Kimberley Locke News

Kimberley Locke has a new man in her life. Except he isn't that new.

The former American Idol singer and Celebrity Fit Club trainer Harvey E. Walden IV are dating. But he isn't her boyfriend yet, Locke insists.

“He’s not officially my boyfriend,” Locke said of Walden IV, who is currently in the midst of a divorce. “[His divorce] is why we’re not a couple yet. That is my rule. Whether you’re separated or married — whatever — I would like it to be cleared up. Until then we can hang out together and have fun together.”

Locke also says the romance didn't begin until after the reality TV cameras stopped rolling.

“We worked out on the show together for four months and never even said anything to each other,” she explained. “I thought he was mean. I didn’t want him to be mean to me, but then after the show was over and I saw him outside of work, he was really nice.”

Justin Guarini and Kimberley Locke didn't win American Idol - but that hasn't stopped a Texas outlet mall from asking these finalists to perform at its opening.

Justin and Kimberley will be entertaining discount shoppers at the grand opening of The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso on Friday, October 12. To add insult to injury, Kimberley's name is even spelled wrong in one instance below:

What's next, Bo Bice singing in the parking lot of a movie theater?

Season two American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke hates to be bored.

"The busier I am, the better I am. I think and function better and get a lot more accomplished when I have a thousand things to do as opposed to two," the 29-year-old said in a phone interview with Michigan Live.

Locke, who finished third in 2003 behind runner-up Clay Aiken and winner Ruben Studdard, hasn't allowed the show to be her career's crowning jewel.

The contemporary pop/R&B singer-songwriter and aspiring actress has commanded success on the charts and diversified her projects.

"I think you move on from that because your career is so much bigger than American Idol at the end of the day. American Idol is huge, but you can't sit around and think about it all the time. Because really, I have no connection to (Idol). They didn't sign me," she said.

Locke said she's tried to take advantage of the "many opportunities" after the show, including becoming a plus-size model for fashion retailer Lane Bryant. She also opened her own restaurant - Croton Creek Steakhouse & Wine Bar, in Croton Falls, N.Y. - with friends in January.

Locke also spent time on TV this year as a participant on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club 5." Her verbal wrangles with "Saved by the Bell" star and comedian Dustin Diamond caught the attention of many viewers.

"There was a lot of drama on the show ... but other than that, it was a very positive experience," she said. "I got a Jenny Craig endorsement deal ... from being a part of that show."

Locke's sophomore album, "Based on a True Story," which dropped May 1, is enjoying success. The first single "Change" is a top 10 Billboard AC hit. Her new single, a remake of Freda Payne's "Band of Gold," also is finding popularity.

Her music brings her and her band to Grand Rapids, MI tonight to perform before the fireworks at Celebration on the Grand. She will sign autographs and meet with fans after her performance.

Two former American Idols release albums this week: Paris Bennett and Kimberley Locke. USA Today's Elysa Gardner and Steve Jones, respectively, take a listen and review them below:

Paris Bennett, Princess P:
The latest American Idol also-ran (last year’s fifth-place finisher) to strike out on her own is an adorable 18-year-old, who recorded this debut on an independent label owned by her uncle (later attracting distribution from a much larger indie, TVT Records). If the results are less polished and predictable than a typical Idol affair, Bennett and her collaborators, who include Beyoncé colleague Jon Jon Traxx (and, briefly, fellow Idol Kevin “Chicken Little” Covais, who “raps” on the brief, appropriately titled Let Me Rap), tend to cling to tried-and-true contemporary pop-R&B formulas.

Still, the album offers enough homespun charm to leave you rooting for the plucky upstart.

Kimberley Locke, Based on a True Story
The former American Idol contender (third place behind Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken in Season 2) takes the pain of a shattered relationship and turns it into an edgy, rock-fueled journey through heartbreak and redemption. Locke, who co-wrote most of the songs on her second album, uses her powerhouse vocals to unleash pent-up emotions about love gone bad and finds strength in learning to trust herself.

On American Idol, they hold nothing back when criticizing or complimenting the contestants.

But isn't it about time Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell were the ones under the spotlight? Entertainment Weekly thought so, as the magazine gathered together past finalists Ace Young, Kimberley Locke and Anthony Federov for a judgment on the judges.

Here's what they had to say:

RANDY
One of the only standouts from a lackluster guys' night, Blake Lewis still came under criticism from Randy for not breaking out his mad beatboxing skills during his rendition of Keane's ''Somewhere Only We Know.'' Randy even suggested Blake should beatbox every week.

Ace: Well, it's a singing competition. Taylor [Hicks] is really talented on harmonica, but he can't play the harmonica as part of the competition.

Kimberley: That's where the confusion comes in, I think. We all know he can't beatbox every week. That's not how the show works. I guess if he can incorporate beatboxing into every genre, that would make an interesting show; I don't know how far it would get him through the competition, though.

Randy also laid into Nicole Tranquillo — one of the two women voted off this week — for tackling Chaka Khan's ''Stay,'' a song Randy felt was ''too urban'' for her.

Anthony: I agreed with him on that. She does have a pop voice. I don't know — if that's the kind of music she likes singing, that's fine, but I think he was on point with that one. Every performance I watched, [Randy] was literally taking the words out of my mouth. He was dead-on every single performance.

Ace: I don't know what [Randy] meant by it, but I think if a song's too anything — if it's too country or too pop or whatever — I think they're saying they didn't fall into the feeling of the song. The hardest thing with Idol is you only get a minute and a half [to sing]. So ''Stairway to Heaven'' is the wrong song. Song selection is key.

Kimberley: I didn't like [Randy's] comment. I do think [the song] was a little bit unnatural for [Tranquillo], with some of her facial expressions. I think she went in for it too deep instead of just being herself. But come on, that girl hit those notes. I was very impressed with her. I know Randy Jackson of all people is not a prejudiced guy, but had I been standing there, I would've said, ''So what are you saying, I'm not black enough to sing that song?'' I was kind of offended by his comments, and that's the first time Randy's ever really offended me. Most of the time it's Simon.

PAULA
Paula, meanwhile, went easy on Tranquillo, repeatedly brushing off Randy and Simon's criticisms of her by exclaiming that the girl can sing.

Anthony: I disagreed with Paula on that one. What she's doing is great; she's trying to give the performers more confidence. I think she heard a very good voice, [but] she was a little bit off in terms of judging.

Kimberley: Paula's an artist and she can be sympathetic with us, but sometimes I think she just flat-out lies just to make us feel better. She told the one girl [Haley Scarnato], with the black one-piece pantsuit with the high-waisted belt, [that] she was great, and I didn't think she was great.

After Simon commented that erstwhile bluesman Sundance Head didn't know what to do with his hands, Paula, well, started rubbing her chest and telling Sundance he should do the same. What was that about?

Ace: I have no idea, honestly. The judges have their own inside jokes that sometimes don't even pertain to the person on stage. They've known each other for so long that they can just pass [insider] signals [to each other] and have a whole conversation.

And then there was Paula's volume-tastic hair.

Kimberley: Paula's hair looked a little dry. She has a lot of hair right now, a whole up-down thing going all at the same time — like, she had a pony in the back, but it was all really down. But Paula's beautiful, so she can take hair risks.

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Here's some information we've come across from around the world of American Idol. There's certainly a lot going on with our favorite stars, and we try our best to keep you updated! Below is our breakdown...

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

As you’ve probably heard, Carrie Underwood will perform at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium December 9. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m.

Speaking of Carrie, we caught her video for "Before He Cheats" the other day. Though she’s come a long way from her simpler American Idol days, it is still not easy to believe she's the kind of girl who would bash her boyfriend’s headlights in with a baseball bat.

Look at her! She's just too sweet! We don't buy the vengeful angle... we will, however, buy her music!

KELLIE PICKLER

Kellie Pickler’s CD, Small Town Girl, is in stores as of today! Be sure to check out our review in a separate post, coming very soon. Kellie will perform her first single, "Red High Heels" on The Tonight Show Friday.

BUCKY COVINGTON

Bucky Covington and his wife are moving to Nashville today. We hear he plans to go straight to the studio to record some tunes. Good luck, Bucky!

ACE YOUNG

The new single from Ace Young, “Scattered,” is officialy available for download on iTunes. We thought it was a little cheesy, to be sure, but it grows on you. And yes, his falsetto is on full display. As far as we know, though, Ace has not signed with any record label.

KATHARINE MCPHEE

Looks like Katharine McPhee’s a little gutsier than I gave her credit for. Katharine was scheduled to sing “Over the Rainbow” at the Carousel of Hope Gala, but when she saw Whitney Houston in the audience, she changed to “I Have Nothing.”

Considering the performance of that song that she gave on American Idol, it was certainly a testament to McPhee's courage to get up there and try it a second time. It paid off, though, as Whitney nodded her head in approval at the performance.

You might remember that Katharine (seen here with beau Nick Cokas, right, at the event in Beverly Hills) was roundly criticized by the judges after performing "I Have Nothing" On American Idol. The viewing audience, however, disagreed and voted her into the Top 2. Simon Cowell apologized to her on that week's results show.

TAYLOR HICKS

Taylor Hicks’ CD release date has been moved to December 5, which means he will be after Katharine (November 28) and on the same date as Fantasia. According to GrayCharles.com, he continues to work on his upcoming album, 75 percent of which is complete.

The producers are beginning to mix some of the songs. If you, like many of his fans, are eagerly looking forward to seeing Taylor Hicks in concert, the Soul Man will start a three-month tour in February and plans to "play lots of different size towns, even smaller ones."

Hopefully, that's going to be a town near you.

CHRIS DAUGHTRY

Chris Daughtry’s release date is still set for November 21, but he's ditching the first name thing... the release will come from Daughtry -- the Bon Jovi-esque name of his new band. Howard Benson, who worked with All-American Rejects and My Chemical Romance, is the producer. Chris says he realizes not winning Idol was better for him.

According to a blurb posted on puretonemusic.com, here are all 12 confirmed song titles (in sequence): It's Not Over, Used To, Home, Over You, Crashed, Feels Like Tonight, What I Want (featuring Slash), Breakdown, Gone, There And Back Again, All These Lives, and What About Now.

The site also reported that the song, "Sorry" will be exclusive to iTunes and the newly recorded acoustic versions of "Home" and "Crashed" will be exclusive to WalMart.

JOSH GRACIN

Josh Gracin’s next CD, All About Y’all will be released in early 2007. I was a little worried about Josh since his original release date came and went and his website had not been updated in months. His new single, "I Keep Coming Back" is from the same songwriting team that wrote "What Hurts the Most."

KIMBERLEY LOCKE

The second CD released by Kimberley Locke, Based on a True Story, will hit the shelves of record stores in March 2007. It will be great to hear what the Supawoman has in store for us then!

CLAY AIKEN

The one and only Clay Aiken is scheduled to appear on The Megan Mullally Show this Thursday, November 2.

And, as we reported last week, Clay will also appear on Days of Our Lives as himself December 22, serenading Steve and Kayla with “Everything I Have.” Clay’s version of “O, Holy Night” will also be featured in the episode.

FANTASIA BARRINO

Fantasia Barrino's single, "Hood Boy" is being released to radio. Her album is set to be released on December 12. You can listen to a stream at her MySpace. Lastly, Season 5 semi-finalist Patrick Hall releases his single "One For the Ages" tomorrow. The album, One For the Ages, will be available February 2007.

With a new show and a new album on the horizon, one of our favorite Idol finalists, Kimberley Locke, is back and busier than ever.

As a judge on MTV's biggest Little Talent Show, Locke dispenses singing advice - while attempting to keep a straight face. Her new album, Based on a True Story, is ready for release "God-willing" this March.

The TV blog TV with MeeVee had the pleasure of interviewing Locke over the phone this week. With the help of some of her most diehard fans, here is the scoop on what's now and what's next for this bona fide "Supawoman."

TV with MeeVee: Tell us about your new show, MTV's Little Talent Show.
Kimberley Locke: The show is a lot of fun, the contestants have to sing, dance, and act. I have to say that the title is indicative of the talent. These contestants come on the show and tell us how great they are, comparing themselves to Mariah and J. Lo and Justin. It just goes to show that people’s perceptions of themselves are everything.

TV with MeeVee: It kind of reminds me of the early rounds of American Idol.
Kimberley Locke: That’s exactly what it is.

TV with MeeVee: I love your reaction shots, they keep cutting back to you, what’s going through your mind?
Kimberley Locke: Sometimes I have to ask, can these people not really hear themselves? And by doing this show I realized that they can’t. That’s what being tone deaf is.

TV with MeeVee: You’ve hosted a show on Game Show Network, and now you’re doing MTV. Is this something you want to continue with, television?
Kimberley Locke: For me, yeah absolutely. From the very beginning, even when I was on Idol, I wasn’t really focusing on winning the show. Yes, I would have loved it if I had won. Everyone wants to win, but I focused on staying on the show as long as I could to get the exposure. I realized being able to stay in this industry over the long-term means you have to diversify.

TV with MeeVee: It sounds like that business degree has really come in handy – that and a lot of E! True Hollywood Stories...
Kimberley Locke: It’s nice to be known for something other than singing, because people know me and will always know me as a singer first. I was a model for Lane Bryant.

DeNeva: How’s that going? Are you going to continue being one of their spokesmodels?
Kimberley Locke: I’ve been with them for a year and a half. I haven’t renewed the contract yet. Just the fact that I got to do it for a year or two - I was very excited.

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Ace Young and Kimberley Locke (pictured) will appear in Denver, Colo., on November 5 for Operation Holiday Spirit, a fundraiser that strives to raise money to send "packages stuffed with holiday treats plus personal messages from the stars and gifts like portable DVD players and iPods" to troops overseas.

The group aims to raise at least $100,000 at the event. Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Rosie O'Donnell and Cher have already donated items for a silent auction.

Red carpet begins at 5:30 p.m. outside Denver's Paramount Theater. The show starts at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale through TicketMaster and the Paramount box office. Tickets range from $65-85 and include parking.

Meanwhile, two time zones away, another American Idol finalist from this past season will be a presenter at the Long Island Music Hall of Fame's first annual Induction Gala.

Chicken Little, a.k.a. Kevin Covais, will be on hand and performing at the Patchogue Theatre on October 15. Some of the inductees include Billy Joel, Joan Jett, Twisted Sister, Little Anthony, Leslie West and Mountain, and Peter Criss of KISS.

Former American Idol contestant Kimberley Locke is apparently still recording and will release the first single from her sophomore album, Based on a True Story, early next week.

The first track is entitled "Supawoman." This most likely is a misspelled, clever hybrid of the words "super" and "woman."

"It's about being a strong, independent woman and finding a partner, a man who can come in and work with you, with all of your strong attributes, and not be intimidated by you," Locke told Billboard.com of the single, which will be available July 4 via iTunes.

The album is set for release in September via Curb Records. "Supawoman" is one of the nine songs Locke helped pen for the album. The artist, who lost out to runner-up Clay Aiken and winner Ruben Studdard on the second season of Idol, says the writing process was therapeutic for her during a rough time in her life.

"I was engaged, and the engagement fell apart. There were so many emotions and feelings inside of me that (songs) literally were just pouring out of me," Locke said. "It was a really great experience. I think being paired with people who have a strong talent for writing really brought something out in me. Otherwise I don't know if I would have been able to do it."

Based on a True Story is the follow up to Locke's 2004 debut, One Love, which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200. The singles "8th World Wonder" and "I Could" both reached the top 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.