The youngest of Aretha Franklin’s four children is Kecalf Cunningham. Kecalf joined the other children of the soul queen, whose son introduced them all to show business at a young age. He was a gospel rapper who performed several times with his mother before she passed away on August 16th, 2018.
In addition to Kecalf Cunningham music career, the rapper, 52, allegedly served time in jail for drunken driving shortly after the passing of his mother.
Victoria, a singer and songwriter, and Jordan, a music producer, are two of the six children Kecalf Cunningham and Kafi Franklin have together.
Check Out These Interesting Kecalf Cunningham Facts
1. Ken Cunningham, Aretha Franklin’s road manager, and Kecalf Cunningham are his parents.
Aretha Franklin’s youngest son was born between 1968 and 1976, during her relationship with Ken Cunningham. On March 28, 1970, Kecalf was born, just as his mother’s career was beginning to take off. He does have three additional half-brothers, though. On January 28, 1955, his mother gave birth to her first child at the age of only 12. The infant was given his father Clarence’s name.
Edward Jordan, Kecalf’s second son, was born on August 31, 1957. Their grandmother Rachel and aunt Erma raised the latter and his elder brother.
Teddy Richards, the third sibling of the singer, was born in February 1964 to his mother and her husband Theodore Ted White.
The full names of Kecalf Cunningham’s parents, Aretha Louise Franklin and Ken E. Cunningham, are combined to form his name. their father
2. The Mother of a Gospel Rapper Was Married Twice
In 1961, at the age of 18, Kecalf Cunningham’s mother married Ted White, her first husband, in addition to having a child at a young age. The marriage disintegrated in 1969 as a result of alleged domestic violence.
Glynn Turman, Aretha’s second husband, on April 11, 1978. She adopted Turman’s three children after they were married. Turman and Aretha Franklin got divorced in 1984.
She reportedly lived with Kecalf’s father for several years, even though he only served as her road manager. According to rumors, Ken aided Aretha’s career because he was an intelligent person who directed her in the right direction. There are rumors that Aretha and Willie Wilkerson, who had been dating for years, nearly got married. Previously, in 1988, the two were twice engaged. In 2012, the wedding was called off.
3. Christian rapper Kecalf Cunningham is a musician.
The rapper reportedly started making music back in 2008. His mother served as his business manager when he first entered the music business. She aided him in obtaining the
He and his mother have performed together on several stages, but their appearance at the Radio City Music Hall concert in 2008 stands out.
He additionally went with his mother to the 2017 renaming ceremony of Aretha Franklin Way. The avenue is close to Comerica Park and Madison Street.
Kecalf is frequently referred to as the Shaquille O’Neal of Christian rap because he is a rapper. Through his lyrics and his sharing of Bible stories, he uses rap music to spread the gospel.
4. Kafi Franklin and Kecalf Cunningham have six children together.
According to reports, the Christian rapper and Kafi Franklin have six children together and have been married for a while. He only has one son, and five daughters, according to reports. He had three kids. Jordan, Victorie, and Grace are well known for their musical endeavors.
People have questioned whether the rapper and his wife are still married because they hardly ever appear together. However, it appears that the two are still together based on recent Instagram photos of their daughter.
5. It Appears That Every Member of His Family Has a Musical Interest
Kecalf is not the only musician who developed a love for music like his mother. His mother discussed how she instilled a love of music in him and his siblings during an interview in 1995. Teddy, Kecalf’s brother, is a guitarist and has played in their mother’s band. He has additionally performed as their mother’s second guitarist.
Victorie, his daughter, is a singer and songwriter. She has performed on stage for many family events. Victorie performed at the 2015 BET Honors ceremony, where she sang the song I Love Old School Music in honor of her grandmother.
Jordan Franklin, who is also his son’s musical collaborator, has written some songs for Ariana Grande. Grace Kecalf, who is also a singer, participated in season 20 of American Idol. At the 2021 premiere of the Aretha biopic Respect, Grace also performed the song Ain’t No Way, written by her grandmother. Jennifer Hudson, who played Aretha in the movie, introduced Grace on stage at the event.
6. Pancreatic cancer claimed Cunningham’s mother’s life.
Aretha Franklin lost her battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 76. On August 16, 2018, she passed away at home in the company of her loved ones while receiving hospice care. Quite a few well-known people paid tribute to her after her passing. She was buried in Detroit’s Woodlawn Cemetery.
7. Kecalf Cunningham Was Imprisoned for 93 Days for DUI
In 2018, not long after his mother passed away, Kecalf was detained for driving while intoxicated. On October 27, 2018, he was then adjudicated guilty of driving while intoxicated and given a 93-day prison term. Later, on February 26, 2019, he was released.
8. His mother allegedly passed away without leaving a will
After Kecalf’s mother passed away, her family claimed that she had no will; however, four different will have been attributed to her. Kecalf and her sons are alleged to have been fighting in and out of court over their mother’s assets ever since the four alleged wills surfaced.
Only nine months had passed since the passing of Kecalf’s mother when her niece Sabrina came across three different handwritten wills while cleaning.
According to Hour Detroit magazine, the three documents that were discovered had varying instructions and were written between 2010 and 2014.
There has been speculation that the Queen of Soul intended for all of her sons and loved ones to profit from her wealth in light of all the documents that have been discovered.
9. His half-brother Edward was the subject of an investigation into the theft of priceless items from his mother’s estate.
There have been some expensive items stolen by Edward Franklin. After attempting to obtain a court order compelling the estate to produce financial documents for the late soul singer’s estate, he got into a fight with the Aretha Franklin estate.
10. How much is Kecalf Cunningham’s Net Worth?
Kecalf Cunningham was listed as one of the beneficiaries of his mother’s estate, but his exact net worth has not yet been made public. His mother’s estimated net worth at the time of her death was $80 million. It was discovered that she owed the IRS between $5 and $8 after she passed away.