Kam Franklin

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Kam Franklin
Self-portrait photograph
Self-portrait photograph
Background information
Birth nameKamerra Jodale Franklin[1]
Born (1987-06-07) June 7, 1987 (age 36)
OriginBryan–College Station, Bryan, Texas, U.S.
GenresSoul, R&B, Ska, Indie rock, Reggae, Hip hop, Americana
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2005–present
LabelsUnsigned
Websitekamfranklin.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.

Background[edit]

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[edit]

2008–2017: Background career[edit]

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[edit]

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

Appearances[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Solo Studio albums[edit]

  • (2008) – Bamitskam (EP)[2]
  • (2018) – Nu Metals (EP)[2]

The Suffers[edit]

  • (2013) "Slow it Down" b/w "Step Aside" (single)
  • (2014) "Make Some Room" (EP)[24]
  • (2016) The Suffers (album)[33]
  • (2018) "Everything Here" (album)
  • (2022) "It Starts With Love" (album)[34][35]

Other appearances[edit]

Filmography[edit]

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2018 Nothing Really Happens Health Department Operator Voice role

Award references[edit]

  1. ^ Guerra, Joey (December 13, 2009). "Top Houston Discs of 2009". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "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.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "GET UP". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Serrano, Shea (January 13, 2008). "Kam: Bamitskam EP". Houston Press. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  3. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "MIXTAPE: Kam Franklin, The Suffers – The frontwoman shares her mixtape. It gets emotional". Houston Public Media. October 5, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  14. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Nielsen, Sarah Rufca (June 7, 2016). "Kam Franklin Is Not Afraid to Wear Yellow (or Anything Else)". Houstonia magazine. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  17. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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/

External links[edit]

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