29 Facts About Kirk Franklin

Kirk Franklin is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew among many others.

Kirk Franklin has won numerous awards, including 19 Grammy Awards.

Gertrude recycled aluminum cans to raise money for Kirk Franklin to take piano lessons from the age of four.

Kirk Franklin excelled and was able to read and write music while playing by ear.

At the age of seven, Kirk Franklin received his first contract which his aunt turned down.

Kirk Franklin did join the church choir and became music director of the Mt.

Kirk Franklin was accepted, but later he had to deal with a girlfriend's pregnancy and his eventual expulsion from school for bad behavior.

Kirk Franklin studied music with Jewell Kelly and the Singing Chaparrals at Oscar Dean Wyatt High School.

Kirk Franklin continued under her tutelage and ultimately became the pianist for the choir.

When he was aged 15 he witnessed the death of a friend by shooting, after which Kirk Franklin returned to the church, where he again directed the choir.

Kirk Franklin co-founded a gospel group, The Humble Hearts, which recorded one of Franklin's compositions and got the attention of gospel music legend Milton Biggham, musical director of the Georgia Mass Choir.

In 1992, Kirk Franklin organized "The Family", which was a 17-voice choir, formed from neighborhood friends and associates.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Kirk Franklin induced God's Property founder Linda Searight into signing an "onerous and one-sided" contract with B-Rite Music.

Also in 1998, Kirk Franklin had made a guest appearance on the hit television sitcom Sister, Sister.

The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin was released in February 2002 after being delayed.

At the 2007 Grammy Awards, Kirk Franklin won two Grammys for Hero.

In January 2010, after Haiti had a devastating earthquake, Kirk Franklin got an ensemble of gospel artists together to sing the song he wrote, called "Are You Listening".

In 2005, Kirk Franklin appeared with his wife on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss how he ended his pornography addiction.

Kirk Franklin served as the host and co-executive producer of the BET original series Sunday Best and the musical co-host of GSN's The American Bible Challenge with Jeff Foxworthy.

In 2013, Kirk Franklin being signing artists onto his label, Fo Yo Soul Recordings, which became an imprint with RCA Records, and he has signed acts such as The Walls Group and artists like Tasha Page-Lockhart.

The Walls Group won seven awards, while Page-Lockhart won three of her own, and Kirk Franklin won two more for his label.

In September 2015, Kirk Franklin announced his 12th studio album, Losing My Religion, and the album was released on November 13,2015.

Kirk Franklin contributed to Tori Kelly's Hiding Place album, released September 14,2018.

On January 25,2019, Kirk Franklin released his single "Love Theory" and official music video for the song.

Kirk Franklin released his second single, "Just for Me", in April 2019.

Kirk Franklin stated that he was boycotting the award show going forward as it was not the first time they had edited his acceptance speech to remove "reflections on police violence against Black Americans".

GMA president, Jackie Patillo, apologized to Kirk Franklin and GMA made an unedited version of the speech available but stated that it was an unintentional action and that they were attempting to reduce the running time to meet a two-hour time-slot.

On January 20,1996, Kirk Franklin married long-time friend Tammy Collins.

Kirk Franklin has received many awards, including Grammy Awards, GMA Dove Awards, BET Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and Stellar Awards.