Kam Franklin

Last updated

Kam Franklin
Kam Franklin Self-Portrait.jpg
Self-portrait photograph
Background information
Birth nameKamerra Jodale Franklin [1]
Born (1987-06-07) June 7, 1987 (age 37)
Origin Bryan–College Station, Bryan, Texas, U.S.
Genres Soul, R&B, Ska, Indie rock, Reggae, Hip hop, Americana
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active2005–present
Labels Unsigned
Website kamfranklin.com

Kamerra Jodale Franklin (born June 7, 1987 [2] ), known professionally as Kam Franklin, is an American singer-songwriter, performance artist, activist, writer and orator. She is the known as the lead singer for the Houston Soul group, The Suffers. [3] She began her career as a backing vocalist and dancer, and has toured with Jim James and the Very Best.

Contents

Background

Franklin is known for her soulful mezzo-soprano vocals, [Awards 1] as well as her collaborations with artists of many different genres, [4] including Houston rappers Z-Ro and Fat Tony (rapper), Americana-rocker Matthew Logan Vasquez of Delta Spirit, and famed drummer Chris Tsagakis of RX Bandits and The Sound of Animals Fighting.

Career

2008–2017: Background career

Franklin was nominated for the 2008, 2009, and 2011 Houston Press Music Award for Best Female Vocalist. Franklin finally won the award in 2012, and again in 2014. [Awards 2] [Awards 3] Her band, The Suffers, took home The 2012 Houston Press music award for "Best New Act" and Best Reggae/Ska/Dub. [Awards 4] [Awards 5] Franklin won 2014 and 2015 Houston Press Music Award for Local Musician of the Year. [Awards 2] [Awards 6]

Franklin was featured in a national advertising campaign for ModCloth [3] and has been featured in a BuzzFeed article on fashion for plus-sized women. [5] [6]

Franklin was in Houston when Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017 and gave an account of it to the Texas Monthly newspaper. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Influences

Her primary musical influences are drawn from soul, country, gospel, reggae and rock music. [11]

Appearances

On August 28, 2016, she performed lead vocals on "I Against I" during the 2016 Afropunk Festival Power Jam alongside Bad Brains, Living Colour, and Fishbone. [12] She has performed with the Suffers on the Late Show with David Letterman, [13] [14] [15] The Daily Show [16] and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. [17] [18] She sang the National Anthem before a Houston Astros game at Minute Maid Park in August 2017. [19]

Critical reception

Franklin is often praised for her "massive voice". [20] [21] The Edmonton Journal applauded her "vibrant grooves and emphatic vocal declarations", [22] while 303 Magazine referred to her "highly personal style". [23] The Seattle Weekly called her "the epitome of a powerhouse vocalist". [24] The Idaho Statesman called her the band's "powerhouse singer". [25] JamBase said that Franklin and her band had become "WXPN Fan darlings". [26] Jewelry designer Jessie Dugan said that Franklin is the "contemporary vision of rockstar royalty in a world where women reign". [27] Houston Public Media stated that "the Suffers are fantastic, and everybody wants lead singer Kam Franklin to be their big sis/best friend". [13] The Houstonia magazine called her a "burgeoning Houston style icon" [16] with "engaging, high-energy style". [14] CultureMap.com said "While rocketing to fame, Franklin has become the band's style icon by pairing colorful dresses with hip cowboy boots and funky jewelry". [17] In a live concert review, the Houston Press said "The crowd roared with Franklin extra wispy, almost ready to let her arms and joints do all the talking for her". [28] Describing a duet with Clay Melton, Broadway World said: "Kam's soulful, sexy tones embellish the more raspy masculine voice of Clay Melton and together they lay down a track that begs a closer listen." [29] The New Orleans' Times-Picayune said "Singer Kam Franklin has enough soul to melt away the decades between the band's source material and today." [30] The San Diego Reader talked about her "sonic gravity". [31]

The Austin American-Statesman wrote: "Houston’s diversity and internationalism is reflected in my favorite H-Town bands. The Suffers, fronted by vocal powerhouse Kam Franklin, blend reggae, Mexican influences and hints of bayou Cajun sounds into a mix they call Gulf Coast soul. Khruangbin mixes surf pop and psychedelic sounds with Thai funk of the 1960s." [32]

Discography

Solo Studio albums

The Suffers

Other appearances

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2018 Nothing Really Happens Health Department OperatorVoice role

Award references

  1. ↑ Guerra, Joey (December 13, 2009). "Top Houston Discs of 2009". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "The 2014 Houston Press Music Award Winners". Houston Press . August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  3. ↑ Gray, Chris (August 9, 2012). "2012 Houston Press Music Award Winners". Houston Press . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  4. ↑ Gray, Chris (August 9, 2012). "HPMA Ceremony Heavy With Winners, Light on Drama". Houston Press . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  5. ↑ Gray, Chris (August 9, 2012). "2012 Houston Press Music Awards Recipients List". Houston Press . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  6. ↑ Gray, Chris (August 21, 2015). "The 2015 Houston Press Music Award Winners". Houston Press . Retrieved August 21, 2017.

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References

  1. ↑ "GET UP". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Serrano, Shea (January 13, 2008). "Kam: Bamitskam EP". Houston Press . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Young, Erica (July 19, 2017). "Lead singer of The Suffers featured in national campaign". KPRC-TV . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  4. ↑ Cress, Sara (March 14, 2008). "Underground with Kam". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  5. ↑ Whelan, Nora (May 14, 2016). "This Woman Proves Plus-Size Fashion "Rules" Are Meant To Be Broken". BuzzFeed . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  6. ↑ Cress, Sara (May 14, 2016). "Buzzfeed loves Suffers singer Kam Franklin". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  7. ↑ Hardy, Michael (August 28, 2017). "Here's What It Was Like To Evacuate Houston During Hurricane Rita". Texas Monthly . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  8. ↑ Caldwell, Brandon (August 29, 2017). "Houston Musicians Hit the Ground For Harvey Relief". Houston Press . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Why didn't Houston evacuate before Harvey hit?". Fox News Channel. August 28, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  10. ↑ Osberg, Molly (August 28, 2017). "'It's a Privilege to Evacuate': A Houston Native on Battling Harvey". Splinter News. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  11. ↑ Seetharam, Tara (June 28, 2012). "Hurt So Good!". Modern Luxury. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  12. ↑ Rosenberg, Axl (August 29, 2016). "Video: Bad Brains, Living Colour, and Fishbone Stage Awesome Megajam at Brooklyn's Afropunk Fest". MetalSucks.org. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  13. 1 2 "MIXTAPE: Kam Franklin, The Suffers – The frontwoman shares her mixtape. It gets emotional". Houston Public Media . October 5, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  14. 1 2 Nielsen, Sarah Rufca (April 1, 2015). "What The Suffers' Kam Franklin Wore on Letterman". Houstonia magazine . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  15. ↑ Carpenter, Craig (September 25, 2015). "Gulf Coast Soul Returns to Charm New York". HuffPost . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  16. 1 2 Nielsen, Sarah Rufca (June 7, 2016). "Kam Franklin Is Not Afraid to Wear Yellow (or Anything Else)". Houstonia magazine . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  17. 1 2 Pugh, Clifford (March 9, 2016). "The Suffers go national again, but lead singer Kam Franklin is just a 'boot lady' at heart". CultureMap.com. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  18. ↑ Vaziri, Aidin (June 6, 2017). "The Suffers bring Gulf Coast soul to SFJazz". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  19. ↑ Hlavaty, Craig (August 24, 2017). "The Suffers' Kam Franklin prepares to achieve rare Houston performance feat". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  20. ↑ "The Suffers – On Tour". WHYY-FM . Philadelphia. May 12, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  21. ↑ Sharp, Elliott (May 7, 2015). "The Suffers: The Big Band That Wowed Letterman". Red Bull . New York City. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  22. ↑ Levesque, Roger (July 21, 2017). "Soul and funk can't be denied for The Suffers". Edmonton Journal . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  23. ↑ Wrenn, Colin (August 9, 2017). "Review – Telluride Jazz Fest Brought Hot Funk Despite Cold Rain". 303 Magazine. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  24. 1 2 Podplesky, Azaria C. (February 17, 2015). "Live Tonight: Gregory Alan Isakov, The Suffers". Seattle Weekly . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  25. ↑ Deeds, Michael (November 3, 2016). "Canceled at Alive After Five, The Suffers feelin' good about Sunday concert". Idaho Statesman . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  26. ↑ Krolick, Jake (August 4, 2017). "Dancing Beside The Delaware River: XPoNential Music Festival 2017 – Review & Photos". jambase.com. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  27. ↑ Nielsen, Sarah Rufca (February 22, 2017). "Meet Kam Franklin's Favorite Houston Jewelry Designer". Houstonia magazine . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  28. ↑ Caldwell, Brandon (November 28, 2016). "The Suffers Give Back to Houston With Yet Another Star-Making Turn". Houston Press . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Clay Melton Premieres Music Video for 'Wind & Wave'". Broadway World. August 25, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  30. ↑ Rawls, Alex (April 24, 2016). "New Orleans Jazz Fest 2016: 6 important, smaller acts for Weekend 2". The Times-Picayune . New Orleans . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  31. ↑ Monk, Barnaby (February 25, 2015). "Deap Vally rawk, Gulf Coast soul, Six Organs psych-out". San Diego Reader . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  32. ↑ Stith, Deborah Sengupta (September 1, 2017). "The magnificent diversity of Houston shines through its music". Austin American-Statesman . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  33. ↑ Payne, Chris (January 7, 2016). "Keep Warm Through the Winter With New Retro Soul Jam From the Suffers: 'Peanuts' Premiere". Billboard . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  34. ↑ https://consequence.net/2022/04/the-suffers-dont-bother-me-origins-it-starts-with-love-exclusive/
  35. ↑ https://www.spin.com/2022/06/the-suffers-kam-franklin-interview/
  36. ↑ Brennan, Collin (January 27, 2017). "Matthew Logan Vasquez amplifies his agitation on new solo single "Same"". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  37. ↑ https://www.spin.com/2023/04/khruangbin-live-albums/
  38. ↑ https://consequence.net/2023/04/deer-tick-emotional-contracts-2023-tour-stream/
  39. ↑ https://pitchfork.com/news/brittany-howard-allison-russell-maren-morris-support-us-senate-candidate-gloria-johnson-with-new-song-listen/
  40. ↑ https://earmilk.com/2024/08/30/premiere-young-jimmy-shares-powerful-diss-track-heavy/
  41. ↑ https://www.clashmusic.com/news/young-jimmy-unleashes-new-single-heavy/
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