What Is Kirk Franklin's Net Worth?
Kirk Franklin is an American gospel musician, choir director, author, actor, and producer who has a net worth of $5 million. Kirk Franklin first rose to prominence in the early '90s, performing with the group he founded, which came to be known as Kirk Franklin and The Family. Their 1993 self-titled debut album went on to sell over a million copies. He has won numerous Grammy Awards and has been performing as a solo artist since the early 2000s. He also released the albums "Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas (1995) and "Whatcha Lookin' 4" (1996) with Kirk Franklin & The Family. With the group Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation, he released the albums "God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation" (1997) and "The Nu Nation Project" (1998), followed by "Kirk Franklin Presents 1NC" (2000) with Kirk Franklin and 1 Nation Crew. As a solo artist, Franklin has released the albums "The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin" (2002), "Hero" (2005), "The Fight of My Life" (2007), "Hello Fear" (2011), "Losing My Religion" (2015), "Long, Live, Love" (2019), and "Father's Day" (2023). In 2022, he released the album "Kingdom Book One" with Maverick City Music.
As an actor, Kirk has appeared in the films "Joyful Noise" (2012) and "The Night Before Christmas" (2022), the TV movies "Something to Sing About" (2000), and "Kirk Franklin's A Gospel Christmas" (2021), and the television series "Sister, Sister" (1998) and "Kingdom Business" (2022). He executive produced "Kirk Franklin's A Gospel Christmas," "The Night Before Christmas," and "Kingdom Business," and he also produced the 2008 film "Hopeville." Kirk has published the books "Church Boy: My Music & My Life" (1998) and "The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life's Storms" (2010) as well as the children's book "How Do Alligators Praise the Lord?" (2005). He was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2021.
Early Life
Kirk Franklin was born Kirk Dewayne Smith on January 26, 1970, in Fort Worth, Texas. He was abandoned by his teenage mother and didn't meet his biological father, Richard Hubbard, until he was an adult. His aunt, Gertrude Franklin, raised him, and she recycled aluminum cans to help her make enough money to pay for 4-year-old Kirk to begin taking piano lessons. When Franklin was 7 years old, he was offered a record deal, but Gertrude turned it down. Kirk started singing with the church choir, and at the age of 11, he began serving as the music director of the adult choir at the Mt. Rose Baptist Church. According to "Exodus News," as a teenager, "he got into fights, entertained too many girlfriends, and in school he skipped his academic courses, opting only for the arts, choir, band and drama. Attempting to keep the rebellious teen out of trouble and help focus his talent, Gertrude arranged for an audition for him at a professional youth conservatory associated with a local university." Franklin got in, but he later learned of his girlfriend's pregnancy and was eventually expelled from school due to bad behavior.
At Oscar Dean Wyatt High School, Kirk studied with Jewell Kelly and the Singing Chaparrals and later became the choir's pianist. When he was 15 years old, he witnessed a friend die in a shooting. He subsequently returned to church and his former position as choir director, and he co-founded The Humble Hearts, a gospel group that attracted the attention of Georgia Mass Choir musical director Milton Biggham after recording one of Franklin's songs. Biggham asked Kirk to lead the DFW Mass Choir as they recorded Franklin's song "Every Day with Jesus," which led to him hiring 20-year-old Kirk to lead the choir at the Gospel Music Workshop of America Convention in 1990.
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Career
In 1992, Franklin put together the 17-member choir "The Family," and they were signed to GospoCentric Records. Kirk Franklin & The Family's self-titled debut album was released in June 1993, and it reached #58 on the "Billboard" 200 chart, #1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart, and #6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. They followed the Platinum album with 1995's "Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas" and 1996's "Whatcha Lookin' 4." "Kirk Franklin & the Family Christmas" was certified Gold, and "Whatcha Lookin' 4" went 2× Platinum and won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album. Kirk's song "Joy" was covered by Whitney Houston and the Georgia Mass Choir and featured on the 1996 soundtrack of the film "The Preacher's Wife," which became the best-selling gospel album in history. Next, Franklin teamed up with the gospel choir God's Property for the 1997 album "God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation." The 3× Platinum album reached #3 on the "Billboard" 200 chart and #1 on the Top Gospel Albums and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts and won a Grammy for Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album. In 1998, he released the 2× Platinum album "The Nu Nation Project," and it reached #7 on the "Billboard" 200 chart, #1 on the Top Gospel Albums and Top Christian Albums charts, and #4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album, and the single "Lean on Me" earned three nominations. In November 1998, God's Property filed a lawsuit against Kirk, alleging that he had convinced founder Linda Searight to sign an "onerous and one-sided" contract with the record label B-Rite Music.
In 2000, Franklin and GospoCentric Records were sued by members of The Family for royalties for the album "The Nu Nation Project." That year Kirk released the album "Kirk Franklin Presents 1NC" with Kirk Franklin and 1 Nation Crew, and it reached #2 on the Top Gospel Albums chart. He began releasing solo albums in 2002, beginning with the Platinum live album "The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin," which reached #4 on the "Billboard" 200 chart and #1 on the Top Gospel Albums, Top Christian Albums, and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The 2005 Platinum album "Hero" topped the Gospel and Christian charts, and the single "Looking for You" reached #1 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart. Kirk's next album, 2007's "The Fight of My Life," also reached #1 on the Top Gospel Albums and Top Christian Albums charts, and he had a #1 single on the Hot Gospel Songs chart with "Declaration (This is It)." Both "Hero" and "The Fight of My Life" won Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. Franklin's next two albums, 2011's "Hello Fear" and 2015's "Losing My Religion," reached #1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and "Hello Fear" was certified Gold. In 2019, he released the album "Long Live Love," which reached #1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart and #3 on the UK Christian & Gospel Albums chart and won a Grammy for Best Gospel Album. In 2022, Kirk collaborated with Maverick City Music on the album "Kingdom Book One," which reached #2 on the Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums charts. The album won Grammy Awards for Best Gospel Album, Best Gospel Performance/Song ("Kingdom"), and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song ("Fear Is Not My Future"). In 2023, Franklin released the solo album "Father's Day," and it reached #1 on the Top Gospel Albums chart.
Personal Life
Kirk married Tammy Collins, his longtime friend, on January 20, 1996, and they have welcomed two children together, Kennedy (born 1997) and Caziah (born 1999). Franklin is also stepfather to Carrington, Collins' daughter from a previous relationship, and Kirk has a older son named Kerrion, who was born in 1988. In 2021, Kerrion released a recording of a private conversation he had with Kirk in which they both used profanity. Franklin apologized to his fans on social media, stating, "Recently my son and I had an argument that he chose to record. I felt extremely disrespected in that conversation and I lost my temper and I said words that are not appropriate and I am sincerely sorry to all of you. I sincerely apologize." In his 2023 documentary "Father's Day: A Kirk Franklin Story," Kirk met his biological father for the first time and reconciled with Kerrion.
Awards and Nominations
Franklin has earned 31 Grammy nominations, winning 19 of them. He has won more than 20 Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association, and he has also earned 23 Stellar Awards. Kirk has received 10 BET Award nominations, winning for Best Gospel Artist in 2006 and the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award for "We Win" (shared with Lil Baby) in 2022 and "Bless Me" (shared with Maverick City Music) in 2023. He won an American Music Award for Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist in 2006 and was nominated for Favorite Artist – Gospel in 2021, and he earned an Urban Music Award for Best Gospel Act in 2009. Franklin has received 10 NAACP Image Award nominations, taking home the prize for Outstanding Gospel Artist (shared with God's Property), Outstanding Music Video for "God's Property Feat. Kirk Franklin & Cheryl James: Stomp," and Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special in 1998, Outstanding Gospel Artist in 1999, and Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album for "Kingdom Book One" (shared with Maverick City Music) in 2023. He has also earned 12 "Soul Train" Award nominations, winning for Best Gospel Album for "Whatcha Lookin' 4" (1997), "God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation" (1998), "The Nu Nation Project" (1999), "The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin" (2003), and "Songs from the Storm, Volume I" (2007) and the Best Gospel/Inspirational Award (2019).
Real Estate
Franklin reportedly lives in a $1.63 million home in Arlington, Texas. The 7,585 square foot home includes six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a media room, and a game room, and a swimming pool sits on the 1.25-acre property.
