Kimberley Locke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kimberley Locke
Locke in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Kimberley Dawn Locke
Also known as	Kim Locke
Born	(1978-01-03) January 3, 1978 (age 47) Hartsville, Tennessee, U.S.
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee
Genres	R&B, pop, dance
Occupation(s)	Singer, television personality
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Curb, Dream Merchant 21, I AM Entertainment

Kimberley Dawn Locke (born January 3, 1978) is an American singer and television personality. She is known for her pop and dance music. She has also been a co-host on the daytime talk show Dr. and the Diva.

Kimberley became famous after appearing on the TV show American Idol in 2003. She finished in third place. Later, in 2007, she also gained attention for being on Celebrity Fit Club.

Early Life

Kimberley Locke was born in Hartsville, Tennessee, on January 3, 1978. Her parents are Donald and Christine Locke. She has an older brother named Ashley. Kimberley and her brother grew up mostly in Gallatin, Tennessee.

Kimberley started singing in church when she was five years old. Her parents divorced when she was eight. As she grew up, Kimberley looked up to singers like Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston.

When she was a teenager, Kimberley and her friends formed a singing group called Shadz of U. They performed in many local churches. This group later sang backup on Kimberley's 2007 album, Based on a True Story.

Kimberley went to Gallatin High School. She was part of a performing group there throughout her high school years. She was also chosen twice for the All-Middle State Chorus. After high school, she worked as an administrative assistant in Nashville, Tennessee. Kimberley also attended Belmont University in Nashville.

Career Highlights

American Idol and Music

On October 30, 2002, Kimberley auditioned for the second season of American Idol in Nashville. She made it through the auditions and was chosen to perform on the show in December. Kimberley finished third in the competition. Ruben Studdard won, and Clay Aiken was the runner-up. Kimberley has been invited back to perform on American Idol two times since then.

After American Idol, Kimberley signed a record deal with Curb Records in September 2003. Her first album, One Love, came out on May 4, 2004. Her first song, "8th World Wonder", was very popular. It reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also did well in the UK. She later released other songs like "Wrong" and "I Could".

In 2005, Kimberley released her version of "Up on the House Top". It became a number one hit on the Adult Contemporary (A/C) charts. The next year, her song "Jingle Bells" also topped the same charts. She released a digital Christmas album called Christmas in November 2007.

Locke performing in 2006

Kimberley's second album, Based on a True Story, was released on May 1, 2007. The album included songs like "Supawoman" and "Change". Another song from the album was a cover of "Band of Gold" by Freda Payne. This song became Kimberley's sixth Top 10 hit on the A/C charts. All three of these songs from the album reached number one on the Billboard dance club chart.

After leaving Curb Records in 2009, Kimberley signed with Randy Jackson's Dream Merchant 21 label. She released the song "Strobelight" in April 2010.

In 2011, Kimberley started her own entertainment company called I AM Entertainment. Her first release through her company was a dance-themed album called "Four for the Floor" in July 2011. She also released a cover of "Silver Bells" with a music video. Fans voted on Facebook for her next song, and "Finally Free" was released in 2012.

In 2013, Kimberley worked with the British team Cahill on the song "Feel the Love." This song was very popular in the United Kingdom, reaching number one on both the Club and Pop charts. It also reached number 29 on Billboard's Global Dance chart.

Kimberley continued to release new music. In 2018, she released "Raise Your Hands." In 2019, she released "Sleep Tight Baby Bright," which was the first song from an album of lullabies.

In 2021, she released two more albums. Her first children's music album, You're My Baby, came out in May. Her second Christmas album, Christmas Is Here, was released in September. She worked with the band EMP3 on this album.

In 2023, Kimberley released a collection of her best songs called Best of Kimberley Locke. This album has 16 songs, including her popular singles, two songs that were never released before, and two brand new recordings. One of the new songs is her single Keep On (Falling in Love).

Songs on American Idol

Television Appearances

Besides her music career, Kimberley also wanted to work in television. Since 2005, she has appeared on many TV shows.

In August 2004, she was a guest host on Good Day Live. In 2005, she was a contestant on Family Feud. She also hosted Word Slam!, a live game show on GSN.

In 2007, Kimberley was a participant on the fifth season of Celebrity Fit Club. She was also a guest co-host on The View in March 2007. In April 2008, she appeared on "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" and won $100,000 for her charity, Camp Heartland.

In June 2009, Kimberley became one of the hosts of the talent show Gospel Dream on the Gospel Music Channel. In September 2010, she appeared on Celebrity Ghost Stories.

She has also hosted Windy City Live and The Better Show. In 2013, she was a judge on Next Great Family Band.

Kimberley co-hosts Dr. and the Diva with Dr. Steve Salvatore. This talk show started in the fall of 2019. It covers topics like health, food, fashion, and fitness. In 2020, Kimberley also started co-hosting TV commercials for kitchen appliances.

Theatre Work

In 2019, Kimberley Locke performed on Broadway as a special guest with Kristin Chenoweth in her show Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls.

The next year, Kimberley announced her own one-woman show called The Sum of All Parts. This show tells her life story, including growing up biracial and her time on "American Idol." She performs with a 13-piece orchestra and pays tribute to singers like Etta James and Judy Garland.

In 2022, it was announced that Kimberley would star in the musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. She plays Diva Donna, who is Donna Summer at the peak of her career. Kimberley said she was excited to bring Donna Summer's inspiring story to audiences.

Modeling and Health

From 2005 to 2006, Kimberley was a model with Ford Models. She appeared on the covers of Figure magazine and UneQ magazine. She was also a spokesperson for Lane Bryant and Seven7 Jeans.

While on Celebrity Fit Club, Kimberley followed the Jenny Craig diet plan and had great success. In December 2006, she became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig. By the end of the show, she had lost 27 pounds. She reached her goal of losing 40 pounds in October 2007.

In January 2008, Kimberley was featured in Us Weekly magazine for her weight loss success. Ellen DeGeneres invited Kimberley to be a guest on her talk show, which aired in January 2008.

Business Ventures

Kimberley graduated from Belmont University in 2001 with a degree in Business Administration. In December 2006, Kimberley and her partners opened a restaurant called Croton Creek Steakhouse & Wine Bar in New York.

In 2011, Kimberley announced that she had started her own entertainment company, I AM Entertainment.

Helping Others

Kimberley Locke is very active in charity work. She especially helps raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and breast cancer. Her work with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation took her on a trip to Africa. She has also worked with other groups like YouthAIDS and Camp Heartland.

In November 2007, Kimberley received the Red Ribbon award for her work as an HIV/AIDS activist. She said that the children at Camp Heartland, who live with HIV/AIDS, all have amazing stories. In March 2010, Kimberley joined the board of directors for Camp Heartland.

In October 2007, Kimberley worked with General Mills for the Pink for a Cure campaign. This campaign helps raise awareness about breast cancer, especially in the African-American community. Kimberley's aunt is a breast cancer survivor, so this cause is very important to her.

Kimberley is also part of the Entertainment Council for Feeding America. This is a big organization that helps fight hunger in the United States.

Personal Life

Kimberley Locke was previously engaged to her high school sweetheart, Don Campbell. She also dated fitness trainer Harvey E. Walden for two years after they met on Celebrity Fit Club.

In 2020, she announced her engagement to contractor Jason Ingraham. However, they ended their engagement in December 2021.

Music Albums

• One Love (2004)
• Based on a True Story (2007)
• Christmas (2007)
• Four for the Floor (2011)
• You're My Baby (2021)
• Christmas is Here (2021)

Music Videos

• "8th World Wonder" (2004)
• "Wrong" (2004)
• "Coulda Been" (2005)
• "Change" (2007)
• "Silver Bells" (2011)
• "Finally Free" (2012)

Awards and Nominations

New Music Awards

• 2005: Nominated - Female Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year

Teen Choice Awards

• 2003: Nominated - Choice TV Reality/Variety Star - Female
• 2004: Nominated - Choice Love Song - "8th World Wonder"

See Also

• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart