Many people have wondered if the two famous gospel personalities, DeVon Franklin and Kirk Franklin, are related by blood. They share the same last name, they are both successful in their fields, and they both have a passion for spreading the word of God. But are they really brothers or cousins? Here is what we found out.
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The Background of DeVon Franklin
DeVon Franklin is an American producer, author, and motivational speaker. He is best known for the films Miracles from Heaven, Heaven Is for Real, and The New York Times Best Seller book The Wait, which he co-wrote with his then-wife Meagan Good.
DeVon Franklin was raised in Oakland, California, the son of Donald Ray Franklin and Paulette Franklin. He has two brothers, Donald Ray and David Brandon. The couple would ultimately separate, and Paulette and her three young boys moved into her parents’ home. A few years later, Franklin’s father died at the age of 36 after suffering a heart attack. His mother, grandmother and her seven sisters formed what Franklin has called a “coalition” of strong women that guided him and his brothers in the absence of their father.
Franklin began his career as an intern at Overbrook Entertainment, working for Will Smith and James Lassiter. Upon graduation from USC, Franklin accepted a full-time position at Overbrook. Following this, he worked in Tracey Edmonds’ company Edmonds Entertainment as a junior executive. He then became a senior vice president at Columbia Pictures, where he oversaw films such as The Pursuit of Happyness, Hancock, and The Karate Kid. In 2012, he launched his own production company, Franklin Entertainment, which has a first-look deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Franklin is also a preacher and a bestselling author. He has written several books on faith, relationships, and success, such as Produced by Faith, The Hollywood Commandments, and The Truth About Men. He also hosts a weekly show on SiriusXM called DeVon Franklin & Friends.
The Background of Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel and Christian R&B ensembles such as The Family, God’s Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) among many others. He has won numerous awards, including 19 Grammy Awards. Variety dubbed Franklin as a “Reigning King of Urban Gospel”.
Kirk Franklin was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He was abandoned by his mother as a baby and raised by his aunt Gertrude. She recycled aluminum cans to raise money for Kirk to take piano lessons from the age of four. Kirk excelled and was able to read and write music while also playing by ear. At the age of seven, Kirk received his first contract which his aunt turned down. He did join the church choir and became music director of the Mt. Rose Baptist Church adult choir at 11 years of age.
In his teenage years, Kirk rebelled against his strict religious upbringing, and in an attempt to keep him out of trouble, his grandmother arranged an audition for him at a professional youth conservatory associated with a local university. He was accepted but later he had to deal with a girlfriend’s pregnancy and his eventual expulsion from school for bad behavior. When he was aged 15 he witnessed the death of a friend by shooting after which Kirk returned to the church where he again directed the choir. He also co-founded a gospel group called The Humble Hearts which recorded one of Kirk’s compositions and got the attention of gospel music legend Milton Biggham who hired him to lead the DFW Mass Choir in a recording of Kirk’s song “Every Day with Jesus”.
In 1992, Kirk organized “The Family”, which was a 17-voice choir formed from neighborhood friends and associates. They recorded their debut album Kirk Franklin & The Family which became the first gospel album to sell over one million copies. Since then Kirk has released several albums with different groups such as God’s Property (Stomp), One Nation Crew (Nobody), Nu Nation (Lean on Me), The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin (Hosanna), Hero (Looking for You), Hello Fear (I Smile), Losing My Religion (Wanna Be Happy?), Long Live Love (Love Theory), etc. Kirk has also collaborated with secular artists such as Kanye West , R Kelly , Mary J Blige , U2 , etc.
Kirk is married to Tammy Collins since 1996 and they have four children together: Kerrion , Carrington , Kennedy , and Caziah . Kirk also has a son from a previous relationship named Kerron.
The Relationship Between DeVon Franklin and Kirk Franklin
According to our research, DeVon Franklin and Kirk Franklin are not related by blood. They have different parents, different birthplaces, and different backgrounds. They may share some common ancestry, but they are not brothers or cousins.
However, they do share a common bond of faith, music, and inspiration. They have both overcome challenges and hardships in their lives and have used their talents and platforms to spread the gospel and uplift others. They have also expressed admiration and respect for each other’s work and achievements.
