Who is Kirk Franklin?
Kirk Franklin is an American gospel singer, songwriter, record producer, choir director and author. He is popularly known for leading gospel choirs like, “The Family”, “God’s Property”, and “One Nation Crew”. Kirk Franklin has been dubbed the “Reigning King of Urban Gospel” in the media and has been the recipient of 16 Grammy Awards.
Kirk Franklin’s full name is Kirk Dewayne Franklin. He was born on January 26, 1970, in Dallas, Texas, the United States. As of September 2022, Kirk Franklin is 52 years old.
About Kirk Franklin’s parents
As a child, Kirk Franklin was abandoned by his mother and so, he was raised by his aunt, Gertrude Franklin. In order to pay for Kirk Franklin’s piano lessons, Gertrude Franklin recycled aluminium cans. When Kirk Franklin was seven, he was offered a contract which his aunt declined. Sadly, Gertrude Franklin passed away before she could witness Kirk Franklin’s success.
In an Instagram post, Kirk Franklin showed his appreciation for Gertrude Franklin’s impact on his life while celebrating her on mother’s day.
He wrote:
“This beautiful lady legally adopted me and gave me the last name of her deceased husband, Jack Franklin. She didn’t get to live to hear my first song recorded or to be swept off her feet by the many gifts I would have showered her with to show my appreciation.”
The identity of Kirk Franklin’s biological mother, however, remains unknown.
About Kirk Franklin’s siblings
Kirk Franklin’s only known sibling is his younger sister whose identity is not disclosed at this time. In 2018, Franklin revealed that his sister was sentenced to 30 years in prison and was serving time in a Texas state prison. According to Franklin, his sister was introduced to drugs by a former boyfriend. When he was arrested for drug trafficking, Kirk Franklin’s sister was arrested as well. However, she was released after serving time in prison. Upon her release, Kirk Franklin’s sister relapsed and then resorted to prostitution to fund her addiction. She was then sent to 30 years in prison for an unknown charge. Kirk Franklin then admitted that he harboured some guilt as he kept wondering if he could have done more to help his sister.
Are Kirk Franklin and Aretha Franklin related?
It has been speculated that Kirk Franklin is related to legendary soul singer, Aretha Franklin and producer, DeVon Franklin. This information has been found to be untrue. Kirk Franklin is not related to Aretha and DeVon Franklin, despite sharing the same last name as them.
About Kirk Franklin’s marriage and wedding
As of September 2022, Kirk Franklin is married to his wife Tammy Collins. The couple has been married since 1996 and has been together for 26 years and counting. However, prior to his marriage to Tammy Collins, Kirk Franklin was involved with a woman whose identity is currently unknown.
About Kirk Franklin’s marriage to Tammy Collins
Before her marriage to Kirk Franklin, Tammy Collins was a makeup artist. She later quit her job to support her family. At the time of their marriage, Kirk Franklin and Tammy Collins had a child each from their previous relationships. They officially tied the knot on January 20, 1996. Collins and Franklin welcomed their daughter, Kennedy in 1997. Their second child, Caziah was born in 2000. Franklin and Collins celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary in January 2022.
On their 25th wedding anniversary last year, Kirk Franklin posted a cute picture of him and his wife with the caption:
“25 years of surrender, dying to self, living for someone else, making God smile by making YOU… Happy anniversary to the undefeated champion of my heart.”
About Kirk Franklin’s ex-girlfriend/baby mama
When Kirk Franklin was 18 years old, he was registered at a youth conservatory. There, he met his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his first child – Kerrion Franklin. She got pregnant and Kirk Franklin was expelled from the school for bad behaviour. Her identity is currently unknown.
About Kirk Franklin’s children
As of the time of publishing this article, Kirk Franklin has four children – two from his marriage to Tammy Collins, one from his previous relationship and another from Tammy Collins’ previous relationship.
List of Kirk Franklin’s children
- Kerrion Franklin
- Carrington Franklin
- Kennedy Franklin
- Caziah Franklin
About Kirk Franklin’s children
a. Kerrion Franklin
Kerrion Franklin is Kirk Franklin’s first child. He was born in 1988 to Kirk Franklin and an unknown woman. As of September 2022, Kerrion Franklin is 34 years old. He is an American author, producer and cinematographer. In 2021, Kerrion Franklin released a controversial clip in which Kirk Franklin was shouting and cursing.
In the clip, Kirk Franklin allegedly shouted:
“I will break your neck, nigga. Don’t you ever disrespect me.”
Kirk Franklin has since apologized for his language, stating that he only lost his temper for a moment and that he is not perfect.
b. Carrington Franklin
Carrington Franklin was born on May 13, 1989, to Tammy Collins and her previous lover. Following Kirk Franklin’s marriage to Tammy Collins in 1996, the singer legally adopted Carrington Franklin. As of September 2022, Carrington Franklin is 33 years old.
Carrington Franklin has a degree in journalism, public relations and management. She currently works as the CEO and Creative Director at Liz Kennedy Brand Management. She is happily married with a son. Carrington Franklin got married to her half-Nigerian husband Maxx Nakwaasah in 2016.
c. Kennedy Franklin
Kennedy Franklin was born on May 4, 1997, to Kirk Franklin and his wife Tammy Collins. When Kerrion Franklin released the audio of Kirk Franklin cursing, Kennedy Franklin took her father’s side. As of September 2022, Kennedy Franklin is 25 years old.
d. Caziah Franklin
Caziah Franklin was born on September 5, 2000, to Kirk Franklin and Tammy Collins. He is a musical artist. Caziah Franklin is currently 22 years old.
