, Sr. * Delores "Mom" Winans * David Winans Jr....
), Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, and Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams
Yolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning...
Track listing
| # | Title | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro - America the Beautiful" | 0:45 | vocals by the African Children’s Choir |
| 2. | "Looking for You Looking for You "Looking For You" is a gospel song by Kirk Franklin from his 2005 album Hero.The song contains a sample from "Haven't you Heard" which was written by Patrice Rushen, Charles Mims Jr, Sheree Brown, and Freddie Washington.-Charts and succession:... " |
4:06 | Samples "Haven't You Heard" by Patrice Rushen Patrice Rushen Patrice Rushen is a Grammy Award-winning African American R&B and jazz vocalist, composer and pianist.-Biography:... |
| 3. | "Hero" (with Dorinda Clark Cole Dorinda Clark Cole Dorinda Clark-Cole is a two-time Grammy Award winning American evangelist and gospel singer. She is best known as a member of The Clark Sisters and as a daughter of pioneering choral director Mattie Moss Clark.-Early life:... ) |
5:20 | |
| 4. | "Interlude" (with Fred Hammond Fred Hammond Fred Hammond is a gospel music singer, bass guitar player, and record producer.-Musical career:Hammond has been active both as a member of the gospel performing group Commissioned, and as a solo artist... ) |
0:55 | |
| 5. | "Let It Go" (with Sonny Sandoval Sonny Sandoval Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval is an American singer and rapper. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band P.O.D..-Biography:... of P.O.D. P.O.D. Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and... and tobyMac TobyMac Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author.... ) |
4:59 | Samples "Shout Shout (Tears for Fears song) "Shout" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears.Written by Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley and sung by Orzabal , it was the band's eighth single release and sixth UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #4 in January 1985... " by Tears for Fears Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into... |
| 6. | "The Process" | 1:08 | |
| 7. | "Imagine Me Imagine Me "Imagine Me" is a single by American gospel artist Kirk Franklin from his 2005 album, Hero. The song peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number two on the Billboard Gospel Songs chart. The song won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song.... " |
5:18 | 2007 Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song |
| 8. | "Could've Been" (with J Moss J Moss J. Moss , Detroit, Michigan is an American singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, and producer.-Early years:... and Tye Tribbett) |
6:47 | |
| 9. | "Better" | 4:00 | Produced By Dre & Vidal Dre & Vidal Dre & Vidal is a Multi-Grammy Award Winning songwriting and production duo consisting of Andre Harris and Vidal Davis, who are best known as the main producers for Jill Scott and Glenn Lewis... |
| 10. | "Afterwhile" (with Yolanda Adams Yolanda Adams Yolanda Adams is an American Grammy- and Dove-award-winning Yolanda Adams is an American [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]- and [[Dove Awards|Dove]]-award-winning... ) |
2:51 | |
| 11. | "Brokenhearted" (with Marvin L. Winans Winans family The Winans family is an African-American family of Gospel music artists from Detroit, Michigan.-Family members:* David "Pop" Winans, Sr. * Delores "Mom" Winans * David Winans Jr.... ) |
6:01 | |
| 12. | "Without You" | 5:02 | |
| 13. | "Keep Your Head" | 4:36 | samples Keep Your Head to the Sky Keep Your Head to the Sky "Keep Your Head to the Sky" is a song by R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire which was written by Maurice White and produced by Joe Wissert. Included on the band's 1973 album, Head to the Sky it It was released as a single in the same year.... by Earth, Wind, and Fire |
| 14. | "Why" (with Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... ) |
4:36 | |
| 15. | "First Love" | 5:52 | |
| 16. | "The Appeal" | 7:21 | |
| 17. | "Brokenhearted (Reprise)" | 1:09 | |
| 18. | "Interlude" | 0:30 | |
| 19. | "Sunshine" | 4:59 | |
| 20. | "Outro" | 1:11 | |
Vocalists
- Nikki Ross
- Daphanie Wright
- Anashya Figueroa
- Faith Anderson
- Erica Davis
- Jana Bell
- Ashley Guilbert
- Charmaine Swimpson
- Isaac Carree
- Eric Moore
- Jason Champion
- Anthony Evans
- Myron ButlerMyron ButlerMyron Butler is a Grammy award winning record producer, singer-songwriter, music director, vocalist, organist, and pianist. Most notably, he is known as the leader of the gospel choir, Myron Butler & Levi...
- farrell mannings
Instrumentalists
- Kirk Franklin - Keyboards, Minimoog, Piano, Drum Programming
- Terry Baker - Drums
- Shaun Martin - Keyboards, Drum Programming, Minimoog, Programming, Drums
- Jerome Harmon - Keyboards, Hammond B3
- Braylon Lacy - Bass Guitar
- Doc Powell - Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
- Ernie G - DJ, Keyboards, Programming
- Jason Bell - Lead Guitar
- Sheila E. - Percussion, Percussion Color
- Chris Godbey - Programming
- Vidal Davis - Percussion, Additional Instruments
- Andre Harris - Percussion, Additional Instruments
- Ryan Toby - Percussion
- Jason Boyd - Percussion
- Humberto Ruiz - Trombone
- Lee Thornburg - Trumpet
- Paul Cerra - Saxophone
- Dave Monsch - Baritone Sax
- Jamie Hovorka - Trumpet
Orchestra
- Assa Drori – ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Agnes Gottschewsky – ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Armen Garabedian – ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Elizabeth Wilson – ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Sally Berman – ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Brian Benning – ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Irma Neumann – ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Berj Garabedian – ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Robert Brosseau – ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Shari Zippert – ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Kazi Pitelka – ViolaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Jorge Moraga – ViolaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Renita Koven – ViolaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Karie Prescott – ViolaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Cecilia Tsan – CelloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Dan Smith – CelloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Miguel Martinez – CelloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Earl Madison – CelloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Frances Liu – ContrabassContrabassContrabass refers to a musical instrument of very low pitch; generally those pitched one octave below instruments of the bass register...
- Nicholas Phillippon – ContrabassContrabassContrabass refers to a musical instrument of very low pitch; generally those pitched one octave below instruments of the bass register...
- Katie Kirkpatrick – HarpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
- Gary FosterGary Foster (musician)Gary Foster is an American instrumentalist who plays saxophones, clarinets, and flutes ; he is considered a "crossover" artist who performs in jazz, pop, and classical genres. As a jazz artist he has recorded under his own name for Concord Records and several other labels...
– FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... - Sheridan Stokes – FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
- Vince Trombetta, Jr. – FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
- Larry Caplan – FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
- Don Shelton – ClarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
- Jeff Driskill – Alto ClarinetAlto clarinetThe alto clarinet is a wind instrument of the clarinet family. It is a transposing instrument pitched in the key of E, though instruments in F have been made. It is sometimes known as a tenor clarinet; this name especially is applied to the instrument in F...
- Phil FeatherWe're Back! (CSULA album)We're Back! is a 1986 album released by the California State University, Los Angeles Jazz Ensemble, it was the springboard for the Bob Curnow's arrangement of the Pat Metheny's work The First Circle. The group proved to be one of the finest college jazz orchestras of that era with having placed...
– Bass ClarinetBass clarinetThe bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
/OboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca... - John Mitchell – Eb Contrabass ClarinetContrabass clarinetThe contrabass clarinet is the largest member of the clarinet family that has ever been in regular production or significant use. Modern contrabass clarinets are pitched in BB, sounding two octaves lower than the common B soprano clarinet and one octave lower than the B bass clarinet...
/BassoonBassoonThe bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature... - David Duke – French horn
- John Reynolds – French horn
- Loren Marstellar – Baritone hornBaritone hornThe baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
- Chuck Koontz – TubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
- Brent Fishcher – cymbalCymbalCymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s/TimpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
Notable Singles
Hero featured the singles "Looking for YouLooking for You
"Looking For You" is a gospel song by Kirk Franklin from his 2005 album Hero.The song contains a sample from "Haven't you Heard" which was written by Patrice Rushen, Charles Mims Jr, Sheree Brown, and Freddie Washington.-Charts and succession:...
" and "Imagine Me".
"Looking for You" was released as a single on September 20, 2005 in the U.S. and was a top-five hit on the Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart .
Charts
Hero peaked at No. 13 on The Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart on ,
It also reached No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart.
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 13 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 4 |
Awards
In 2006, the album won a Dove Award for Urban Album of the Year at the 37th GMA Dove Awards. The song "Looking for YouLooking for You
"Looking For You" is a gospel song by Kirk Franklin from his 2005 album Hero.The song contains a sample from "Haven't you Heard" which was written by Patrice Rushen, Charles Mims Jr, Sheree Brown, and Freddie Washington.-Charts and succession:...
" also won a Dove Award for Urban Recorded Song of the Year.