Kimberley gained fame with her participation in the 2003 American Idol television series where she was the second runner up. Immediately following “American Idol,” Locke was signed to Curb Records where she enjoyed a very successful career as a recording artist, having had eight Top 20 Adult Contemporary hits and four #1 Dance hits across various Billboard charts. She has also made history as being the only recording artist to score a #1 Christmas song on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart three years in a row. Last year, her #1 club hit, a remake of the Freda Payne classic “Band of Gold,” was included on Billboard’s “Top 50 Dance Songs of the Decade” list.
In 2010 she released her dance single “Strobelight,” a collaboration with “Idol” judge and producer Randy Jackson’s Dream Merchant 21 label and INgrooves. “Strobelight” hit Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Chart several times upon its release. In 2011 she released her EP, “Four for the Floor” via I AM Entertainment Records, which features the Top 40 Dance hit single, “Finally Free.”
Locke didn’t stop with just her music career from the years since “Idol.” She has been a staple in the entertainment industry having signed a modeling contract with Ford Models wherein she landed a two-year deal with clothing retailer Lane Bryant and became the face of their national Seven7 Jeans Designer Collection campaign. She went on to appear in VH1’S “Celebrity Fit Club” where she lost 40 lbs. and became a national spokesperson for Jenny Craig. She maintains a healthy and fit lifestyle and inspires women across the country with their weight loss and sense of empowerment.
Aside from the music industry, for the past seven years Kimberley has been actively involved with One Heartland, a national non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of children and their families impacted by HIV/AIDS, where she is one of the organization’s board of directors. She has also worked with several other HIV/AIDS related charities, including the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, YouthAIDS, Nashville CARES, and the Davy Foundation. In 2007, Locke was presented with the Red Ribbon Award in recognition for her extensive charitable efforts as an HIV/AIDS activist.
Nashville native Locke received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Management from Belmont University. Kicking her business aspirations into high gear, she founded her own entertainment company in early 2011 called I AM Entertainment. This new endeavor allows her to not only take full control over her own career but to aid other artists in the development of their brands and products.
