Dear Franklin Jones-logo

Dear Franklin Jones

Arts & Culture Podcasts

Producer Jonathan Hirsch had a childhood much like yours -- except his family had a secret. They were followers of a controversial spiritual leader named Franklin Jones. To Jonathan’s parents, Franklin Jones was a god, but to people outside the group, Jones was a cult leader. Now, Jonathan is going back, trying to find out what happened -- and whether the group really did become a cult.

Location:

United States

Description:

Producer Jonathan Hirsch had a childhood much like yours -- except his family had a secret. They were followers of a controversial spiritual leader named Franklin Jones. To Jonathan’s parents, Franklin Jones was a god, but to people outside the group, Jones was a cult leader. Now, Jonathan is going back, trying to find out what happened -- and whether the group really did become a cult.

Language:

English


Episodes
Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Introducing Toxic: The Britney Spears Story

7/7/2021
Comedians Tess Barker and Babs Gray, who you might know from Lady to Lady or the now legendary Britney’s Gram podcast, are here to bring you a brand new investigative series about Britney Spears' conservatorship and the court system that's allowed it to persist. After launching the #FreeBritney movement, they started to dig… And what they found out, you won’t want to miss! Join Tess and Babs as they talk to exclusive sources, examine new sides of the story, and uncover disturbing truths about our legal system that go way beyond Britney. Listen to Episodes 1 & 2 right now: link.chtbl.com/ToxicThePodcast

Duration:00:05:54

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Witness Docs Presents: The Atlas Obscura Podcast

3/25/2021
Atlas Obscura's mission is to inspire wonder and curiosity about the incredible world we all share. Atlas Obscura co-founder and host Dylan Thuras is here to guide you on an audio journey to discover new and hidden places; perhaps on the other side of the world, or perhaps in your own backyard. Once there, you’ll hear stories and history from the incredible people who make these places special. Visit ​atlasobscura.com/podcast​ or follow the show in your favorite podcast app! New episodes are...

Duration:00:07:55

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Up Next From Witness Docs: Seizing Freedom

2/25/2021
You might have learned that the Emancipation Proclamation and Union victories ended slavery in America. But so much more went into abolishing slavery than battles and declarations, and freedom meant more to Black people than eventually being paid for their labor. ​ Seizing Freedom ​​is a new Witness Docs and VPM podcast that focuses on the agency Black people exercised to define what freedom meant for themselves. You'll hear how they fought to liberate themselves during the Civil War and how...

Duration:00:08:54

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Introducing Verified: Dust Up

10/19/2020
Verified: Dust Up is a new investigative documentary podcast produced by Witness Docs that poses the question: Could a product so many of us have in our medicine cabinets be putting us at risk? In the second season of Verified, Host Natasha Del Toro and the Verified team investigate whether a group of women developed ovarian cancer from dusting their bodies with Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder—an iconic brand associated with innocence and comfort since the 1800s. One woman's mysterious...

Duration:00:03:38

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

​Introducing Unfinished: Short Creek

9/14/2020
A divided community in the desert. A prophet with total power. A battle over family, home, and the limits of religious freedom. Unfinished: Short Creek, is the latest investigative true crime podcast from Witness Docs, and Critical Frequency. Short Creek, located on the Utah/Arizona border, is home to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a break-off from the Mormon church that practices polygamy. Since their leader, Warren Jeffs, was sentenced to life in prison in...

Duration:00:12:15

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Introducing All-American: Tiger Woods

8/20/2020
All-American is a new documentary podcast from Stitcher that explores a sports icon each season, starting with Tiger Woods. He’s been world-famous for decades and his story has many chapters that we all know: a phenom's rise, a shocking fall from grace, and debatably the greatest sports comeback of all time. But few people have really gotten to know Tiger Woods - it's been largely left to the media to define who he is. Listen to All-American: Tiger Woods now to find out what the media got...

Duration:00:07:28

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

​Introducing Unfinished: Deep South

6/29/2020
Unfinished: Deep South is a new historical true crime podcast produced by Witness Docs that races to resolve the unfinished business of a small Arkansas town by starting with one question: who lynched Isadore Banks? Sixty-six years after the murder a wealthy African American farmer and WWI veteran who found a way to prosper in the Jim Crow South, this investigative series attempts to restore his legacy and solve the crime before the story goes cold forever. Season 1 of Unfinished is out NOW...

Duration:00:03:20

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Introducing Telescope: Life In The Time Of Corona

4/10/2020
We’re bringing you a special clip from Telescope, a new documentary podcast from Neon Hum Media. Telescope tells the human stories during the age of isolation. At a time of social distancing, we'll hear the varied shared experiences of people living in lockdown around the world during the coronavirus pandemic. Even though we're living apart, that doesn't mean we can't be connected. Hosted by Neon Hum’s Jonathan Hirsch, each episode will explore the stories and experiences that are defining...

Duration:00:09:09

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Introducing Verified

2/24/2020
We’re bringing you a special clip from Verified, a new investigative true crime podcast from Witness Docs and Stitcher. Season one of Verified tells the story of a group of fearless women from around the world who band together with a team of Italian reporters to bring a policeman turned sexual predator to justice. Hosted by investigative reporter Natasha Del Toro, this ten-episode, immersive true crime series examines the trust we place in the sharing economy and the power that a simple...

Duration:00:02:55

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Chapter 7: Maybe

4/11/2018
An epilogue: what happened to my parents, Jones, and me. Music by Ray Lynch: “Falling in the Garden” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “The Oh of Pleasure” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Clouds Below Your Knees ” from the album “No Blue Thing” -- Amazon, iTunes “Celestial Soda Pop” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes This episode is brought to you by Madison Reed (www.madison-reed.com [madison-reed.com]) and Acer (www.acer.com [acer.com]). For more info, go to dearfranklinjones.com.

Duration:00:21:05

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Chapter 6: Gone

4/4/2018
Everything falls apart. For more info, go to dearfranklinjones.com. Music by Ray Lynch: “Clouds Below Your Knees ” from the album “No Blue Thing” -- Amazon, iTunes “Green Is Here” from the album “Sky of Mind” -- Amazon, iTunes “Falling in the Garden” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “The Oh of Pleasure” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Celestial Soda Pop” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Here & Never Found” from the album “No Blue Thing” -- Amazon, iTunes This episode is brought to you by Madison Reed (www.madison-reed.com), Acer (www.acer.com), and Casper (www.casper.com)

Duration:00:21:37

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Chapter 5: Initiation

3/28/2018
I choose to join the group and finally meet Jones. For more info, go to dearfranklinjones.com. Music by Ray Lynch: “Here & Never Found” from the album “No Blue Thing” -- Amazon, iTunes “What to Remember to Be Happy” from the album “Truth is the Only Profound” -- iTunes “Pastorale” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Falling in the Garden” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Celestial Soda Pop” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes This episode is brought to you by Madison Reed (www.madison-reed.com) and Acer (www.acer.com).

Duration:00:28:14

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Chapter 4: The Fire

3/21/2018
My parents get closer and closer to Jones. Music by Ray Lynch: “Here & Never Found” from the album “No Blue Thing” -- Amazon, iTunes “What to Remember to Be Happy” from the album “Truth is the Only Profound” -- iTunes “Pastorale” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Falling in the Garden” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Celestial Soda Pop” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes This episode is brought to you by Madison Reed (www.madison-reed.com) and Acer (www.acer.com).

Duration:00:23:22

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Chapter 3: The Accusations and The Radiant Presence

3/14/2018
The group becomes infamous. Music by Ray Lynch: “Falling in the Garden” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Celestial Soda Pop” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Rhythm in the Pews” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes This episode is brought to you by Madison Reed (www.madison-reed.com).

Duration:00:28:46

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Chapter 2: Origin Myths

3/7/2018
How a guy from Long Island became ‘the original giver king.' Music by Ray Lynch: “Falling in the Garden” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “The Oh of Pleasure” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Rhythm in the Pews” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Your Feeling Shoulders” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “No Blue Thing” from the album “No Blue Thing” -- Amazon, iTunes “Falling in the Garden” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Celestial Soda Pop” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes This episode is brought to you by Madison Reed (madison-reed.com). To listen to all of Dear Franklin Jones now without ads, subscribe to Stitcher Premium.

Duration:00:24:47

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Chapter 1: Waking Up

2/28/2018
My mom and dad find each other. And Franklin Jones. For more info, go to dearfranklinjones.com. Music by Ray Lynch: “Falling in the Garden” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes “Celestial Soda Pop” from the album “Deep Breakfast” -- Amazon, iTunes This episode is brought to you by Audible. Start your free trial and get a free audiobook at audible.com/jones. To listen to all of Dear Franklin Jones now without ads, subscribe to Stitcher Premium.

Duration:00:26:19

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Coming Soon: Dear Franklin Jones

2/13/2018
Jonathan Hirsch's family had a secret. They followed a controversial spiritual leader named Franklin Jones. Join Hirsch as he embarks on a journey to figure out his past. Subscribe to Dear Franklin Jones now and hear the first episode on February 28th. More info at dearfranklinjones.com.

Duration:00:04:02