All of which gives the 20-time Grammy winner a lot of music and life experience from which to draw when he does concerts, such as the one he will perform June 1 in Atlanta as part of the two-day Blavity Fest, billed as “a celebration of Black ingenuity, with programming focused on wealth, wellness, creativity and music.” (2 Chainz headlines May 31.)

 Franklin’s set list will range from his earliest hits through his last studio album, 2023’s “Father’s Day,” which the Journal of Gospel Music described as “introspective, solemn and serious, reflecting Franklin’s maturity as a person and a songwriter.”

That album, and a documentary film of the same name, were produced during a dramatic period in the singer’s life, when, at age 53, he met his biological father and reconnected with his estranged oldest son. Adding to the drama, Franklin’s biological mother refused to accept the DNA test results of the man Franklin accepted as his father, even after a second test resulting in a 99.9% match for paternity.

Through many joys and challenges of life, Franklin has always found refuge in gospel music, and he did so once again. “We just really want people to feel the gravity of how great gospel music is and can be,” he said about the Reunion Tour he led in 2024 with high-profile gospel artists including Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond, Marvin Sapp and the Clark Sisters.

The gospel genre has been largely marginalized by the music industry, he said, despite the disproportionate role it played in the birth of the blues, R&B, rock and hip-hop.

The dilemma gospel has faced dates back to the early 1960s, when crossover artists such as Aretha Franklin (no relation to Kirk) and Sam Cooke were accused of abandoning the church to play the devil’s music.

Credit: Miguel Martinez for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Miguel Martinez for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

For Kirk Franklin, whose musical tastes range from Andraé Crouch to Michael McDonald and Prince to Yo-Yo Ma, exploring other genres comes naturally. What’s important, he believes, is that the message behind his music remains consistent.

“I think the biggest danger, the biggest temptation, is when you try to find moments that can cross over, instead of letting them be more divine moments — you know, like God-ordained moments,” he said. “So it’s just very important to try to stay true to the message that you’re presenting.”

And while attacks by gospel purists may be less pronounced than they were in Aretha Franklin‘s day, they still surface. Kirk Franklin recalls how, in 1999, criticism from church elders and gatekeepers convinced him to stay home from a Grammy ceremony in which he was up for Song of the Year and Producer of the Year awards.

“It wasn’t something that was publicly known,” Franklin said. “It was just within the community, where certain things were said, and I was trying to acquiesce to them and align with their biblical beliefs. There have always been conversations about me that have made me feel like I’m not supported, like I’m out there by myself. I’ll get criticized for working with mainstream artists, or for not wearing a suit and tie, or for dancing too much in church.”

All of which brings the conversation back to Franklin’s viral dance with former Vice President Harris during a ceremony held six weeks before President Joe Biden stepped down as a presidential candidate and Harris took his place. Given that it took the Civil Rights Movement to bring Black churches and secular artists back together, does Franklin believe that kind of alliance could be forged again?

“Maybe so, maybe so,” Franklin said. “But when it comes to politics, I just try to be very careful with that. I don’t really try to communicate much about it, because I think that my job is to try to be a light and be an example. And, you know, whoever that naturally aligns with, those are people I’m trying to reach.”

Concert Preview

Kirk Franklin

4 p.m. June 1 as part of the two-day Blavity Fest. (2 Chainz headlines May 31.) Festival tickets start at $135. Lee + White, 929 Lee St. SW, Atlanta. blavity.com/events/blavity-fest/