Farrah Franklin

Last updated

Farrah Franklin
Birth nameFarrah Laron Franklin
Also known asDestiny Franklin
Born (1981-05-03) May 3, 1981 (age 43)
Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Genres R&B
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, actress, dancer
Years active1999–present
Labels Columbia (2000), Fo' Reel (2002–2003)

Farrah Laron Franklin [1] (born May 3, 1981) is an American R&B singer and actress. She is also a former member of the girl group Destiny's Child. Along with Michelle Williams, she replaced the group's original members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett. [2] Franklin spent several months with the group before departing as a member. [3] While her musical contribution to the group was minimal, Franklin's vocals are featured on the group's single "Independent Women Part I" which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following her departure. [4] [5]

Contents

Early life

Franklin was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and raised in Fresno, California. [6] She considers Lawrence Bohanon to be her father, [7] as she never met her biological father, Rodney Allen Heard. [8] She is of mixed African-American and Italian descent, and the oldest of fifteen children, [9] including a younger sister named Karrie. She is also the cousin of late singer and rapper Natina Reed. [10] Franklin grew up attending church. She started singing at age two, inspired by Bohanon, who played bass guitar in local bands. When Franklin was eight, she began performing in plays at the Fresno Memorial Auditorium. She was in the concert choir at Central High School, where she was bullied. At fifteen, Franklin decided to leave Fresno to pursue a career in entertainment following her aunt's relocation to Los Angeles. [11] She went by the name 'Destiny Franklin' before her stint in Destiny's Child. [12]

Career

1999–2000: Destiny's Child

In 1999, while living in Los Angeles, Franklin was hired to be an extra in the music video for Destiny's Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills". It was there that she met with group members Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett, and LaTavia Roberson. At the time, she was in a fledgling singing group called Jane Doe, which was in the process of disbanding. In January 2000, Mathew Knowles invited Franklin and Michelle Williams to join Destiny's Child, replacing previous group members LeToya and LaTavia without notice. The two were introduced to fans in February 2000, by appearing in the music video for "Say My Name". [13] Franklin toured and performed with the group, and also appeared in the music video for "Jumpin', Jumpin'". [14] She contributed vocals to various Destiny's Child songs, including "Jumpin', Jumpin'" (Remixes), "Upside Down" (Live at VH1 Divas), and "Dot", as well as a few tracks on Survivor , released after her departure, like "Independent Women" and "Dance with Me". [15]

On July 20, 2000, after six months with Destiny's Child, Franklin exited the group. A day later, group member Beyoncé claimed in an interview that Franklin had missed three major promotional dates and expressed a lack of interest in continuing with the group, leaving them with no other choice but to dismiss her. [16] In a later interview, Franklin denied Beyoncé's allegation, stating that she had suffered from dehydration and a stomach virus but was recovering as she traveled with the group to do shows in Seattle and Europe. Farrah contended that after being verbally attacked by management, due to her not showing up because she was ill, she stormed out of the room and quit the group. [9]

2001–present: Solo projects and Pheenx

After leaving Destiny's Child, Franklin embarked on a solo career. From 2002 to 2003, she was signed to and dropped from Fo' Reel, where she recorded a song titled "Get at Me" with Method Man. She then spent two years signed to Fabolous street label, Street Family Entertainment, before getting dropped in 2005. [17] Prior to joining Destiny's Child, Franklin appeared in the 1999 feature film Trippin' and began an acting career, starring in 2004's The Brewster Project. In 2006, she was cast in an episode on the sitcom, All of Us. She shot an independent thriller film called Eyes of Darkness, which also featured rapper Jayo Felony, and starred in other films like Single Black Female. She's modeled for Russell Simmons' fashion line Def Jam University and has been featured on the covers of Teen People , Ebony , CosmoGirl , Vibe , and Today's Black Woman. [18] Aside from her work as a replacement member in Destiny's Child, she has cameoed in several music videos for artists like Kurupt, Nelly, Mr. Cheeks, and R. L. Huggar. [19]

In January 2007, Franklin made an appearance with other former members of Destiny's Child in the E! special Boulevard of Broken Dreams , which documented their experiences in Destiny's Child and the issues that Franklin faced during the months she was present in the group. Franklin insisted that she was mistreated and ignored by management during meetings when she asked questions about the massive deductions in the group's paychecks. [20]

She released a single called "Lollipop" in 2008. [21] In 2009, Franklin joined a new girl group called Pheenx which consisted of members Bethany Grant, Queen, and herself. The group released two singles titled "Post Boy" and "Sharpshooter" before Grant, the lead singer, was dismissed from the trio due to her involvement in pornography. The group later disbanded. [22]

In 2014, Franklin moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta, hoping to restart her career in music. [23] In 2015, she released a promotional single called "Magic N Makeup" to all streaming markets on September 15. The music video for the single was released via her official Vevo channel on September 24. [24] In 2016, Franklin released a song titled "Over" [25] and uploaded another called "Billion Dollar Fantasy" to SoundCloud in 2017. [26] In 2018, she collaborated with singer Lucky Harmon on the song "Build Me Up", which she cowrote. [27] Franklin also owns a company called One Love Pictures and Entertainment. [28] In June 2020, she released the single "Push Up On Me" featuring rapper Maino. [29]

Personal life

In June 2016, Franklin was detained by police in DeKalb County, Georgia on charges of public intoxication and marijuana possession. [30] This incident mirrored her 2011 arrest in Culver City, California and her 2014 arrest in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. [31] Franklin's biological father, Rodney Allen Heard, died in July 2017. [8]

On August 23, 2022, Houston mayor Sylvester Turner declared December 2 as the City of Houston's Farrah Franklin Day. [32] Later that year, she was also honored with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in Houston. [33]

Franklin currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1999Trippin'Girl on bed #2
2004The Brewster ProjectMaya
2008UnemployedUnemployment Clerk
2009Single Black FemaleKarma
2011The Preacher's FamilyLaJune Carter
2015Tamales and GumboBrenda
2016Rated ATLNe Ne

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2006 All of Us Robert's date1 episode

Music videos

YearTitleArtistRef.
1999"Say My Name" Destiny's Child
2000"Jumpin', Jumpin'"
"You Owe Me" Nas, Ginuwine
2001"It's Over" Kurupt
"Good Love" RL
2002"#1" Nelly
2003"Crush on You" Mr. Cheeks
2009"Nothing's Wrong" Won-G
2010"The Hard Way" Yukmouth
"Rock Ya Body" Dallas Blocker
2013"Hurry Please"Farrah Franklin
2015"I'll Give You Time" Charles Wright
"Magic and Make Up"Farrah Franklin
2018"Build Me Up"

Discography

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beyoncé</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1981)

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, songwriter and businesswoman. Regarded as one of the most influential cultural figures in history and the greatest artist of the 21st century by several publications, Beyoncé has been credited with transforming both the sound of popular music and the music industry itself through her artistic innovations. She is renowned for her expert vocal ability and live performances, with Rolling Stone naming her the world's greatest living entertainer and one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Her work is widely considered to be amongst the greatest of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destiny's Child</span> American girl group (1990–2006)

Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited success, the original quartet comprising Knowles, Rowland, LaTavia Roberson, and LeToya Luckett were signed in 1997 to Columbia Records as Destiny's Child. The group was launched into mainstream recognition following the release of the song "No, No, No" and their best-selling second album, The Writing's on the Wall (1999), which contained the number-one singles "Bills, Bills, Bills" and "Say My Name", alongside successful singles "Bug a Boo" and "Jumpin', Jumpin'". Despite critical and commercial success, the group was plagued by internal conflict and legal turmoil, as Roberson and Luckett attempted to split from the group's manager Mathew Knowles due to favoritism of Knowles and Rowland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Rowland</span> American singer and actress (born 1981)

Kelendria Trene Rowland is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. During the group's three-year hiatus, Rowland released her debut solo studio album, Simply Deep (2002), which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and sold over 3 million copies worldwide. It included the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Dilemma", as well as the UK top-five hits "Stole" and "Can't Nobody". Rowland also ventured into acting with starring roles in Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and The Seat Filler (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Williams (singer)</span> American singer and actress

Tenitra Michelle Williams is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling female groups of all time with over 100 million records, of which more than 60 million copies sold with the trio lineup that included Williams. During her time in the group she earned several accolades including a Grammy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

<i>Survivor</i> (Destinys Child album) 2001 studio album by Destinys Child

Survivor is the third studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child. It was released on April 25, 2001, by Columbia Records. As their breakthrough second studio album The Writing's on the Wall (1999) became a rising commercial success, Destiny's Child faced the controversial departure of original members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, who were replaced with Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams, in February 2000. Soon afterwards, they commenced production of their third studio album, tentatively titled Independent Women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LeToya Luckett</span> American singer and actress

LeToya Nicole Luckett-Coles is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a founding member of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. As a member of Destiny's Child, she achieved four US Top 10 hit singles, "No, No, No", "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Jumpin', Jumpin'", and "Say My Name", sold over 25 million records, and won two Grammy Awards. In the 2000s, she began her solo career after leaving the group and signing a record deal with Capitol Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LaTavia Roberson</span> American R&B singer (born 1981)

LaTavia Marie Roberson is an American R&B singer. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as an original member of the R&B group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During her time as a member, Roberson recorded two studio albums, sold over 25 million records and won two Grammy Awards and three Soul Train Music Awards.

<i>Heart to Yours</i> 2002 studio album by Michelle Williams

Heart to Yours is the debut solo studio album by American singer and songwriter Michelle Williams. Released on April 16, 2002, by Sanctuary and Columbia Records, it became the first solo release of any Destiny's Child member. Production of the album began in 2001, with Williams working with an array of producers, including her brother Erron Williams, HR Crump and Warryn Campbell. Heart to Yours is primarily a contemporary gospel album, which incorporates elements of other styles and genres such as neo-soul, inspirational, R&B and rock music. The album includes a tribute, dedicated to the victims and families affected by the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. Writing on her vocal performances, critics drew comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott.

<i>The Writings on the Wall</i> 1999 studio album by Destinys Child

The Writing's on the Wall is the second studio album by American girl group Destiny's Child. It was released on July 14, 1999, by Columbia Records. Dissatisfied with their 1998 eponymous debut studio album, Destiny's Child sought transition from the record's neo soul-influenced sound. Hence, the group took more creative control and enlisted an almost entirely different array of collaborators, including Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Kandi Burruss, Missy Elliott, Rodney Jerkins, and LaShawn Daniels, among others.

<i>This Is the Remix</i> (Destinys Child album) 2002 remix album by Destinys Child

This Is the Remix is a remix album by American R&B group Destiny's Child. Released in the United States on March 12, 2002 by Columbia Records, the album compiles previously released R&B and dance remixes of songs originally featured on the band's first three studio albums: Destiny's Child (1998), The Writing's on the Wall (1999) and Survivor (2001). The album also includes one new track: "Heard a Word", a solo track performed by member Michelle Williams. The album's title is a reference to a lyric in the first track "No, No, No Part 2".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destiny's Child discography</span>

American R&B girl group Destiny's Child has released five studio albums, five compilation albums, two remix albums, one extended play, twenty-three singles, including four as featured artists and two promotional singles, and three video albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumpin', Jumpin'</span> 2000 single by Destinys Child

"Jumpin', Jumpin'" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for its second studio album, The Writing's on the Wall (1999). The song was co-written and co-produced by Chad Elliott and group member Beyoncé Knowles, with additional writing from Rufus Moore and production assistance from Jovonn Alexander. It was released on July 14, 2000, by Columbia Records, as the fourth and final single from The Writing's on the Wall. It was the last single to feature the vocals of original members LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson. The music video for the song features the group's second lineup consisting of Knowles, Kelly Rowland and replacement members Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. In some territories, including the United States, single artwork for the song features the new lineup, while other territories feature older images of the previous lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Survivor (Destiny's Child song)</span> 2001 single by Destinys Child

"Survivor" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their third studio album of the same title (2001). It was written and composed by group member Beyoncé, Anthony Dent, and Mathew Knowles. "Survivor" was inspired by a joke that a radio station had made about the fact that three members had already left the group, comparing the band to the reality game show Survivor. Beyoncé was inspired to take the negative comment and turn it into a positive by writing a song out of it. The song was released as the lead single from Survivor on March 6, 2001, by Columbia Records. It marked the first single released by the trio of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Say My Name</span> 1999 single by Destinys Child

"Say My Name" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, The Writing's on the Wall (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson, Kelly Rowland, LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins III, and Rodney Jerkins, featuring production by the latter. "Say My Name" was released as the third single from The Writing's on the Wall on October 14, 1999, by Columbia Records. While the song features the group's original line-up consisting of Luckett and Roberson, the music video for the single marked the introduction of the group's second line-up with replacement members Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. In some territories, including the United States, single artwork for the song features the previous lineup, while releases in other territories such as the United Kingdom and France feature newer images of the second lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bills, Bills, Bills</span> 1999 single by Destinys Child

"Bills, Bills, Bills" is a song by American girl group Destiny's Child from their second studio album, The Writing's on the Wall (1999). It was written by Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, Kelly Rowland, Kandi Burruss, and Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs and produced by the latter. The song was released as the lead single from The Writing's on the Wall on May 31, 1999, by Columbia Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">With Me (Destiny's Child song)</span> 1998 single by Destinys Child featuring Jermaine Dupri and Master P

"With Me" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their eponymous debut studio album (1998). The song was produced by Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal Jr., and contains elements of Master P's song "Freak Hoes". According to the group, "With Me" was written as an answer song to Usher's "You Make Me Wanna...".

<i>LeToya</i> (album) 2006 studio album by LeToya

LeToya is the debut solo studio album by American R&B singer LeToya Luckett. It was released by Capitol Records on July 25, 2006. Luckett who co-wrote nine of the album's 16 songs, worked with a variety of producers on the album, including Teddy Bishop, The CornaBoyz, Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Just Blaze, Lil Walt, Candice Nelson, Jazze Pha, J. R. Rotem, and Scott Storch. It marked her first solo project after her departure from girl groups Destiny's Child and Anjel.

Mathew Knowles is an American record executive, businessman and university lecturer. He is best known for being the manager of Destiny's Child. He also once managed the solo careers of his daughters Beyoncé and Solange Knowles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Knowles</span> American businesswoman and fashion designer (born 1954)

Celestine Ann "Tina" Beyoncé Knowles is an American businesswoman, fashion designer, and philanthropist known for establishing the brands House of Deréon and Miss Tina by Tina Knowles. She is the mother of singers Beyoncé and Solange Knowles and was married until 2011 to their father Mathew Knowles, the manager of Destiny's Child. For her contribution to the fashion business, Knowles was honored at the Accessories Council Excellence Awards in 2001.

"Good to Me" is a song recorded by American singer LeToya Luckett released as the fourth and final single taken from her second studio album Lady Love (2009). The song was written by Durrell Babbs, Jerry N Franklin, Johnnie Newt, Robert Newt, Kris Stephens and produced by Tank and Song Dynasty. The song was released on February 1, 2010, through Capital Records.

References

  1. ↑ Freddy O (August 18, 2011). "Destiny's Child Memorabilia Selling for $50,000 Because Farrah Franklin Lost Her Storage Unit" . Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  2. ↑ Zimmerman, Amy (June 5, 2016). "The Sad Downfall of Farrah Franklin, Destiny's Forgotten Child". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  3. ↑ "See Ex-Destiny's Child Singer Farrah Franklin's Mugshot!". Us Weekly. July 21, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  4. ↑ wemissmusic (September 14, 2021). "21st Anniversary of Destiny's Child's 'Independent Women'". WE MISS MUSIC. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  5. ↑ "5 reasons why 'Independent Women' is Destiny's Child's weirdest song". splinternews.com. November 5, 2015. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Farrah Franklin & Kevin Oh". February 11, 2009.
  7. ↑ "Farrah Franklin • Instagram". Archived from the original on December 24, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Farrah Franklin • Instagram".
  9. 1 2 Farrah: Beyonce Covered Up Real Reason I Quit Destiny's Child. djvlad. November 26, 2015. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2021– via YouTube.
  10. ↑ "Farrah Franklin • Instagram". Archived from the original on December 24, 2021.
  11. ↑ TCVL 88 FFranklin CMAC. SevagTateosian. February 1, 2018. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via YouTube.
  12. ↑ "Farrah Franklin• Instagram". Archived from the original on December 24, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Destiny's Child's Long Road to Fame (The Song Isn't Called 'Survivor' for Nothing)". MTV . Archived from the original on July 15, 2014.
  14. ↑ Destiny's Child – Jumpin' Jumpin' (Official Music Video). DestinysChildVEVO. October 25, 2009. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via YouTube.
  15. ↑ "Destiny's Child".
  16. ↑ Basham, David (July 21, 2000). "Destiny's Child Talks Split with Farrah". MTV.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  17. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (January 31, 2003). "Mr. Cheeks Casts Ex-Destiny's Child Member As A Shorty With The Fatty – Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2003. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  18. ↑ Farrah Franklin
  19. ↑ "Farrah Franklin • Instagram". Archived from the original on December 24, 2021.
  20. ↑ Boulevard Of Broken Dreams: Destiny's Child. coolestali. November 3, 2010. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via YouTube.
  21. ↑ Farrah Franklin – Lollipop. Christopher Porterfield. January 1, 2018. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via YouTube.
  22. ↑ "The Struggle Is Real! See What This Ex Destiny's Child Singer Is Doing Now". November 20, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Farrah Franklin Talks New Music, Destiny's Child & Life After the Limelight [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]". October 30, 2015.
  24. ↑ Farrah Franklin – Magic and Make Up. FarrahFranklinVEVO. September 24, 2015. Archived from the original on February 18, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via YouTube.
  25. ↑ Over. Farrah Franklin. June 14, 2016. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via YouTube.
  26. ↑ "Billion Dollar Fantasy".
  27. ↑ Build Me Up Farrah Franklin ft. Lucky Harmon. Farrah Franklin. August 10, 2018. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via YouTube.
  28. ↑ "Farrah Franklin". LinkedIn. Retrieved July 18, 2014.(registration required)
  29. ↑ "Farrah Franklin • Instagram". Archived from the original on December 24, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Former Destiny Child's Member Farrah Franklin Arrested For Public Intoxication". Billboard. June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Former Destiny's Child Member Farrah Franklin Arrested for Disorderly Conduct: See Her Mug Shot!". July 21, 2014.
  32. ↑ "Farrah Franklin • Instagram". December 2, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Farrah Franklin • Instagram". November 30, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.