Donnie, Marvin, Israel & Kirk: 'The King's Men' get Candid
Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at 10:49AM 
"The King's Men" drop by the Tom Joyner Morning ShowMarvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin, Kirk Franklin, and Israel Houghton—The King’s Men—recently sat down for an exclusive chat with Black America Web. The quartet got honest about their issues and even doled out some pretty decent advice to single ladies about what men are looking for in a woman.
When it comes to ministering on a public platform, gospel music’s finest agree that everybody God uses has issues of some sort. No one is perfect. “Real believers are supposed to admit their struggles, but use it to strengthen, encourage, and uplift somebody else,” said Pastor Marvin Sapp.
“It’s difficult to do it,” added Donnie McClurkin. “Revealing my underbelly and my feet of clay is not an easy thing to do,” he confessed, but added that he and Kirk Franklin often share personal challenges and issues with each other.
Kirk Franklin said, “I heal as I reveal. My conversation in sharing gives me the opportunity to go, Wow, this was me.” According to Franklin, looking retrospectively at his past helps him celebrate how far God has brought him.
Israel Houghton believes that it is hypocritical of Christians to feign perfection and highlighted that David, the writer of the psalms we call “anointed,” was an adulterer and murderer. Yet, God used him.
The conversation became particularly interesting when the topic of discussion turned toward women. Black America Web asked the fellas to share “one thing” they want women to know about men and what the brothers think about the ladies.
Marvin Sapp said:
I’m newly single. I’ve been single now almost two years. My wife passed away. I was with her for twenty years of my life, my whole adult life—from the age of 22 to 43—I was with my wife. I want women to be patient and don’t be in a hurry. I married a 20th century woman. Now I’m in the 21st century age. I don’t understand the 21st century woman, because the woman I was married to, she was very, very business-minded, but she was also maternal. She knew how to build a house. So now, everybody’s in a hurry. [After] 90 days, you go out to dinner twice and everybody’s like, “Where’s this going?”
Israel Houghton said:
I’ve been married to Meleasa, next year it’ll be 18 years, and what I want women to know about men is that, you know what? It’s not all bad. We’re not all bad. There are good men. And even the ones that are still in process, there’s goodness in us. Be patient. Work with us.
Kirk Franklin said:
What I need for y’all beautiful black women to also do for your boy and for the soldiers that you love, y’all stop getting on these reality shows and fighting each other, and pulling each other’s hair out, looking crazy. Because, let me tell you something, that makes a man feel very, very, very angry and disappointed at our beautiful black women… it’s the most degrading thing to God’s creation. Y’all got to stop that my queens, because that is killing the image of the beautiful black woman.
Donnie McClurkin said:
Seriously, sisters, if he’s not looking for you, don’t go looking for him. If I’m not a-looking for you, don’t come a-looking for me. Men are predatory individuals. We love the hunt. We love the game. We love the prey. If you’re a deer and I’m hunting, and you’re jumping in my crosshairs talking about, “Shoot me! Shoot Me! Shoot Me!” I’ma shoot you and I’ma step over you…
The King’s Men are characters for sure and at certain moments, seemed more like "The Kings of Comedy" as they revealed quite a lot about their thoughts during the interview in preparation for their tour.
To watch the full interview on video, click here.
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