The Secret of His Success

Recording superstar Kirk Franklin finds his greatest fulfillment at home with his wife, Tammy, and their kids

Caryn D. Rivadeneira

Average Rating: Not rated

[0 Comment]

There are no previous pages

1 of 4

Kirk and Tammy Franklin have a lot to smile about. Last year Kirk won a Grammy Award for his hit song "Stomp." Last fall he released his fourth album,

The Nu Nation Project. It shipped platinum, reflecting the widespread acceptance among music fans that made his previous three albums sell 4.5 million copies. His first book, Church Boy, was published to coincide with the release of his CD.

But that's not all. Kirk is also starring in the pilot episode of a network TV show about a washed-up record producer who returns home to Chicago and rediscovers the church. In the six years since Kirk's debut album, his gospel music and image have transcended religious circles and landed smack dab in the arms of a welcoming secular world. His Christian message now saturates radio airwaves and cable television, with both VH-1 (Video Hits-One) and BET (Black Entertainment Television) airing his music videos.

Kirk and Tammy are delighted to be where God has put them, and they're happy about his success. But it's the joy they experience at home that really thrills them. In fact, they say the biggest surprise in their three-year marriage has been how much they like to be with each other.

"I love hangin' out with my girl," Kirk says.

"I had no idea that not only would I look at Kirk as my husband, but I'm like, 'He's my boy,'" Tammy says. "We have fun together. We're the same way with our kids. Some people even look at us as strange because we look happy."

They acknowledge that the strange looks may also be because people are shocked to see Kirk Franklin and his family out and about their suburban Dallas community.

"If we lived in L.A., people wouldn't even notice us because it's an everyday thing there for musicians and people being out," Kirk says.

'Some people have a total misconception of who we are because of what Kirk does," Tammy says. "They're surprised we're nice.'

A Rough Start

As much as they love being married and finding joy in the simple activities of family life, their lives haven't always been smiles and surprises. Kirk, for one, feels blessed that he survived long enough to be born. His unmarried teenage mother planned to abort him, until her aunt stepped in. Kirk's great-aunt Gertrude then adopted him when his mother gave him up. He never knew his father.

Kirk showed musical ability at an early age. This gift led him to play piano and conduct choirs in churches beginning when he was a teenager. Though he was raised in the church, Kirk didn't fully commit his life to Christ until his late teens. By then, he had fathered a son by a former girlfriend and lost a friend to an accidental shooting.

Unlike Kirk, Tammy grew up in a stable home, secure in the love of both parents. She was raised in the church and gave her life to Christ around the time she had her daughter, as an unwed mom, at 19. After her daughter's birth, however, Tammy struggled when the church that had become a refuge for her became a place of ridicule. Too many unsympathetic saints singled her out as a good girl gone bad. But even through that experience, Tammy believes Christ was working in her life, drawing her closer to him and equipping her with the skills to minister to unwed mothers.

next page... |

There are no previous pages

1 of 4

Originally published in: Marriage Partnership, 1999, Spring

More from Caryn D. Rivadeneira:
Kyria.com | Books

Join the Kyria.com Community!

Become a member to have access to the following:

Full access to the bimonthly Kyria digizine, each issue focusing on a spiritual discipline or theme
50 percent discount on all of the downloadable resources in the Kyria Store
Hundreds of members-only articles for thoughtful, influential women