THE LIFE & LEGACY OF ANDRE NATHANIEL FRANKLIN

ANDRE NATHANIEL “DRE” FRANKLIN WAS BORN IN HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA TO HIS LOVING MOTHER, MARIE WHITE FRANKLIN AND LOVING FATHER, DONALD FRANKLIN. HIS EARLY YEARS WERE SPENT IN STEELTON, PA. WHERE HE WAS RAISED IN A LARGE MUSICAL FAMILY - THE SCOTT WHITE EVANGELISTIC CRUSADE -UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF HIS GRANDFATHER, REVEREND DR. SCOTT WHITE, SR. - PASTOR OF THE NEW HOPE LIVING BAPTIST CHURCH IN STEELTON, PA AND HIS GRANDMOTHER, MOTHER MARY E. WHITE.

DRE’S PASSION FOR MUSIC BEGAN AT THE AGE OF TEN, WHEN HE BEGAN PLAYING FOR HIS FAMILY’S MUSICAL GROUP. INSPIRED BY HIS UNCLES, DAVID AND RICARDO WHITE AND COUSINS, JIMMY AND SCOTT WHITE, III, DRE STARTED PLAYING WITH ONLY TWO FINGERS. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME AS HE PLAYED FOR HIS FAMILY, THE GROUP BECAME THE LARGEST MUSICAL GROUP IN THE NATION AS REFLECTED IN THE GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS. HE GRADUATED FROM CENTRAL DAUPHIN EAST HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE HE PLAYED FOOTBALL. AFTER GRADUATING, AND BECAUSE OF HIS FAMILY’S MUSICAL BACKGROUND, HE TOOK A GREATER INTEREST IN MUSIC. HE BEGAN SINGING AND TRAVELING WITH THE FAMILY, EVENTUALLY BECOMING ONE OF THE FAMILY’S PERMANENT MUSICIANS.

IN 1990, DRE DECIDED TO MOVE TO LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS WITH HIS COUSIN, STEPHEN RUCKER, WHERE HIS TALENTS WERE EXPOSED TO A LARGER AUDIENCE. DURING HIS 30+ YEARS IN ARKANSAS, DRE HAS PLAYED FOR VARIOUS CHURCHES: TRUMPET IN ZION (LATE DR. L.E. BRAGGS), 34TH STREET MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH (PASTOR JEFFREY FRANKLIN), AND HE FAITHFULLY SERVED SAINT MARK BAPTIST CHURCH (DR. PHILLIP POINTER) UNTIL THE LORD RELEASED HIM FROM HIS EARTHLY ASSIGNMENT ON MARCH 4, 2024. THE ARCHBISHOP, AS HE IS AFFECTIONALLY KNOWN, BEGAN EARNING HIS TITLE WHEN HE BEGAN SHARING HIS GIFT BY PLAYING FOR DEVINE, RHEMA, OPHSET, KEMISTRI, ONE STONE, AND THE RODNEY BLOCK COLLECTIVE. DRE HAS ALSO GRACED THE STAGE WITH WORLD RENOWNED ARTISTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, JAMES MOORE, J. MOSS, YOLANDA ADAMS, KIM BURRELL, VANESSA BELL ARMSTRONG, LALAH HATHAWAY, TANK, AND GRAMMY AWARD WINNER, GERALD ALBRIGHT.

DRE LOVED TO FISH AND ENJOYED DOING THIS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. DRE’S INFECTIOUS SMILE AND LIFE-GIVING HUGS REFLECTED HIS WARM HEART AND LOYAL FRIENDSHIPS TO ALL HE CALLED HIS FRIENDS. BECAUSE OF HIS FAITHFULNESS AND LOYALTY, HIS FRIENDS OFTEN BECAME HIS FRAMILY. HIS BANDMATES WERE LIKE BROTHERS. THEY TRAVELED ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PLAYING FOR VARIOUS ARTISTS, AND CREATING MEMORIES THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME.

DRE IS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY GRANDPARENTS, REV. DR. SCOTT AND MARY E. WHITE AND DAVID B. AND ALICE FRANKLIN. HE LEAVES TO CHERISH PRECIOUS MEMORIES OF HIM, HIS LOVING AND DEVOTED WIFE OF 25 YEARS, HELEN FRANKLIN; HIS CHILDREN, KAHLIL D’ANDRE FRANKLIN, RYAN JORDON, BRIANA BURKS (JONATHAN) AND BRIAN COLE, JR.; PARENTS, DONALD FRANKLIN AND MARIE FRANKLIN; SISTERS, TONYA BROWN AND SONYA BURHANNAN (AARON); MOTHER-IN-LOVE, MABLE ARMSTRONG; SIX GRANDCHILDREN, JONATHAN, JR., JAYDEN, LAILAH, JHENE, KELLI AND LYRIC; A HOST OF AUNTS, UNCLES, NIECES, NEPHEWS, COUSINS AND FRIENDS WHO LOVED HIM DEEPLY, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE MUSIC COMMUNITY.

DRE’S PASSING LEAVES A DEEP VOID IN THE PLACES HE TRAVELED AND THOSE WHOSE LIVES HE TOUCHED. HIS COMPASSION, SENSE OF HUMOR, LOYALTY AND CHARACTER MADE AN IRREPLACEABLE IMPACT ON HEAVEN AND EARTH.

HIS LIFE WILL BE CELEBRATED AT 12:00 NOON ON SATURDAY, MARCH 23RD IN THE SANCTUARY OF THE NEW HOPE LIVING BAPTIST CHURCH, 395 S. 2ND ST., STEELTON WITH VIEWING AND VISITATION FROM 10:00 A.M. UNTIL 12:00 P.M.