Grammy-award winning contemporary gospel artist Kirk Franklin pulled off a “Texas Two Step” of sorts with a pair of concerts in Dallas-Fort Worth August 8th and in Austin August 9th. The concerts were part of the “Fight of Our Life Health Tour,” Franklin's partnership with the American Heart Association / American Stroke Association's Power To End Stroke initiative, and played to jam-packed venues in both locations. At both stops, Franklin not only delivered an empowering message through his music, but personally led fans in taking the Power To End Stroke pledge and encouraging healthy habits in an effort to prevent stroke.
On Saturday, August 8th, more than 4,700 people attended the concert at Six Flags Over Texas, a group that included families and church groups of all ages and ethnicities. For that show, Kirk enlisted the support of national gospel artists Tye Tribett and Fred Hammond, both of whom gave a “shout out to AHA” and encouraged the audience to embrace our messaging. Concert goers were also treated to performances from BET’s Sunday Best season one and season two winners, Crystal Aikin and Y’anna Crawley. Fort Worth’s Sean Reed Music Ministry, audition winner from among two dozen finalists, served as opening act.The Dallas-Fort Worth team generated nearly 1,900 Power To End Stroke pledges at the concert, and media highlights during the week included interviews on two of the market’s top radio stations, as well as a performance on the Fox affiliate’s Good Day Dallas program.
One night after Kirk rocked the Metroplex, more than 5,000 enthusiastic concert-goers jammed into the Shoreline Christian Center in Austin for a sold-out concert, sponsored locally by Seton Family of Hospitals and Dell. Also performing was Crystal Aikin, the 2008 “Sunday Best” winner and “Greater Mount Zion Worship Ministry: featuring New Vision Dancers and GMZ Choir,” a group selected from among ten finalists during live auditions in June.More than 1,700 participants pledged to join the Power to End Stroke movement and commit to living a healthy lifestyle. Coverage of the concert throughout the week and on concert night generated more than 230,000 media impressions, including television coverage provided by ABC, CBS, Fox and Time Warner Cable outlets in the market.
