Kirk Franklin is an American gospel singer, songwriter, musical director, and writer. With 12 Grammy Awards, over 20 No. 1 hits, and over 10 million albums sold, Kirk Franklin is undoubtedly one of the most notable gospel artists of his generation.
The gospel music genius is considered by many to be the “reigning king of urban gospel.” Here are the facts you always wanted to know about his personal life.
Youth and rise to fame
Kirk Dewayne Franklin was born on January 26, 1970, in Fort Worth, Texas. His musical talents were manifested from an early age and at the age of 4 he enrolled in piano lessons. Franklin also sang in his church choir and became its director at the age of 12.
Despite being “raised in the church”, Franklin was a very rebellious teenager and as a result he was expelled from school. He then graduated from high school at Oscar Dean Wyatt High School in Fort Worth, Texas. Broken by the shooting of a close friend, Franklin returned to church and joined his choir. He also recorded a few songs with a gospel group he co-founded. Kirk Franklin eventually caught the eye of music icon Reverend Milton Biggham, who recruited him to lead the choir at the 1990 Gospel Music Workshop of America convention.
In 1992, Kirk Franklin landed his first contract with his 17-person “The Family” choir. The group’s debut studio album Kirk Franklin and the Family (1993) was a major success; it reached platinum status and spent 42 weeks atop the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. This was quickly followed by Kirk Franklin and Family Christmas (1995) and Whatcha Lookin’ 4 (1996) for which Franklin earned his first Grammy win.
He won a second Grammy for the collaborative work The Nu Nation’s God’s Property by Kirk Franklin alongside the gospel choir ‘God’s Property’. Her third came from The Nu Nation Project which topped the Billboard charts for several weeks. In 2000, Kirk Franklin fell out with other members of ‘The Family’ choir following a copyright lawsuit, which marked the start of his solo career.
In 2001, Kirk worked on the soundtrack to the box office hit film Reign Comes. The following year, the talented singer released the album The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin which topped chart albums for several weeks. Kirk’s 2005 album certified platinum hero won him 2 Grammy Awards his 10th studio album The Fight of My Life was released in December 2007.
Kirk Franklin has also been featured on the gospel reality series Sunday Habits (2007-2009) and Bible-themed game show The American Bible Challenge (2013-14).
Kirk Franklin family – wife, children and brothers
Kirk Franklin is currently married to his longtime lover and best friend Tammy Franklin (Collins). The duo met in the early 90s when Franklin was just beginning his career. Tammy was also a singer at that time. so, she moved to Minneapolis to start her own career. The separation put a strain on their relationship and they remained separated for several years. However, they reunited in March 1995, and the following year Tammy returned to Dallas, Texas for their wedding. They finally tied the knot on January 20, 1996.
At the time of their marriage, Franklin and his wife each had one child from previous relationships; Kirk’s son, Kerrion (b. 1988) and Tammy’s daughter, Carrington (b. 1989). They then had two children together, daughter Kennedy (born in 1997) and son Caziah (born in 2000).
Born to a single teenage mother, Kirk Franklin never knew his biological father. His mother also left him, leaving young Franklin to be raised by his great-aunt Gertrude. Kirk Franklin grew up alongside a half-sister, and according to the records we have, he had no other siblings.
His great-aunt Gertrude worked several odd jobs to nurture her amazing baby boy’s musical talents. Franklin’s mother was later reunited with her children, but she remained a distant figure in their lives, as she only visited her a few times a year.
Is he gay?
Kirk Franklin’s career as an international gospel music icon currently spans 2 decades. During this period, only one relationship is known, that with his wife Tammy. Due to his relatively simple relationship history, it can be assumed that Kirk Franklin is not gay. Besides that, the gospel singer hasn’t made any suggestions suggesting he’s drawn to his own genre.
However, Franklin supports the LGBT community. In 2015, he issued an apology to members of the LGBT community for the unfair treatment they typically experience in black churches.
Kirk Franklin height
Great gifts indeed come in small packages. Kirk Franklin sports a physique at odds with his big personality. The international gospel music icon stands 165cm (5ft 4in) tall.
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