Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin in 2017
Born
Kirk Dewayne Smith

(1970-01-26) January 26, 1970
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
EducationO. D. Wyatt High School
Occupations
  • Choir director
  • singer
  • rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • author
Spouse
Tammy Collins
​
(m. 1996)​
Children4
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • Piano
  • vocals
Years active1992–present
Labels
Formerly of
Websitekirkfranklin.com

Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970)[2] is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel and Christian R&B ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) among many others. He has won numerous awards, including 19 Grammy Awards. Variety dubbed Franklin as a "Reigning King of Urban Gospel",[3] and is one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

Early life

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Franklin was raised by his aunt, Gertrude, having been abandoned as a baby by his mother.[4] Gertrude recycled aluminum cans to raise money for Kirk to take piano lessons from the age of four. Kirk excelled and was able to read and write music while also playing by ear.

At the age of seven, Franklin received his first contract which his aunt turned down.[5] He did join the church choir and became music director of the Mt. Rose Baptist Church adult choir at 11 years of age.[6]

In his teenage years, Franklin rebelled against his strict religious upbringing, and in an attempt to keep him out of trouble, his grandmother arranged an audition for him at a professional youth conservatory associated with a local university. He was accepted, but later he had to deal with a girlfriend's pregnancy and his eventual expulsion from school for bad behavior.[7]

Franklin studied music with Jewell Kelly and the Singing Chaparrals at Oscar Dean Wyatt High School. He continued under her tutelage and ultimately became the pianist for the choir.[7]

When he was aged 15 he witnessed the death of a friend by shooting,[8][9] after which Franklin returned to the church, where he again directed the choir. He also co-founded a gospel group, The Humble Hearts, which recorded one of Franklin's compositions and got the attention of gospel music legend Milton Biggham, musical director of the Georgia Mass Choir. Impressed, Biggham enlisted him to lead the DFW Mass Choir in a recording of Franklin's song "Every Day with Jesus". This led to Biggham hiring Franklin, just 20 years old at the time, to lead the choir at the 1990 Gospel Music Workshop of America Convention, an industry gathering.[5]

Career

With groups (1992–2000)

Franklin in 1999

In 1992, Franklin organized "The Family", which was a 17-voice choir, formed from neighborhood friends and associates.[8] In 1992, Vicki Mack-Lataillade, the co-founder of fledgling GospoCentric Records label, heard one of their demo tapes and was so impressed she immediately signed up Kirk & The Family to a recording contract.[10]

In 1993, the group, now known as "Kirk Franklin & The Family", released their debut album, Kirk Franklin & The Family.[11] It spent almost two years on the gospel music charts and charted on the R&B charts, eventually earning platinum sales status. It remained at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart for 42 weeks. It was only the third gospel music album to sell over a million units after Aretha Franklin's Amazing Grace and BeBe & CeCe Winans' Addictive Love.

Two years later, after releasing a 1995 Christmas album entitled Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas, the group released Whatcha Lookin' 4 in 1996. The album was certified platinum and earned Franklin his first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album. 1997 brought another album, a collaboration with the vocal ensemble God's Property, aptly named God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation. The lead single, "Stomp", featuring Cheryl "Salt" James (of Salt-N-Pepa), was a big hit, enjoying heavy rotation on MTV and other music channels and charting at No. 1 on the R&B Singles Airplay chart for two weeks, even making it into the Top 40. God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation was No. 1 on the R&B Albums chart for five weeks, No. 3 on the Pop charts, and would go on to be certified 3× platinum. It also brought Franklin another Grammy for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album, as well as three Grammy nominations.

In 1996, Franklin's song "Joy" was recorded by Whitney Houston and the Georgia Mass Choir. With production by Houston and Mervyn Warren, the composition was included on the best-selling gospel album of all time, soundtrack to The Preacher's Wife.

On November 2, 1998, God's Property sued Franklin. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Franklin induced God's Property founder Linda Searight into signing an "onerous and one-sided" contract with B-Rite Music.

The Nu Nation Project was released in 1998.[12] The first single, "Lean on Me", produced by Franklin and pop producer Dan Shea, featured several mainstream artists, including R. Kelly, Mary J. Blige and Bono of U2 together with Crystal Lewis and The Family. "Lean on Me" and the second single "Revolution" (featuring Rodney Jerkins) were considerable hits, and the album contained a version of a Bill Withers song "Gonna Be a Lovely Day". The Nu Nation Project went on to top the Billboard Contemporary Christian Albums chart for 23 weeks and the Billboard Gospel Albums chart for 49 weeks, and brought Franklin his third Grammy.

Also in 1998, Franklin had made a guest appearance on the hit television sitcom Sister, Sister.

In 2000, members of The Family filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit for royalties for their work on The Nu Nation Project against Franklin and GospoCentric Records.[9] This saw the end of the "Kirk Franklin & The Family" records, as Franklin continued with his newer group One Nation Crew, releasing Kirk Franklin Presents 1NC. The album was recorded prior to the lawsuit.

On January 16, 2010, at the 25th Annual Stellar Awards show taping in Nashville, Tennessee, Kirk Franklin & The Family reunited briefly on stage to perform songs made popular by them in the 1990s.

Solo artist (2001–present)

In 2001, he produced the soundtrack for the film Kingdom Come. The soundtrack included gospel artists Mary Mary, Trin-i-tee 5:7, Crystal Lewis, and Franklin's group 1NC, as well as mainstream artists Az Yet, Jill Scott, Tamar Braxton, Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men and others.

The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin was released in February 2002 after being delayed. It topped the Gospel Albums chart for 29 weeks, was No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was certified Platinum. The album featured collaborations with Bishop T.D. Jakes, Shirley Caesar, Willie Neal Johnson, TobyMac, Crystal Lewis, Jaci Velasquez, Papa San, Alvin Slaughter, and Yolanda Adams.

On October 4, 2005, Hero was released in the United States. The album was certified Gold on December 2, 2005, and Platinum on December 14, 2006, by the Recording Industry Association of America.[13] It reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Top Christian and Top Gospel albums. The first single, "Looking for You", was a hit, as was the follow-up "Imagine Me", which made it onto the R&B charts. At the 2007 Grammy Awards, Franklin won two Grammys for Hero. Additionally, Hero was the 2007 Stellar Awards CD of the Year.[14]

Franklin's 10th album, The Fight of My Life, was released in the United States on December 18, 2007. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 33 with 74,000 copies sold in the first week.[15] It reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Top Gospel and Top Christian albums charts, and also peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart.[16][17] The first single, "Declaration (This is It)," was released on October 23, 2007, and peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.[17] The album features guest appearances from Rance Allen, Isaac Carree, TobyMac, Da' T.R.U.T.H., Doug Williams (singer) and Melvin Williams (singer). The song "Jesus" was released as the album's second single in 2008 and was sent to Urban AC radio on July 15, 2008. In January 2010, after Haiti had a devastating earthquake, Franklin got an ensemble of gospel artists together to sing the song he wrote, called "Are You Listening". They included Yolanda Adams, Jeremy Camp, Shirley Caesar, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Natalie Grant, Fred Hammond, Tamela Mann, David Mann, Mary Mary, Donnie McClurkin, Bishop Paul S. Morton, J. Moss, Smokie Norful, Marvin Sapp, Karen Clark-Sheard, Kierra Sheard, BeBe Winans, CeCe Winans, and Marvin Winans.

In 2005, Franklin appeared with his wife on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss how he ended his pornography addiction.[18] In 2010, he published The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life's Storms, a book in which he recounts the family difficulties experienced during his childhood, and how he got out of a sexually active life and an addiction to pornography.[19]

Franklin served as the host and co-executive producer of the BET original series Sunday Best and the musical co-host of GSN's The American Bible Challenge with Jeff Foxworthy.[20] Franklin's 11th studio album called Hello Fear was released on March 22, 2011.[21] The album features Marvin Sapp, Mali Music, Marvin Winans, John P. Kee, and Rance Allen. The first single, "I Smile", peaked at No. 85 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his first appearance on that chart in six years.

In 2013, Franklin being signing artists onto his label, Fo Yo Soul Recordings, which became an imprint with RCA Records, and he has signed acts such as The Walls Group and artists like Tasha Page-Lockhart.[22] These two artists received ten Stellar Award nominations at the 30th Stellar Awards.[22] The Walls Group won seven awards, while Page-Lockhart won three of her own, and Franklin won two more for his label.[22]

In September 2015, Franklin announced his 12th studio album, Losing My Religion, and the album was released on November 13, 2015. The first single off the album, "Wanna Be Happy?", was released on August 28, 2015.[23][24][25] It was at this point that Vinson Cunningham referred to him as a hype man when writing for the New Yorker.[26]

Franklin contributed to Tori Kelly's Hiding Place album, released September 14, 2018. They had intended to collaborate on one song, but it turned into a larger project.[27]

On January 25, 2019, Franklin released his single "Love Theory" and official music video for the song. "Love Theory" served the first single from his 13th studio album, Long Live Love.[28][29] Franklin released his second single, "Just for Me", in April 2019. His third single, "OK", was released in May 2019. Long Live Love was released on May 31.

In February 2019, it was announced that BET's gospel music reality singing competition, Sunday Best would return from a four-year hiatus. Franklin will reprise his role as host.[30]

After Trinity Broadcasting Network aired the 2019 GMA Dove Awards on October 20, 2019, Franklin commented that his acceptance speech was edited to remove comments he made in relation to the killing of Atatiana Jefferson by a police officer. He stated that he was boycotting the award show going forward as it was not the first time they had edited his acceptance speech to remove "reflections on police violence against Black Americans". GMA president, Jackie Patillo, apologized to Franklin and GMA made an unedited version of the speech available but stated that it was an unintentional action and that they were attempting to reduce the running time to meet a two-hour time-slot. Several other artists supported Franklin's boycott.[31][32]

In 2021, he was among the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.[33]

On May 21, 2021, Franklin and American rapper Lil Baby released the song "We Win" for the soundtrack to the 2021 film Space Jam: A New Legacy.[34]

On October 14, 2023, Franklin released his thirteenth studio album, Father's Day.

Personal life

Franklin with his wife in 2006

On January 20, 1996, Franklin married long-time friend Tammy Collins.[5] When they wed, they each had one child from previous relationships. As a couple, they have two children together.

In March 2021, Franklin's oldest son, Kerrion, released an audio recording of a private conversation between him and his father in which both can be heard using profanities. Franklin subsequently apologized to his fans and followers.[35]

In 2023, Franklin met his biological father Richard Hubbard for the first time and reconciled with his son Kerrion in his documentary film Father's Day: A Kirk Franklin Story.[36]

Discography

Kirk Franklin & The Family

Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation

Kirk Franklin and 1 Nation Crew

Kirk Franklin

Kirk Franklin & Maverick City Music


Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Something to Sing About Charles TV Movie
2012 Joyful Noise Baylor Sykes
2021 Kirk Franklin's A Gospel Christmas Himself TV Movie
2022 The Night Before Christmas Himself
2023 Father's Day: A Kirk Franklin Story Himself Documentary

Television

Year Title Role
1995 The 700 Club Himself/musical guest
1997 Late Show with David Letterman Musical guest
1998 All That Musical guest
The Kirk Franklin Show Himself
Sister, Sister James Henry
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Musical guest
2003 The Proud Family Reverend Haygood (voice)
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Musical guest
2004 Musical guest
The 700 Club Himself/special guest
2005 The Oprah Winfrey Show Himself/special guest
2016 Steve Harvey Himself/special guest
2019 Steve Himself/special guest
2022 Kingdom Business Deacon D'Wayne
2023 Tamron Hall Himself/special guest

Awards

Franklin has received many awards, including Grammy Awards, GMA Dove Awards, BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and Stellar Awards.

He received 19 Grammys [37] and 22 Dove Awards.[38]

References

  1. ↑ "Artists - Fo Yo Soul". foyosoulrecordings.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Kirk Franklin (1970- )". November 10, 2021. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Hopeville Tour". GARY JACKSON. January 26, 2003. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  4. ↑ Don Cusic, Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music: Pop, Rock, and Worship: Pop, Rock, and Worship, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2009, p. 197
  5. 1 2 3 "Kirk Franklin: The Nu Nation Project". Exodus news. October 20, 1998. Archived from the original on January 24, 2010.
  6. ↑ PEOPLE STAFF, Apostle of Gospel Archived January 1, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, People, USA, July 8, 1996
  7. 1 2 Franklin, Kirk (1998). Church Boy. Word Pub. ISBN 0-8499-4050-8.
  8. 1 2 W. K. McNeil, Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music, Routledge, Abingdon-on-Thames, 2013, p. 132
  9. 1 2 Kirk Franklin Archived May 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Rock on the Net. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Kirk Franklin". BET. Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  11. ↑ Randall Herbert Balmer, Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition, Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 268
  12. ↑ Free Music: The Nu Nation Project by Kirk Franklin. Rhapsody Online
  13. ↑ "Home". RIAA. Archived from the original on February 23, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  14. ↑ "22nd Annual Stellar Award Winners". GospelFlava.com. 2007. Archived from the original on June 23, 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2007.
  15. ↑ Walsh, Chris M. (December 27, 2007). "Groban, Blige Enjoy Huge Weeks on Album Chart". Billboard.
  16. ↑ "allmusic (Kirk Franklin – Charts & Awards – Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 6, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Billboard.com – Artist Chart History – Kirk Franklin". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2008.
  18. ↑ "Porn Epidemic". Harpo Productions, Inc. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  19. ↑ Jeannie Law,Gospel Star Kirk Franklin Shares 'Blueprint' For Life Archived May 16, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, npr.org, USA, May 21, 2010
  20. ↑ "Kirk Franklin". kirkfranklin.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Amazon.com: Hello Fear: Kirk Franklin: Music". Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  22. 1 2 3 Thomasos, Christine (January 16, 2015). "Kirk Franklin More Excited About Tasha Page-Lockhart, The Walls Group Stellar Award Nominations Than His First Win". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Kirk Franklin Announces New Album 'Losing My Religion'". Gospel Centric. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Kirk Franklin Is Losing His Religion and Wants to Help Others Do the Same". The Christian Post. September 25, 2015. Archived from the original on November 14, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Kirk Franklin". Billboard. August 27, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  26. ↑ Cunningham, Vinson (January 9, 2017). "How Kirk Franklin Is Pushing the Boundaries of Gospel". The New Yorker.
  27. ↑ Longs, Herb (August 25, 2018). "Tori Kelly Debuts 'Never Alone' (Feat. Kirk Franklin)". thechristianbeat.org. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  28. ↑ "Kirk Franklin Launches New Single 'Love Theory'". CCM Magazine. January 25, 2019. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Kirk Franklin Shares His 'Love Theory'". Soul Bounce. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  30. ↑ "BET Sunday Best returns Spring 2019!!!". UGospel Magazine. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Black Musicians Are Standing Behind Kirk Franklin's Boycott Of Evangelical TV Network". HuffPost. October 29, 2019. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  32. ↑ "GMA Pres Jackie Patillo Apologizes to Kirk Franklin for Dove Awards Speech Editing 'Missteps'". Billboard. October 29, 2019.
  33. ↑ Saint-Vil, Sweenie (May 7, 2021). "Diddy, Beyoncé and more to be inducted into Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame". REVOLT. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin Team Up for 'Space Jam' Soundtrack". Rap-Up. May 20, 2021. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  35. ↑ Mamo, Heran (March 17, 2021). "Kirk Franklin Interview After Leaked Phone Call With Son". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  36. ↑ Kirk Franklin's Raw Journey to Meeting His Father for the First Time at 53: 'I Wanted a Daddy so Bad'
  37. ↑ National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Kirk Franklin Archived April 14, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, grammy.com, USA, retrieved December 5, 2020
  38. ↑ Gospel Music Association, Past winners : Kirk Franklin Archived September 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, doveawards.com, USA, retrieved December 5, 2020

Further reading

  • Franklin, Kirk (1998) [1998-10-1]. Church Boy. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 0-8499-4050-8.
  • Waldron, Clarence (October 29, 2007). "Kirk Franklin's new mission: finding gospel's next superstar and boosting the music's appeal". Jet. 112 (17): 60(5).
  • Slagle, Dana (December 26, 2005). "Kirk Franklin healed from 20-year addiction; filled with Christmas joy". Jet. 108 (26): 52(6).
  • "Kirk Franklin's Joyful Noise". Guideposts. 1997.
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