Gospel star Kirk Franklin talks about his 'real' family and hot career

Jet, Feb 2, 1998

Kirk Franklin invites his fans to have a "Holy Ghost party" with him on his big hit, Stomp.

All over the country, Franklin has his fans stomping, singing and praising Jesus with the popular, contemporary gospel tune.

Franklin says while he appreciates his amazing newfound fame, foremost in his life is his relationship with the lard and his "real" family -- wife, Tammy, and their three children.

"The definition of success for me is not necessarily the records you sell, how many concerts you perform and how many people call your name," Franklin explains. "To me success is when I get off that stage and I am putting into effect everything I just got through preaching about during the concert."

Some of his young fans have never even been to church but are learning how to praise God and get strength through music.

The tune, Stomp, which includes a rap by Salt of Salt-N-Pepa and a melody sampling from George Clinton's One Nation Under A Groove, is featured on the hit album God's Property from Kirk Franklin's Nu Nation, which has sold more than 2 million copies and also has earned Franklin four Grammy nominations this year, including Producer of the Year.

Franklin won fame in 1993 with the gospel group he founded, Kirk Franklin and the Family, and its self-titled album, which included the tunes Why We Sing and Silver and Gold. His critically-acclaimed follow-up album, 1996's Whatcha Lookin' 4, sold 1 million copies. And his Kirk Franklin And The Family Christmas album remains a top-selling favorite each holiday season.

Franklin, who turns 28 this week on Jan. 26, adds, "Success is when I go home and I'm tired and I know I'm tired, but my kids want to play or my kids want to go to the park. And for me not to get selfish and say, `Oh, come on, Daddy's tired' and then give the long speech on `This is how Daddy makes his living, so you've got to give him time.' No, I have to get up and spend time with my kids; that's what success is for me."

Franklin and Tammy, 28, recently celebrated their second wedding anniversary on Jan. 20. They have a daughter Kennedy, 8 months; Franklin has a son, Kerrion, 9, from a previous relationship, and his wife has a daughter, Carrington, 8, from a previous relationship.

Franklin is adopting his wife's daughter. "The adoption is not finalized yet," Tammy tells Jet. "But her name has been changed legally. The adoption should be complete any day now. For Kirk, he did not want all of us to be Franklin and her not to be. So he sat down and said, `I know that I am not your biological father, but I am your Daddy and that's what I want to be, your Daddy.'"

Adds Tammy, who is a makeup artist, "It was really important for him that she be happy with it too. He got permission from her, and she loved it and was excited about having her name changed. To me it was a sign of his love, to show her that he loved her so much that he wanted her to have his last name."

The gospel singer points out, "I don't believe in all that stepmama, stepdaddy stuff. I believe that if you are in my life, you are in my life. That word "step" makes me feel like I only have 50 percent of you. I don't want to be half a daddy," he states.

When he's home from the road, Kirk takes the children to school and even changes Kennedy's diapers, Tammy tells Jet. "Kirk grew up without a father, so it's important to him that his kids know he is Daddy."

The family often travels with him when he's on tour. "My kids have been to London, the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad. My kids have passports," the proud father laughs.

Franklin is grateful that he understands the importance of family, even in the midst of his red-hot career. "If you take care of God's business, He'll take care of your business," he believes. "If I am out here doing what I am supposed to do for the Lord, I don't have to worry about them getting in a mess or forgetting about Daddy."

Franklin, who is also branching out into acting and is currently working on a pilot for an ABC sitcom adds, "It's important for me to have a balance. I don't want to be the type of man who is always in the studio, always on the road and never has time for his family. The people who work for me and around me know that at least one day a week is going to be family day. Don't call me, don't bother me. Managers, don't schedule nothing. This is my day. And I think the reason there is such a high rate of divorce in the entertainment business is that people don't have a balance. There's got to be a balance."

The Christian singer also believes, "Your kids are your identity; kids mirror you. So if your kids don't see you, who are they going to mirror?"

Though Franklin is enjoying amazing, record-breaking success in the arena of gospel music, there have been critics who feel is music is too contemporary, too dance-oriented, too hip hop, just too secular.

"I understand how they might see this as not godly, as not spiritual," he says. "I understand. I was raised in the Baptist church. I was raised in traditionalism. And when God pulled me out of it, I didn't know what I was doing either when I felt the Lord leading me to start celebrating all types of musical cultures but still putting Jesus on top of it."