: Kimberley Locke Background informationBirth nameKimberley Dawn LockeBornJanuary 3 1978 (age 29)Origin Hartsville, Tennessee, USAGenre(s)Adult Contemporary, R&B, PopOccupation(s)Singer, Model, Songwriter, TV PersonalityYears active2003–present (s
Kimberley Dawn Locke (born January 3 1978 in Hartsville, Tennessee) is an American Adult Contemporary Pop/R&B singer and plus-size fashion model.
She gained fame with her participation in the 2003 American Idol television series.
Biography
Early life
Locke was born to parents Donald and Christine Locke, respectively a truck driver and a clothing warehouse worker for the Gap/Old Navy distribution center in Gallatin, Tennessee. She is the second of two children, with an older brother named Ashley. Her brother and her spent most of their life in Gallatin. At age five, Locke began singing in church. Her parents divorced when she was eight years old.
Locke grew up admiring such singers as Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston and Diana Ross. In 1987, she and her friends formed a quartet named Shadz of U, which performed at many local churches.
Locke went to Gallatin High School, where she was one of sixteen members to participate in its performing group. She remained in the group throughout her high-school years years. She was also selected twice as a member of the All-Middle State Chorus. After graduating, she began to work for a company in Nashville as an administrative assistant. In 1999, she enrolled at Belmont University with plans of studying law.
Locke is biracial. Her father is African-American and her mother is European.
Television career
In August 2004, Locke was invited to be a guest host on Good Day Live, and was invited back to co-host twice more. In 2005, she hosted Word Slam!, a GSN live game show; an accompanying documentary with Locke aired on that cable channel that September. Throughout the summer of 2005, a reality TV series, Aren't You That Girl?, taped Locke's progress on her second album, and her wedding plans which were later called off. Footage from the recording process will be used on an upcoming DVD to be released along with her new album, " Based On A True Story"[Stiletto Entertainment "Kimberley Locke Models For Lane Bryant", June 29, 2005.].
MTV announced Locke will be a judge on the reality-show competition "The Little Talent Show", scheduled to air weekdays starting Fall 2006.[Edwards, Martha "Celebrity Fit Club 5 Cast Announced", "That's Fit", November 20, 2006.].
Modeling career
From 2005 thru September 2006, Locke was signed with Ford Models. She appears on the July 2005 cover of Figure magazine. She is a plus-size model for Lane Bryant's Seven7 Jeans series.
Singing career
On October 30, 2002, the reality-TV singing competition American Idol held auditions in Nashville, Tennessee for the show's second season. Locke successfully passed through to the next round, and in December was chosen to perform on the show. She finished third, behind runner up Clay Aiken and eventual champion Ruben Studdard. Locke went on to sign a record deal with Curb Records. Her debut album, One Love, was released May 4, 2004.
Locke's second album, Based On A True Story, is set for an early 2007 release.[Locke, Kimberley "Kimberley Locke's Blog" Sept. 15th, 2006.] The album's lead single, "Supawoman", co-written with her producers Damon Sharpe and Mark J. Feist, was released to radio August 7, 2006. The holiday single "Jingle Bells" was released for sale on iTunes on October 17, 2006. A Christmas album is also scheduled for late 2007. Both "I Could" and "Up On the Housetop" also reached #1 on the Internet station Live365.
- American Idol judge Simon Cowell, in his book, I Don't Mean to be Rude But..., referred to Locke as looking like "an overweight librarian".
Songs performed on American Idol
- Original Audition - "Over The Rainbow" by Judy Garland.
- Hollywood Round - "Band Of Gold" by Freda Payne (duet with Frenchie Davis).
- Top 32 - "Over The Rainbow" by href="http://www.avoo.com/wiki/Judy_Garland" title="Judy Garland">Judy Garland, February 11, 2003.
- Top 12 - "Heat Wave" by Martha And The Vandellas, March 11, 2003.
- Top 11 - "Home" by Barbra Streisand, March 18, 2003.
- Top 10 - "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt, March 25, 2003.
- Top 9 - "It's Raining Men" by the Weather Girls, April 1, 2003.
- Top 8 - "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion, April 8, 2003.
- Top 7 - "New York State Of Mind" by Billy Joel, April 15, 2003.
- Top 6 - "If You Asked Me To" by Patti LaBelle, April 22, 2003.
- Top 5 - "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Gladys Knight & The Pips and "Where The Boys Are" by Connie Francis, April 29, 2003.
- Top 4 - "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb & "Emotion" by the Bee Gees, May 6, 2003.
- Top 3 - "Inseperable" by Natalie Cole, "Anyone Who Had A Heart" by Dionne Warwick and "Band Of Gold" by Freda Payne, May 13, 2003.
Discography
Albums
Singles
American Idol Recordings
- 2003: Over the Rainbow (American Idol Season 2: All Time Classic American Love Songs)
- 2003: God Bless the USA (along with the other Idols of AI2) (American Idol Season 2: All Time Classic American Love Songs)
- 2003: What the World Needs Now (along with the other Idols of AI2) (American Idol Season 2: All Time Classic American Love Songs)
- 2003: The Christmas Song (American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics)
- 2003: Silver Bells (Duet with Clay Aiken) (American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics)
- 2003: O Come, All Ye Faithful (Group performance) (American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics)
- 2003: Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (Group performance) (American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics)
Other Compilations
- 2003: Ammon - New Blues Sessions (backing vocals)
- 2004: 8th World Wonder (Women With A Voice 2004)
- 2004: 8th World Wonder (Promo Only Mainstream Radio January 2004)
- 2004: 8th World Wonder: Hi-Bias Extended Remix (Promo Only Mainstream Club March 2004)
- 2004: Wrong: Brownleewe & Bose Club Remix (Ultimix 110)
- 2004: Coulda Been: DJ Volume Club Remix (Ultimix 114)
- 2005: A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes (Disney Mania vol 3)
- 2005: Wishes (duet with Peabo Bryson) (Wishes)
- 2005: 8th World Wonder (Love Rocks)
- 2005: Over the Rainbow (Salute! The World War II Tribute Album)
- 2005: Better Than This (The Perfect Man)
- 2005: A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes (Cinderella Special Edition Soundtrack)
- 2005: A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes (Jim Brickman: Disney Songbook)
- 2005: Coulda Been (Line Dance Fever 16)
- 2005: Up On The Housetop (Curb Brings In The Holidays)
Musical Achievements
- Locke was the first Idol finalist to debut at #1 on the singles sales charts with a non-Idol single ("8th World Wonder").
- Locke was the second Idol finalist (with Kelly Clarkson) to have two consecutive top-40 hits ("8th World Wonder" & "Wrong")
- "Up On The Housetop" made the largest leap into the top 5 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in the chart's history, jumping from #32 to #5 in just one week.
- "Up On The Housetop" became the fifth song in the history of Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart to reach the top in three weeks. It was the second-longest running holiday-themed chart-topper in the history of the chart, behind Josh Groban's "Believe".
[Bronson, Fred. "Chart Beat", Billboard Magazine, December 29, 2005.]
- Kimberley's version of "Jingle Bells" had the highest charting debut week on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in 2006
[Bronson, Fred. "Chart Beat", Billboard Magazine, November 30, 2006.], debuting at #17.
Videography
Footnotes
References
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia |
