Kirk Franklin Biography
Kirk Dewayne Franklin popularly known as Kirk Franklin, is an American gospel musician, choir director, and author. He was born on January 26, 1970 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. He was raised by his aunt, Gertrude, having been abandoned by his mother as a baby.
He received his first contract offer at the age of seven, which his aunt turned down. He joined the church choir and became music director of the Mt. Rose Baptist Church adult choir at the age of twelve. Kirk Franklin studied music with Jewell Kelly and the Singing Chaparrals at Oscar Dean Wyatt High School. He was under her tutelage for music direction as she allowed him to be the pianist for the choir.
He 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. 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, a major industry gathering.
In 1992, Franklin organized “The Family”, which was a seventeen-voice choir, formed from neighborhood friends and associates. In 1992, Vicki Mack-Lataillade, the co-founder of fledgling record label GospoCentric, heard one of their demo tapes and was so impressed she immediately signed up Kirk & The Family to a recording contract. In 1993, the group, now known as “Kirk Franklin & The Family,” released their debut album, Kirk Franklin & The Family.
Since his debut, Kirk Franklin & the Family in 1993, Kirk Franklin has been one of the brightest stars in contemporary gospel music. The album spent 100 weeks on the gospel charts (some of those on top), crossed over to the R&B charts, and became the first gospel debut album to go platinum. His second album, Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas, became the genre’s first Christmas album to make it to number one, and his 1996 album Whatcha Lookin’ 4 went gold as soon as it was distributed. With such phenomenal success, it is small wonder that some have hailed him as “the Garth Brooks of gospel.” Still, despite all the adulation and brouhaha, Franklin remains a humble, devout Christian, eschewing the title “entertainer” in favor of labeling himself as just a “church boy.”
Franklin’s road to the top, though quick, was far from smooth. Abandoned by his mother and never having known his father, Franklin was reared by his Aunt Gertrude, a deeply religious woman who raised him as a strict Baptist. When he was four, she paid for his piano lessons by collecting aluminum cans. The lessons were money well spent, for Franklin was a natural musician who could sight read and play by ear with equal facility. At age 11, he was leading the Mt. Rose Baptist Church adult choir near Dallas. Despite, or because of, his church background, Franklin began rebelling in his teens and getting into trouble until one of his friends was accidentally shot and killed at age 15.
Realizing that he had chosen a bad road, Franklin returned to the fold and began composing songs, recording, and conducting. Since 1991, he has been backed up by his 17-member choir, the Family, a group comprised of friends and associates from his younger days (interestingly, one member of the Family, Jon Drummond, made it to the semi-finals of the 100-meter sprint at the 1996 Olympics). Support from his pastor, his wife Tammy, whom he married in early 1996, and the four children they brought to the marriage help keep Franklin close to his religious core, and he returned in 1998 with Nu Nation Project. The album topped the Billboard Top 200 charts (peaking at number seven) and remained on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart for 49 weeks, paving the way for Franklin’s third Grammy (Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album).
Over the course of the next few years, Franklin worked on the soundtrack of the movie Kingdom Come (contributing the single “Thank You”) and released another album, 2002’s The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin. Making good on the success of its predecessor, the disc soared to number four on the Billboard 200 chart and spent 29 weeks on the Gospel Albums chart. Two more chart-topping albums emerged out in the next four years, Hero (2005) and Songs for the Storm, Vol. 1 (2006), both of which topped the gospel charts at the time of their release. Hero went on to win two Grammys in late 2006.
The following year, he released The Fight of My Life, an all-star affair featuring contributions from Rance Allen, tobyMac, and Melvin Williams, among others. It topped the Gospel Albums chart and broke into the Top 40 of the Billboard 200. In 2010, following the tragic earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Franklin assembled an even bigger crowd of gospel all-stars in Nashville’s Quad Studios to record the benefit single “Are You Listening.” His next studio album, 2011’s Hello Fear, featured “I Smile,” his first hit on the pop charts since 2005. The album took the gospel charts by storm, landing in the top spot and remained there for several weeks.
Franklin spent the next two-and-a-half years touring. He formed his own label, Fo Yo Soul, and commenced recording his debut for it. In September of 2015 he announced the release of the controversially titled, Losing My Religion. The pre-release single, “Wanna Be Happy,” appeared in October and ran right up the charts. It was followed in November by the full-length.
Kirk Franklin Age
He was born on January 26, 1970.
Kirk Franklin Wife – Kirk Franklin Children – Kirk Franklin Family
On January 20, 1996, Franklin married long-time friend Tammy Collins.[2] When they wed, they each had one child from previous relationships: Kirk’s son Kerrion, born in 1988, and Tammy’s daughter Carrington (whom he legally adopted), born in 1989. As a couple, they have two children together, a daughter named Kennedy (born in 1997) and a son named Caziah (born in 2000).
Kirk Franklin Daughter
His daughter Carrington became engaged to Maxx Nakwaasah in October 2015. Their wedding ceremony was held in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, and was officiated by Kirk Franklin doubling as the father of the bride and the officiating pastor.
Kirk Franklin Photos
Kirk Franklin Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $8.5 million.
Kirk Franklin Siblings
This information will be updated soon.
Kirk Franklin Height
He stands at 1.66 m.
Kirk Franklin Songs Download Free
To download Kirk songs click the following link.
Youtube Kirk Franklin
Watch and listen to Kirk songs on his Youtube channel.
Kirk Franklin Tour
- Sunday 02 September 2018
with Spirit Fest
Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, SC, US
Kirk Franklin House
Kirk Franklin’s House in Arlington, Texas (TX), US.
Kirk Franklin Albums
- 1993 Kirk Franklin & the Family
- 1995 Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas
- 1996 Whatcha Lookin’ 4
- 1997 God’s Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation
- 1998 The Nu Nation Project
- 2000 Kirk Franklin Presents 1NC
- 2002 The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin
- 2005 Hero
- 2007 The Fight of My Life
- 2011 Hello Fear
- 2015 Losing My Religion
Kirk Franklin Songs
- I Smile
- Imagine Me
- My World Needs You
- Lean on Me
- Wanna Be Happy?
- My Life Is in Your Hands
- Something About the Name Jesus
- Why We Sing
- Now Behold the Lamb
- Brighter Day
- 123 Victory
- The Storm is Over Now
- Revolution
- Looking for You
- Stomp
- My Life, My Love, My All
- He’s Able
- Gonna Be a Lovely Day
- A God Like You
- Silver & Gold
- He Reigns
- Hosanna
- Let Me Touch You
- Blessing in the Storm
- He Will Take the Pain Away
- I Love You Jesus
- Give Me
- Lookin’ Out For Me
- Before I Die
- Conquerors
- The Blood Song
- Hello Fear
Kirk Franklin Greatest Hits
Kirk Franklin I Smile
Kirk Franklin Looking For You
Kirk Franklin Happy
Kirk Franklin Revolution
Kirk Franklin September
Kirk Franklin Now Behold The Lamb
Kirk Franklin My Life Is In Your
Kirk Franklin Brighter Day
Kirk Franklin Why We Sing
Kirk Franklin Video
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