Who is Kirk Franklin’s wife Tammy Franklin? Gospel singer praises spouse while accepting BET Icon award

Kirk Franklin, 55, was honored at the 2025 BET Awards on June 9. He was recognized with the Ultimate Icon Award at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

The esteemed event lauded Kirk Franklin, Jamie Foxx, Mariah Carey, and Snoop Dogg for their impeccable contribution to the music industry. They received the Ultimate Icon Award, People Magazine reported.

The Gospel singer thanked his wife, Tammy Franklin, for her love and support. The couple has been together for two and a half decades now. Together, they co-hosted The One in 2023.

Parents of four children, the Franklin couple got married in 1996. They knew each other for around a decade before they tied the knot.

On X (formerly Twitter), Kirk expressed his gratitude for the BET Icon award. He wrote in the caption,

"Thank you @bet this is an honor 🙏🏾"

Kirk Franklin showed love for his wife during his acceptance speech

On Monday, T.I. greeted Kirk Franklin on the stage for this prestigious recognition. He welcomed the singer, announcing,

"There was a time when Gospel and hip-hop were miles apart. Kirk's excellence and innovation was on display when he chose to open up the 2022 BET Awards with his song 'We Win,' featuring Lil Baby."

Expressing his privilege, he further continued,

"It's my honor to be here tonight to introduce the man whose musical genius combined the hood with hymnals."

Kirk Franklin walked up to the stage in a room full of applause and cheers for him. Taking this special moment, he reflected on his loved ones in his life. In his acceptance speech, he thanked a 64-year-old woman, Gertrude,

"who chose to adopt a 4-year-old boy nobody wanted. I never felt the love of a mother or a father. The only time I felt love was when I sat behind the piano and wrote songs to Jesus."

He continued his message, conveying,

"People loved my songs and the more I wrote, the more people would listen. Thank you to all of you who still listen."

Meanwhile, Kirk Franklin took this gracious opportunity to thank everyone who listened to his musical creations. He also expressed his gratitude to his wife, Tammy Franklin.

Appreciating her, the My Life Is in Your Hands singer further said,

"You sit here with me while your father, one of my heroes, is fighting for his life. Thank you. I will never be able to repay you for giving me a legacy. You gave me Caziah, my young leader. Carrington, my best friend. Kennedy, twin. And you partnered with the mother of my oldest, Kerrion, whom I love with all my soul."

Next, he credited Rodney Hill for saving his "life" and "career." Looking back at his journey, he stated,

"Thank you my soul family for covering me."

Kirk Franklin might have been awarded the Ultimate Icon Award, but he feels he is still not perfect. He opened up, sharing,

"I am not perfect. I fail. I sin. I am not a perfect Christian. I'm not a perfect husband. And we all know I'm not a perfect father, not even a perfect artist because I can't even sing, which makes this award even more amazing."

Everything we know about Kirk Franklin’s wife, Tammy Franklin

Tammy was born on December 3, 1970, in Fort Worth, Texas, according to a Famous Birthdays report.

She came into Kirk's life before he reached the highest professional peaks of his life. They have been together way before the star rose to fame for his musical prowess.

How did they meet?

Kirk Franklin and Tammy Franklin met at a Texas water park. They were 18 years old when they first interacted with each other, according to a People Magazine report.

The duo reflected on their relationship on the May 11, 2023, episode of the Tamron Hall Show. Recalling their first interaction, Tammy shared,

"He was cute, he had on Cross Colours, he was 18 years old. He had a vision, he had a plan and he was honest."

However, they did not begin dating right after; they met, yet again, after four years. They found each other when Tammy's cousin called her while recording the singer's video. This meeting was destined to transform into something else, rather than a warm greeting.

Recounting their initial dating days, Tammy revealed during a conversation with Today,

"From that day on we talked on the phone."

However, the Now Behold the Lamb singer chimed in, stating,

"You're leaving out the good stuff. You're leaving out the fact that you came in the back and gave me your number. I called her because, of course, I noticed her. I thought, 'She's bad.'"

Their love rekindled again

Soon, Tammy had to shift to Minneapolis. She relocated to work on her dreams and pursue her musical career. Though they tried dating, staying far apart led to them being just friends.

While she thought of maintaining a friendship with Kirk Franklin, he started ignoring her phone calls. Despite no response, Tammy texted the singer in March 1995, messaging,

"You haven't been returning my phone calls. I just wanted to say hi and see how you were doing. But I'm not going to call anymore."

That one message changed their equation, and they gave their bond another chance.

They tied the knot the next year

On January 20, 1996, Kirk Franklin and Tammy Franklin exchanged vows. In a 2020 conversation with Equipped by Faith, she looked back on their engagement day, sharing how her husband popped the question.

"Kirk proposed to both me and my daughter with rings — I knew he was the one I wanted to be with. I knew God would continue to equip me for the ministry and our calling together."

The pair celebrated a significant milestone in their married lives in 2021. That year, they commemorated their 25th anniversary. Tammy dedicated a special Instagram post to their marriage anniversary by sharing glimpses from their wedding celebrations.

She captioned the nostalgic post,

"We married when we were 25 and now we’re celebrating TWENTY FIVE YEARS OF MARRIAGE❤️! Half of my life I’ve loved this man... through good times and even the seasons that we thought would break us, we have come this far by God’s grace. I’m simply humbled that I love you more than I did Jan 20,1996! @kirkfranklin Let’s keep growing, loving and doing lots of laughing!!! We’ve made silver now let’s go for gold"

They are proud parents of four kids

Before marrying Kirk Franklin, Tammy Franklin welcomed daughter Carrington in 1986, Famous Birthdays confirmed. She was 9 years old when her mother tied the knot to his longtime beau. Kirk also had a son, then 10, when he got married.

After their wedding, the lovebirds welcomed two kids. They had their daughter Kennedy in 1997, followed by the birth of their son Caziah in 2000.

While chatting with Equipped by Faith, Tammy Franklin opened up about how having kids changed her relationship dynamic with her husband, Kirk Franklin.

She explained:

"When we married we both had children of our own. Having kids was an adjustment—but not like you’d think. Kirk didn’t have much of a childhood and came with a lot of childlike qualities. So I often felt like the adult in the relationship."

She, too, shared her best parenting advice. She added,

"Keeping our marriage intact. If we are intact—it will flow down to your children. Especially with moms. There’s so much energy we put into our kids—put your partner first."

A look at other aspects of her life

Tammy Franklin hosted the 2023 show, The One, with Kirk Franklin. During a May 2023 interview with Essence, she spoke about the project's impact on her, disclosing,

"I think because it’s in my personal wheel well, yes. As I mentioned before, when people have come to us about reality TV, I’ve always thought if I ever did anything, it would be to help somebody. It wouldn’t be as we see it standardly today. And so that’s what piqued my curiosity, the fact that we would be coaches and coming alongside and helping someone. So for me it was like, 'Okay, I could do that.'"

Tammy also co-anchors a SiriusXM radio show with Carrington. She has an impressive following of over 320K on Instagram. She keeps her fans updated, often sharing snippets of her life.

She has been religious since her childhood and believes and follows in her Christian faith.