Kimberley Locke

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 American Idol television series.

Biography

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. The group performed at many local churches.

Locke went to Gallatin High School, where she was one of sixteen members to participate in their performing group. She remained in the group throughout the four years she attended the school. She was also selected twice as a member of the All-Middle State Chorus.

Intent on becoming a lawyer and not a singer, she began to work for a company at Nashville as an administrative assistant. In 1999, she enrolled at Belmont University.

Locke is biracial. Her father is African-American, and her mother is Caucasian (of European descent).

Singing career

On October 30 of 2002, the cast and crew of American Idol were in Nashville holding auditions for the upcoming second season. Locke sang in front of Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell, who were impressed by her voice, and passed her through to the next round.

In December of 2002, she was chosen to participate in the show.

Locke finished third on the second season of American Idol, behind runner up Clay Aiken and eventual champion Ruben Studdard. She was able, however, to sign a record deal with Curb Records. Her debut album, One Love, was released on May 4, 2004.

As of 2006, she has released five singles with four of them going on to become adult contemporary hits ("8th World Wonder", "Wrong", "I Could", and "Up on the Housetop"). She is touring extensively through the United States, including singing at half-time shows of WNBA games and doing concerts.

Locke's sophomore album, entitled Based On A True Story is set for a September 2006 release. The album's lead single, "Supawoman" co-written with her producers Damon Sharpe and Mark J. Feist, is expected for a July release. A Christmas album is also scheduled for late 2006. Lane Bryant will also be sponsoring her upcoming tour.

Locke has already topped the Idol Waves online radio Top 16 chart with "Supawoman". Both "I Could" and "Up On the Housetop" also reached #1 on the popular Live 365 Internet station.

Accomplishments

Music After Idol

• Kimberley was the first Idol finalist to ever debut at #1 on the singles sales charts with a non-Idol single (8th World Wonder).
• Kimberley was only 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 just three weeks.
• Up On The Housetop top Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart for four weeks. It was the second-longest running holiday-themed chart-topper in the history of the chart behind Josh Groban's "Believe".

Television Personality

In August 2004, Kimberley was invited to be a guest host on Good Day Live. She had such a great chemistry with her co-hosts that she was invited back to co-host on two more occasions. In 2005, she hosted Word Slam!, a GSN live game show as part of GSN's Get Schooled Tour. A special documentary with Locke aired on GSN in September. Throughout the summer of 2005, Kimberley was having the recording process of her sophomore album and the planning of her upcoming wedding documented for a reality show entitled "Aren't You That Girl?". The project was cancelled when her engagement to Don Campbell was 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".

Kimberley will be a judge on the MTV Reality Show called "The Little Talent Show" which begins airing weekdays in the fall 2006 lineup.

Model

As of 2005, Kimberley has signed with Ford Models and is now a Plus Size Model for Lane Bryant's Seven7 Jeans series. She appears on the July 2005 cover of Figure magazine. She is now touring for Lane Bryant. Curb has revealed that Lane Bryant has decided to continue to use Locke for 2006 but in their COMPLETE line.

Videography

8th World Wonder (2004) directed by Sam Erickson

Wrong (2004) directed by Urban Strom

Coulda Been (2004) directed by Urban Strom

Discography

Albums

• 2004: One Love - #16 US, U.S. Sales: 209,000 (SoundScan through Feb. 21, 2006)
• 2006: Based On A True Story

Singles

Year	Title	Chart Positions							Album
		US Hot 100	US AC	US Hot AC	Canada AC	Top 40 Mainstream	Billboard Hot Single Sales	UK Singles Chart
2003	Silver Bells (w/ Clay Aiken)	-	#16	-	-	-	-	-	American Idol: Great Holiday Classics
2004	8th World Wonder	#49	#6	#36	#16	#19	#1	#52	One Love
2004	Wrong	-	-	-	-	#39	-	-	One Love
2005	Coulda Been	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	One Love
2005	You've Changed	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	One Love
2005	I Could	-	#8	-	#18	-	-	-	One Love
2005	Up On The Housetop	-	#1	-	-	-	-	-	Curb Brings In The Holidays
2006	Supawoman	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Based On A True Story

Music with American Idol

• 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)

Guest Performances Outside of American Idol

• 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)

References in Pop Culture

• In Simon Cowell's book, "I Don't Mean to be Rude But...", Simon infamously referred to Kimberley as looking like "an overweight librarian".

External links

• Official Website (currently undergoing reconstruction)
• Official Fan Club
• Official MySpace Artist Profile
• Kim's Seven7 Jeans page at Lane Bryant
• Ford Models Profile
• Fansite Dedicated To Delivering Media