Kirk Franklin is an American choir director, singer, songwriter, and author who is best known as the orchestrator of several gospel choirs including The Family, God’s Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC). His work includes numerous studio albums, live albums, and compilations including the platinum-certified God’s Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation (1997), The Nu Nation Project (1998), and Hero (2005). For his excellence in the gospel music genre, as of October 2020, he had won 16 Grammy Awards, more than 10 Dove Awards, and more than 20 Stellar Awards.
Born Name
Kirk Dewayne Franklin
Nick Name
Reigning King of Urban Gospel
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Born Place
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, United States
Residence
Dallas, Texas, United States
Nationality
Education
Kirk had attended the Oscar Dean Wyatt High School in his hometown of Fort Worth.
Occupation
Choir Director, Singer, Songwriter, Author
Family
- Father – Dwight Allen (d. October 2018)
- Siblings – He has a younger sister.
- Others – Gertrude Franklin (Great Aunt, Adoptive Mother) (d. 1987), Maxx Nakwaasah (Son-in-Law)
Genre
Christian Hip Hop, Contemporary Gospel
Instruments
Piano, Vocals
Labels
- RCA Records
- Interscope Records
- Fo Yo Soul
- Zomba Group
- B-Rite
- GospoCentric Records
- Sparrow Records
- Verity Records
- Legacy Recordings
Build
Average
Height
5 ft 5 in or 165 cm
Weight
75 kg or 165.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Kirk has dated –
- Tammy Collins (1996–Present) – Kirk had married his long-time friend Tammy Collins on January 20, 1996. They have 2 children together – a daughter named Kennedy Franklin (b. 1997) and a son named Caziah Franklin (b. 2000). He had legally adopted Tammy’s daughter from a previous marriage, Carrington (b. 1989). Through Carrington, he has a grandson named Shiloh Mekh (b. April 2020).
Kirk also has a son named Kerrion Franklin (b. 1988) from a previous unnamed relationship.
Race / Ethnicity
Black
He is of African-American descent.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Close-cropped hair
- Affable smile
- Often sports a trimmed beard
Religion
Christianity
Kirk Franklin Facts
- He was abandoned by his parents when he was 3 years old. He was then raised by his great aunt Gertrude who used to recycle aluminum cans to raise funds for his education and piano lessons. Kirk took his surname as Franklin, after Gertrude’s last name.
- Kirk had started taking piano lessons by the age of 4 and his brilliance was such that he had been offered a music contract when he was just 7 years old. Gertrude had turned down the offer in light of his age. He then started singing for his church choir and aged 11, he became the music director of the adult choir at the Mt. Rose Baptist Church.
- Kirk was rebellious as a teenager and hence, a grandmother of his had arranged for him to audition at a professional youth conservatory which was linked to a local university. He was accepted into the institution but his girlfriend’s pregnancy and his overall poor behavior had caused his expulsion.
- In June 2018, his younger sister was sentenced to 30 years on drug-related charges.
- His biological father, Dwight Allen, had passed away in October 2018, just a few weeks after Kirk was able to track him and reconnect with him. He mentioned in an Instagram video that he had forgiven his father for abandoning him. Dwight was suffering from a terminal illness.
Featured Image by Kirk Franklin / Instagram
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Facts of Kirk Franklin
- full nameKirk Franklin
- Date of Birth January 26, 1970
- Age 54 years 7 months
- Horoscope Aquarius
- Lucky Number 8
- Lucky Stone Amethyst
- Lucky Color Turquoise
- Best Match for Marriage Aquarius, Gemini, Sagittarius
- weight75 kg
- height5 ft 5 in