From the moment Kirk Franklin burst onto the Black gospel music scene in 1992 as the main figurehead of “Kirk Franklin & The Family,” his energetic delivery of lyrics laced with sermons made him a star. Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Franklin’s larger-than-life presence indeed proves that everything is bigger in Texas—even when it comes to praising the Almighty.
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Yet as groundbreaking as Franklin has been for his blending of Black gospel music with rap, pop and even rock, he has been panned just as much as he has been praised. Nonetheless, calling Franklin “iconic” wouldn’t be an overstatement, and now that he is set to receive the Black Music Icon Award ahead of the 2025 Grammys, here are all the reasons why.
Kirk Franklin’s First Crossover Hit, ‘Stomp’
Many have taken issue with Franklin for muddying the waters of gospel music with other genres while others have thanked him for giving gospel a different spin. As the leader of the “The Family,” a 17-voice choir, Franklin was deemed a hit the 1993 debut album, “Kirk Franklin & The Family.”
When Franklin moved to collaborate with the vocal ensemble God’s Property on the 1997 album “God’s Property from Kirk Franklin’s Nu Nation,” he caught the attention of all Black music fans with the song “Stomp,” featuring Cheryl “Salt” James of Salt-N-Pepa. Of course Franklin didn’t invent gospel music, but the energy of his live performances showed music fans that praising can also be fun.
Kirk Franklin Breaks Up the Family
Amid several talk show and TV series appearances, and several mainstream collaborations with artists R. Kelly, Mary J. Blige and Bono of U2, Franklin’s star was on the immediate rise. However, problems eventually emerged over who deserved the true credit and the money—Franklin or his choir.
Finally Franklin dissolved the Family in 1999, and the next year several members sued Franklyn for royalties after having worked on “The Nu Nation Project” album released in 1998.
Kirk Franklin’s Near-Death Experience
Franklin explained that he nearly died in 1996 when he accidentally fell from the stage into an orchestra pit during a concert in Memphis, Tennessee. According to reports, he was left in critical condition with a head injury. In an interview with Oprah, he recounted what it was like being in a coma and making a recovery.
Kirk Franklin Goes Solo
Into the early aughts, Franklin mostly focused on solo ventures, frequently collaborating with popular gospel acts. However, after breaking up with The Family, he never quite captured the same crossover success. But in the gospel world, he was still on fire.
Kirk Franklin Comes Back
After fully recovering from his fall, Franklin returned with “The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin” in February 2002.
Kirk Franklin Crosses Over Again
Upon releasing his 2005 album “Hero,” Franklin had found cross over success again. The album was certified Gold and Platinum, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Christian and Top Gospel albums. The album’s song “Looking for You” was a hit and made it onto the R&B charts.
Kirk Franklin Talks About His Porn Addiction
In 2005, Franklin appeared with his wife on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss his battle with a pornography addiction and how he overcame it all.
Kirk Franklin Opens Up About His Upbringing
In 2010 book called The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life’s Storms, Franklin further shared his upbringing in Texas and how his childhood struggles turned led to several addicitons.
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At the B.E.T rap show for the 2022 Hip-hop Awards, Franklin was ripped for this performance and the lyrics declaring, “The Lion and the Lamb will bow down to the goat.” Many felt Franklin seemed to be referencing god bowing down to the devil.
Kirk Franklin’s Family Matters
Franklin was hit with a wave of controversy in 2021 when his oldest son, Kerrion, released an audio recording of their private conversation in which the gospel singer could be heard speaking in an ungodly manner.
Kirk Franklin Reunites with Father and SonTitle
In 2023 interview with Cam Newton, Franklin opened up about reconnecting with his son, who had came out as bisexual, and reuniting with long lost members of his family. The interview promoted his documentary film Father’s Day: A Kirk Franklin Story.
Kirk Franklin’s Dancing Divides Black Audiences
Franklin lately has been rebooted again as a solo gospel act. But his dance moves on stage, bordering on twerking and gyrating, have left some Black gospel music fans shaking their hands.
Kirk Franklin Responds to Outrage Over His Dancing
In an interview with Sway in The Morning, Franklin doubled down on his dance moves as something that happens when he is really feeling the music.
Kirk Franklin Collaborates With Will Smith
Post Oscars slap, Will Smith was definitely looking for a comeback and he recruited Franklin’s image as a godly man to help him at the 2024 BET Awards.
Some felt Franklin was the right man to help Smith along with his onstage mea culpa. Others scratched their heads over the optics. What did you think?
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