Kimberley Locke is excited about getting fans ready for the holidays. The talented singer will be one of four former “American Idol” contestants to lend her voice to the “American Stars, former American Idol finalists, in Concert for the Holidays.”

“Last year I went on tour with Dave Koz, and this year I was asked to do the Idol tour,” said Locke, who won fame as one of the top three finalists in season two of the juggernaut known as “American Idol.” “I thought it would be a good idea because everyone loves ‘American Idol’ and why not give people a piece of the pie during the off season?”

KIMBERLEY LOCKE

In addition to Locke, the Nov. 29 concert at the Byham Theater features former Idol contestants Chikezie Eze, a top-10 finalist in the 2008 season; Diana DeGarmo, second place finisher in the show’s third season, and season seven contestant David Hernandez.

The program features mainly holiday songs, but Locke hopes the group can slide in some of their own original songs during the tour.

Locke, who hails from Nashville, began singing when she was a child. She also sang in the all-girl group, Shadz of U, which performed at several local churches. Although she took a break from singing for two years while enrolled at Belmont University, her heart made her return to singing.

“When I was in college I was the new kid on the block and it was hard coming from high school where everyone knew you to college where no one cares,” she said. “I was walking around in college and I was so sad and I went to one of the phones and called one of my friends and told her that I was sad and I felt like something was missing from my life and she said, ‘Kim, are you singing?’ and I said no and she said ‘you’re not happy unless you’re singing.’

After that Locke began singing in two bands and at three clubs. After two years of singing in clubs and bands, she was ready to take her career to the next level.

“I stopped singing, only in church and I went to law school and began focusing on that and got my grades up,” Locke said.

That’s when “American Idol” came calling.

Locke gained fame in 2003 during the second season of “American Idol” when she placed third in the series behind runner-up Clay Aiken and winner Ruben Studdard. Since then she has performed on the show in seasons three and seven.

“Clay and I were close on the show, but our relationship has since dissipated,” Locke said. “But I still talk to Ruben.”

After her time on “American Idol,” Locke signed a contract with Curb Records and released her debut album, “One Love” and spawned the single “8th World Wonder;” the song reached the top half of the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

In 2005, Locke released her version of the Christmas classic, “Up On The Housetop.” By the end of that year, her rendition had reached No. 1 spot on the Adult Contemporary charts. In 2006, her cover of “Jingle Bells” was released and topped the same charts. Her full holiday album, “Christmas,” which is only available digitally, was released late last year.

In late 2006, Locke took another break from singing and participated in the fifth installment of VH-1’s “Celebrity Fit Club.” While on the show, Locke had a rocky relationship with former “Saved By the Bell” funnyman Dustin “Screech.”

“Dustin and I are not cordial. All I knew about Dustin was what I got to know on the show which was that he was a complete mess and I couldn’t wait to get off the show to get away from him,” she said. Locke lost 27 pounds on the show and 40 pounds total.

“I’m very conscious about my weight and my goal of being on the show was to challenge myself,” said Locke who enjoys catching up with her girlfriends over dinner and a glass of wine. “I never tried to lose weight because I didn’t know that I had a weight problem, but everyone can stand to lose a few pounds.”

In May 2007, Locke released her second album, “Based On A True Story.” A single, “Supawoman” was released August 2007. Her third single, “Fall,” was released in February.

That single is what resonated with military fans when Locke performed it for the troops.

“I performed the song and I looked out across the base and saw people singing the words and hugging each other and then I started crying because I saw people singing the words and connecting and crying and you wonder, what about my song connected with people. Those are the moments that I love about performing, those are the moments when you are filled to the utmost,” she said.

When she isn’t performing, the professed cartoon junkie loves sitting in front of the television watching her favorite ‘toons, which include “The Fairly Odd Parents,” “Family Guy,” and “American Dragon.”

Locke and Celebrity Fit Club hardbody Harvey Walden are combining their talents to put together a music and fitness cruise next September.

“After I lost weight I felt so good,” she gushed. “I felt like I was a different person. I know that people want to lose those few extra pounds but they don’t know how. This is still going to be a vacation. Everyone loves music and I wanted to bring the two—fitness and music—together. Harvey is handling the fitness part and I’m bringing in the talent.”

To get more information on the fitness and music cruise, visit www.lockeandloaded.com

Locke hasn’t strayed too far from singing. She is currently working on a new album, which she hopes to release next year.

 Tickets for “American Stars, former American Idol finalists” are $22, $34, and $42. Tickets may be purchased at the Byham Theater box office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave. or online at www.pgharts.org.