Kam Franklin

Last updated

Kam Franklin
Kam Franklin Self-Portrait.jpg
Self-portrait photograph
Background information
Born
Kamerra Jodale Franklin [1]

(1987-06-07) June 7, 1987 (age 38)
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, Ruthie Foster, Margo Price, and the Very Best.

Contents

Background

Franklin is known for her soulful mezzo-soprano vocals, [Awards 1] as well as her collaborations with artists across many different genres, [4] including Houston rappers Z-Ro and Fat Tony (rapper), Americana-rocker Matthew Logan Vasquez of Delta Spirit, famed drummers Chris Tsagakis of RX Bandits and The Sound of Animals Fighting, and her production mentor Jim Eno of Spoon. [5]

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. [6] [7]

Franklin was in Houston when Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017 and gave an account of it to the Texas Monthly newspaper. [8] [9] [10] [11]

2018–present: Career highlights

In 2018, Franklin released a single with the Tejano group La Mafia. [12]

In 2022, she founded the Bayou City Comeback Chorus, a Houston-based collective supported by a grant from the Houston Arts Alliance. The project resulted in a four-song EP released on her Homegirl Island Records label. [13] The Bayou City Comeback Chorus focuses on themes of healing, racial justice, and community resilience. [14]

In 2023 Franklin released the single "Byrd and Shepard," dedicated to the memory of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard. Proceeds from the release supported the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. [15]

In June 2025, Franklin funded her debut solo album through Kickstarter, surpassing its USD 20,000 goal within 11 days. [16]

In 2025 she contributed vocals to A Tribute to the King of Zydeco , a compilation album honoring Clifton Chenier. The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album at the 2026 Grammy Awards. [17] Franklin is credited as a contributing vocalist on the album.

Influences

Her primary musical influences are drawn from soul, country, gospel, reggae and rock music. [18]

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. [19] She has performed with the Suffers on the Late Show with David Letterman, [20] [21] [22] The Daily Show [23] and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. [24] [25] She sang the National Anthem before a Houston Astros game at Minute Maid Park in August 2017. [26] On November 8, 2025, she performed on Austin City Limits alongside the Antone's 50th All-stars. [27]

Critical reception

Franklin is often praised for her "massive voice". [28] [29] The Edmonton Journal applauded her "vibrant grooves and emphatic vocal declarations", [30] while 303 Magazine referred to her "highly personal style". [31] The Seattle Weekly called her "the epitome of a powerhouse vocalist". [32] The Idaho Statesman called her the band's "powerhouse singer". [33] JamBase said that Franklin and her band had become "WXPN Fan darlings". [34] Jewelry designer Jessie Dugan said that Franklin is the "contemporary vision of rockstar royalty in a world where women reign". [35] Houston Public Media stated that "the Suffers are fantastic, and everybody wants lead singer Kam Franklin to be their big sis/best friend". [20] The Houstonia magazine called her a "burgeoning Houston style icon" [23] with "engaging, high-energy style". [21] 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". [24] 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". [36] 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." [37] 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." [38] The San Diego Reader talked about her "sonic gravity". [39]

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." [40]

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. Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. 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 . Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. 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.

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. ↑ "Jim Eno Launches Project Traction". KUTX. July 17, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  6. ↑ Whelan, Nora (May 14, 2016). "This Woman Proves Plus-Size Fashion "Rules" Are Meant To Be Broken". BuzzFeed . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  7. ↑ Cress, Sara (May 14, 2016). "Buzzfeed loves Suffers singer Kam Franklin". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  8. ↑ Hardy, Michael (August 28, 2017). "Here's What It Was Like To Evacuate Houston During Hurricane Rita". Texas Monthly . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  9. ↑ Caldwell, Brandon (August 29, 2017). "Houston Musicians Hit the Ground For Harvey Relief". Houston Press . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Why didn't Houston evacuate before Harvey hit?". Fox News Channel. August 28, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  11. ↑ Osberg, Molly (August 28, 2017). "'It's a Privilege to Evacuate': A Houston Native on Battling Harvey". Splinter News. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  12. ↑ "About Kam Franklin". kamfranklin.com. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  13. ↑ Rochlin, Margaret (January 23, 2022). "Kam Franklin's Bayou City Comeback Chorus turns pain into power". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Kam Franklin releases Bayou City Comeback Chorus EP". Houston Press. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  15. ↑ Garcia, Maria (October 25, 2023). "Kam Franklin honors Byrd and Shepard in new single". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Kam Franklin launches solo album Kickstarter". Houston Chronicle. June 17, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  17. ↑ "2026 GRAMMYs: See the Full Nominations List". GRAMMY.com. November 7, 2025. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  18. ↑ Seetharam, Tara (June 28, 2012). "Hurt So Good!". Modern Luxury. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 1 2 Nielsen, Sarah Rufca (April 1, 2015). "What The Suffers' Kam Franklin Wore on Letterman". Houstonia magazine . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  22. ↑ Carpenter, Craig (September 25, 2015). "Gulf Coast Soul Returns to Charm New York". HuffPost . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  23. 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.
  24. 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.
  25. ↑ Vaziri, Aidin (June 6, 2017). "The Suffers bring Gulf Coast soul to SFJazz". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  26. ↑ Hlavaty, Craig (August 24, 2017). "The Suffers' Kam Franklin prepares to achieve rare Houston performance feat". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  27. ↑ https://news.pollstar.com/2025/08/29/austin-city-limits-celebrates-antones-50th-anniversary-nov-8-on-pbs/
  28. ↑ "The Suffers – On Tour". WHYY-FM . Philadelphia. May 12, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  29. ↑ Sharp, Elliott (May 7, 2015). "The Suffers: The Big Band That Wowed Letterman". Red Bull . New York City. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  30. ↑ Levesque, Roger (July 21, 2017). "Soul and funk can't be denied for The Suffers". Edmonton Journal . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  31. ↑ Wrenn, Colin (August 9, 2017). "Review – Telluride Jazz Fest Brought Hot Funk Despite Cold Rain". 303 Magazine. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  32. 1 2 Podplesky, Azaria C. (February 17, 2015). "Live Tonight: Gregory Alan Isakov, The Suffers". Seattle Weekly . Retrieved September 6, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  33. ↑ Deeds, Michael (November 3, 2016). "Canceled at Alive After Five, The Suffers feelin' good about Sunday concert". Idaho Statesman . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  34. ↑ Krolick, Jake (August 4, 2017). "Dancing Beside The Delaware River: XPoNential Music Festival 2017 – Review & Photos". jambase.com. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  35. ↑ Nielsen, Sarah Rufca (February 22, 2017). "Meet Kam Franklin's Favorite Houston Jewelry Designer". Houstonia magazine . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  36. ↑ Caldwell, Brandon (November 28, 2016). "The Suffers Give Back to Houston With Yet Another Star-Making Turn". Houston Press . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  37. ↑ "Clay Melton Premieres Music Video for 'Wind & Wave'". Broadway World. August 25, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  38. ↑ 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.
  39. ↑ Monk, Barnaby (February 25, 2015). "Deap Vally rawk, Gulf Coast soul, Six Organs psych-out". San Diego Reader . Retrieved September 6, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  40. ↑ Stith, Deborah Sengupta (September 1, 2017). "The magnificent diversity of Houston shines through its music". Austin American-Statesman . Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  41. ↑ 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.
  42. ↑ "The Suffers announce new album It Starts with Love, share Origins of "Don't Bother Me": Exclusive". April 7, 2022.
  43. ↑ "The Suffers Confront Racism and Sexism in the Music Industry". June 8, 2022.
  44. ↑ Brennan, Collin (January 27, 2017). "Matthew Logan Vasquez amplifies his agitation on new solo single "Same"". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  45. ↑ "Khruangbin Releasing Five Live Albums Before End of Year". April 12, 2023.
  46. ↑ "Deer Tick announce new album Emotional Contracts, reveal 2023 tour dates". April 25, 2023.
  47. ↑ "Brittany Howard, Allison Russell, Maren Morris, and More Support U.S. Senate Candidate Gloria Johnson with New Song". Pitchfork . March 13, 2024.
  48. ↑ "[Premiere] YOUNG JIMMY shares powerful diss track "HEAVY" – EARMILK".
  49. ↑ "Young Jimmy Unleashes New Single 'Heavy.' | News". September 2, 2024.
  50. ↑ https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/review-antones-50-years-of-the-blues-box-set-13406919/
  51. ↑ https://apnews.com/article/clifton-chenier-tribute-rolling-stones-lucinda-williams-640f4f30708894a357dd03cf2e50c64f/
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