Kirk Franklin

At 54 years old, Kirk Franklin has this physical status:

Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American choir director, gospel guitarist, guitarist, songwriter, and author.

Among others, he is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Home, and One Nation Crew (1NC); among other things; and he has received numerous accolades, including 13 Grammy Awards.

Franklin was described as the "Reigning King of Urban Gospel" by Variety.

Early life

Franklin, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, was raised by his aunt, Gertrude, who was abandoned as a child by his mother. Gertrude canned aluminum cans to raise funds for Kirk's tuition of piano lessons from the age of four. Kirk excelled and was able to read and write music while still playing by ear.

Franklin's first job was turned down at the age of seven, but he was still insecure about his childhood. He joined the church choir and became Mt.'s music director. At 11 years old, the Rose Baptist Church adult choir was active.

Franklin protested against his strict religious upbringing in his youth, and his grandmother arranged an audition for him at a local university. He was accepted but later had to deal with a girlfriend's pregnancy and his eventual expulsion from school for poor conduct.

At Oscar Dean Wyatt High School, Franklin studied music with Jewell Kelly and the Singing Chaparrals. He performed under her tutelage and became the choir's pianist.

As he was 15 years old, he witnessed the death of a friend by shooting, which led to Franklin's return to the church, where he later directed the choir. He co-founded The Humble Hearts, a gospel band that performed one of Franklin's works, and attracted the attention of gospel music legend Milton Biggham, musical director of the Georgia Mass Choir. Biggham, an impatient, has been recruited to lead the DFW Mass Choir in a recording of Franklin's "Every Day with Jesus" by the singer. Biggham recruited Franklin, who was just 20 years old at the time, to lead the choir at the 1990 Gospel Music Workshop of America Convention, a business gathering.

Personal life

Franklin married Tammy Collins, a longtime friend, on January 20, 1996. Both parents had one child from previous marriages when they married. They have two children together as a couple.

Kerrion, Franklin's oldest son, released an audio recording of a private conversation between him and his father in which both can be heard using profanities. Franklin then apologized to his followers and followers.

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Career

Franklin formed "The Family" in 1992, a 17-voice choir that was assembled from neighborhood friends and acquaintances. Vicki Mack-Lataillade, co-founder of fledgling GospoCentric Records, heard one of their demo tapes and was so impressed she immediately committed Kirk & The Family to a recording deal.

Kirk Franklin & The Family, the group, now known as "Kirk Franklin & The Family," was released in 1993. It spent almost two years on the gospel music charts and charted on the R&B charts, before earning platinum status. It stayed at No. 1. For 42 weeks, Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart. After Aretha Franklin's Amazing Grace and BeBe & CeCe Winans' Addictive Love, it was only the third gospel music album to sell over a million units.

The corporation called Whatcha Lookin' 4 in 1996, two years after releasing a 1995 Christmas album named Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas. Franklin's first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album was awarded to the album, which was rated 2nd platinum. God's Property, a collaboration with the vocal group God's Property, appeared on Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation in 1997. The lead single, "Stomp," starring Cheryl "Salt" James of Salt-N-Pepa, was a big success, with heavy rotation on MTV and other music websites and charting at No. 1. This week, the R&B Singles Airplay chart has been at number one on the R&B Singles Airplay chart for two weeks, even making it into the Top 40. No. 1 is God's property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation. No. 1 on the R&B Albums chart for five weeks. 3 on the Pop charts, and the rest of them will be named 3rd platinum. Franklin received an additional Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album, as well as three Grammy nominations.

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

God's Property sued Franklin on November 2, 1998. Franklin is accused of compulsioning God's Property founder Linda Searight into signing a "onerous and one-sided" deal with B-Rite Music, according to the complaint, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

In 1998, the Nu Nation Project was launched. "Lean on Me," Franklin and pop producer Dan Shea's debut, starred several mainstream artists, including R. Kelly, Mary J. Blige, and Bono of U2 alongside Crystal Lewis and The Family. The album contained a version of a Bill Withers song "Gonna Be a Lovely Day" and Lean On Me" (featuring Rodney Jerkins). The Nu Nation Project climbed to the top of the Billboard Contemporary Christian Albums chart for 23 weeks and the Billboard Gospel Albums chart for 49 weeks, earning Franklin his third Grammy Award.

Franklin appeared on Sister, Sister, a hit television sitcom in 1998.

Members of The Family filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit in 2000 for royalties for their involvement on The Nu Nation Project against Franklin and GospoCentric Records. "Kirk Franklin & The Family" was the end of Franklin's "Kirk Franklin & The Family" collection, as Franklin continued with his younger group One Nation Crew, releasing Kirk Franklin Presents 1NC. The album was shot prior to the lawsuit.

Kirk Franklin & The Family reunited briefly on stage in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 16, 2010 to perform songs that had been popular by them in the 1990s.

He produced the soundtrack for the film Kingdom Comes in 2001. Mary Mary, Trin-i-tee 5:7, Crystal Lewis, and Franklin's 1NC were among the gospel performers, as well as mainstream artists Az Yet, Jill Scott, Tamar Braxton, Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men and others.

Kirk Franklin's rebirth was announced in February 2002 after being delayed. For 29 weeks, it was the most popular on the Gospel Albums chart, No. 1 was No. Gold on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was named Platinum. Bishop T.D.'s collaborations were included on the album. Jakes, Shirley Caesar, Willie Neal Johnson, TobyMac, Crystal Lewis, Jaci Velasquez, Alvin Slaughter, and Yolanda Adams are among the many people who have written about Jakes, Shirley Caesar, Willie Neal Johnson, TobyMac, TobyMac, Jaci Velasquez, Jaci Velasquez, Papa San, Alvin Slaughter, and Yolanda Adams.

Hero was first released in the United States on October 4, 2005. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on December 2, 2005 (2005-12-02), and Platinum on December 14, 2006 (2006-12-14). It hit No. 6 on the charts. Both the Billboard Top Christian and Top Gospel Albums are on display. The first single, "Looking for You," was a hit, as well as the sequel "Imagine Me," which made it to the R&B charts. Franklin received two Grammy Awards for Hero in 2007. In addition, Hero was the year's best-selling album on iTunes.

The Fight of My Life, Franklin's tenth album, was released in the United States on December 18, 2007 (2007-12-18). The album debuted at No. 201 on the Billboard 200 as the No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In the first week, 33 with 74,000 copies were sold. It landed at No. 1. 1 on both the Billboard Top Gospel and Top Christian Album charts, as well as No. 1 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums charts, and also on the Top Christian Albums charts. The Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart ranks number 7 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Albums Chart. "This Is It"), the first single, "Declaration (This Is It), was released on October 23, 2007, (2007-2010), and reached the top of the charts on October 23, 2007. On the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, the 35th spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs Chart. The collection features guest performances from Rance Allen, Isaac Carney, TobyMac, Da'T.H., Doug Williams (singer), and Melvin Williams (singer). "Jesus" was the album's second single in 2008 and was sent to Urban AC radio on July 15, 2008. Franklin brought a group of gospel performers together to perform the song "Are You Listening" in January 2010, after Haiti suffered from the devastating earthquake. They included Yolanda Adams, Jeremy Camp, Shirley Caesar, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Fred Hammond, Tamela Mann, Donnie McClurkin, Donnie Smith, James Smith, TeO Winans, JeCe Winans, CeCe Winans, and Marvin Winans.

Franklin appeared with his wife on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005 to discuss how he stopped his pornography use. In 2010, he published The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life's Storms, a book in which he discusses his family's early years, how he got out of a sexually active life and a pornography addiction.

Franklin served as both the host and co-executive producer of BET's Sunday Best and the musical co-host of GSN's The American Bible Challenge with Jeff Foxworthy. Hello Fear, Franklin's 11th studio album, was released on March 22, 2011. Marvin Sapp, Mali Music, Marvin Winans, John P. Kee, and Rance Allen are among the album's performers. "I Smile," the first single from the BBC, reached No. 1 on the charts. The Billboard Hot 100 is 85, making it his first appearance on the chart in six years.

Franklin was signed by the Walls Group and artists such as Tasha Page-Lockhart, who became an imprint on RCA Records, in 2013, and he has signed artists such as The Walls Group and artists like Tasha Page-Lockhart. At the 30th Stellar Awards, these two artists were nominated for ten Stellar Awards. The Walls Group received seven awards, though Page-Lockhart received three of her own, and Franklin won two more for his company.

Franklin released his 12th studio album, Losing My Religion, in September 2015, and the album was released on November 13, 2015. "Wanna Be Happy," the album's first single, "Wanna Be Happy?" "Italian Prime Minister Stephen Coveney was unveiled on August 28, 2015." When writing for the New Yorker, Vinson Cunningham referred to him as a hype guy.

Franklin contributed to Tori Kelly's Hiding Place album, which was published on September 14, 2018. They had intended to work on a single song, but it turned into a bigger project.

Franklin's single "Love Theory" and official music video for the song were released on January 25, 2019. "Love Theory" was his first single from his 13th studio album, Long Live Love. In April 2019, Franklin released his second single, "Just for Me." In May 2019, his third album, "OK," was released. Long Live Love was announced on May 31.

BET's gospel music reality singing competition, Sunday Best, will return from a four-year absence in February 2019. Franklin will reprise his appearance as host.

After Trinity Broadcasting Network aired the 2019 GMA Dove Awards on October 20, 2019, Franklin said that his acceptance speech was edited to delete remarks he made about the assassination of Attanna Jefferson by a police officer. He said he was canceling the award show because it was not the first time they had edited his acceptance address to ban "reflections on police violence against Black Americans." Jackie Patillo, the president of GMA, apologized to Franklin and GMA for an unedited version of the speech, but said it was an accidental event and that they were trying to cut the running time to a two-hour time limit. Several other artists also agreed with Franklin's expulsion.

He was one of the first inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2021.

For the soundtrack to the 2021 film Space Jam: A New Legacy, Franklin and American rapper Lil Baby released the song "We Win."

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