Five former members of Kirk

Franklin's group the

COLOR="#003163">Family are suing the singer

for $5.5 million, alleging fraud and breach of

contract.

Former Franklin backup singers

COLOR="#003163">Dalon Collins,

COLOR="#003163">Carrie Collins,

COLOR="#003163">LaKeisha Grandy,

COLOR="#003163">Terri Pace and

COLOR="#003163">John Gray sued Franklin and

his label, GospoCentric Records, in Los Angeles

Superior Court on May 2, alleging they were not paid

for singing on Franklin's 1998 album, The Nu Nation

Project.

In a statement from his attorney, Franklin said, "I

regret that gospel music has to face this type of

tragedy. But I trust God will use it for his glory."

"I have never seen a more frivolous lawsuit," Peter

Haviland, Franklin's Los Angeles attorney, said in the

statement. Haviland claims that none of the artists

who performed on The Nu Nation Project received

any royalties, including Franklin.

COLOR="#003163">Mary J. Blige,

COLOR="#003163">R. Kelly and

COLOR="#003163">Bono also appeared on the

album.

"We made our priority to send money to the National

Council of Churches," GospoCentric founder Vicki Mack

Lataillade said in the statement.

Haviland claims that the singers suing Franklin and

GospoCentric were properly paid for all the work they

did for the label. He said other members of the Family

"want absolutely nothing to do with this suit."

Representatives for the plaintiffs could not be

reached.