Kirk Franklin (born January 26, 1970 in Riverside, Texas) is a platinum-selling musician who blended gospel, hip hop, and R&B in the 1990s. He released his first gospel album,
Kirk Franklin & Family, in 1993, and is known as the leader of contemporary gospel choirs such as
Kirk Franklin & the Family,
Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation, and God's Property.A native of Fort Worth, Texas, he was raised by his aunt, Gertrude Franklin. He developed a talent for music early, playing the piano at age four and becoming music director of his church at age eleven. After getting kicked out of school in his teenaged years, having a girlfriend become pregnant, and after a friend was shot to death he returned to th...
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