Kirk Franklin and the Family

Kirk Franklin and the Family Live!
Live album by Kirk Franklin & the Family
Released	June 29, 1993
Recorded	July 25, 1992 (1992-07-25)
Venue	Grace Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church, Fort Worth, Texas
Genre	Urban contemporary gospel
Length	53:54
Label	GospoCentric
Producer	Rodney Frazier Arthur Dyer
Kirk Franklin & the Family chronology
Kirk Franklin and the Family Live! (1993) Christmas (1995)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Kirk Franklin and the Family (Live) is the debut album released by Kirk Franklin. This is also the debut album by Franklin in collaboration with his seventeen-voice formed choir, the Family. It was released on June 29, 1993, and it was his first album.[2] With sales of 2 million units,[3] it is one of the best-selling gospel albums of all time.

Background information

The album was recorded live on July 25, 1992 (1992-07-25) at Grace Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church in Fort Worth, Texas[4] and produced by Rodney Frazier and Arthur Dyer.

All songs on the album were written and arranged by Kirk Franklin. "Speak To Me" includes partial adaptation of a Stanley Brown/Hezekiah Walker composition.[5]

Track listing

#	Title	Time	Lead vocals	Notes
1.	Why We Sing	5:55	Kirk Franklin	Contains re-sung lyrics from "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" performed by Ethel Waters, based on Gospel hymn written by Civilla D. Martin & Charles H. Gabriel
2.	He's Able	4:05	Kirk Franklin; David Mann
3.	Silver & Gold	4:52	Cassandra Cleveland
4.	Call on the Lord	3:32	Sheila Brice
5.	Real Love	5:22	Teresa Young; Dalon Collins; Yolanda McDonald
6.	He Can Handle It	5:09	Kirk Franklin
7.	A Letter from My Friend	5:41	Dalon Collins
8.	The Family Worship Medley	7:55	Terri Pace; Nelda Washington; Demetrius Herefort; Darrell Blair; Tamela Mann
9.	Speak to Me	4:19	Kirk Franklin; Byron Cole
10.	Till We Meet Again	7:14	Carrie Young-Davis; Ramona White; Duawne Starling

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1993–1995) Peak position US Billboard 200[6] 58 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7] 6 US Top Gospel Albums (Billboard)[8] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1995) Position US Billboard 200[9] 192 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[10] 16

Certifications

The album was certified Platinum on November 14, 1995 (1995-11-14).[11]

Personnel

Vocalists

• David Mann
• Elder Jonathan Drummond
• Dalon Collins
• Byron Cole
• Minister Darrell Blair
• Tommy Colter
• Duawne Starling
• Sheila Brice
• Ramona White
• Nelda Washington
• Terri Pace
• Carrie Young-Davis "Mousie"
• Kesha Grandy
• Tamela Mann
• Jeannette Williams
• Demetrius "Dee" Hereford
• Yolanda McDonald
• Teresa Young
• Cassandra Cleveland-Robertson

Musicians

• Jerome Allen - bass
• Eric Morgan - drums
• Jerome Harmon, Bobby Sparks - keyboards
• Anthony Thomas - bandleader

Awards

The album won a GMA Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Album of the Year at the 24th GMA Dove Awards in 1993.

References

1. AllMusic review
2. Kirk Franklin & Family
3. MacDonald, Patrick (December 14, 2001). "The gospel according to Kirk Franklin: lively and lucrative". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
4. Kirk Franklin and the Family (Live) CD (2001)
5. Franklin, Kirk (1993). Kirk Franklin & The Family (CD inset). Kirk Franklin. GospoCentric Records/Sparrow Records. p. 6.
6. "Kirk Franklin Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
7. "Kirk Franklin Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
8. "Kirk Franklin Chart History (Top Gospel Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
9. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
10. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
11. RIAA website