Click here to hear Kimberly's music. The player will open in a new window. Email: (More info) Since March 2003 Best Viewed @ 1024x768 resolution Designed by Kristin Photos from Michael Antonio online Bookmark Site	This morning I had the pleasure of talking with Kim Caldwell, the most recent finalist to be voted off of American Idol. Her easy-going personality really came through in the interview, and it was a pleasure to talk to her. Here's what she had to say: What made you decide to try out for the show? Well, I had always wanted to be an entertainer and a singer, but I didn't really know the avenues to go down to get there. My best friend told me that there were auditions in Austin, and so my grandmother gave me money to fill up my gas tank to get there because I didn't have enough money to get there. So, I decided to go ahead and go down there, you know, to see what happens. I would always wonder what would have happened if I didn't go. Did you watch the show last season? I watched some of it last season. Did you have a favorite, or did you even watch it enough to have a favorite? I really loved Tamyra. I thought she was just incredible...she has the total package. I actually got to meet her, and her words of wisdom were definitely taken as motivation. What did she tell you? You know...well, one of the things she told me was that if you believe it can happen, then it will happen. Don't tell yourself that maybe it will happen; just know that it will happen. Just get your confidence up, your mind set, and stay focused. Now, going back to the Hollywood auditions, do you think the whole thing between you and Julia was portrayed accurately on TV? Um...it wasn't portrayed accurately. But, you know, it's TV and...and...editing has a lot to do with that. But, we overcame that very easily, and now we're really good friends. We're very close. If you could sing a duet with anyone you wanted, who would you choose? You know, I don't really know...I'd be open to singing with anybody who is out there living their dream and doing their thing. I mean, I think if I was given an opportunity to sing with anyone who is in the entertainment business right now, I'd grab onto that. If you could pick the show's theme one week, what would you like to see done? Do you know what you'd sing for that theme? Oh, gosh...I think it'd be funny if we all did rap. I can imagine it'd be hysterical, and I'd definitely get out there and sing Eminem's "Lose Yourself". All the contestants were talking about it. We said, "Yeah, it'd be hysterical if we all got out there and started rapping." A lot has been made this season of the whole "talent vs. image" debate. How important do you think each one should be? I think that both of them are equally important. At the same time, I don't think that "image" has to mean the stereotypical beauty that some people think. I think that if you're comfortable in your own skin and you have confidence that it doesn't matter what you look like as long as you're happy with you. How would you describe your singing style? Is there anyone you would compare yourself to? Um...no, I think I kinda have my own style. I mean, you know, people have compared me with everyone from Faith Hill to Pink to Jewel. I'd like to stretch my musical reach to country and even to hip-hop. Now, you were a 5-time winner on Star Search, right? Yes. And you were also on Popstars 2, correct? Yes. And on Star Search I hold the record for the most wins ever by a Junior Vocalist. Wow, I didn't know that. Congratulations. So, how did those experiences help you prepare for American Idol? I think it was definitely an advantage for me. I mean, I tried to put all my childhood experiences into my adult experiences, and I think it definitely helped, you know? I think it was definitely an advantage that I had over some of the other contestants who have just gotten into the music industry. Do you remember where you were or what you were doing when you found out you'd be going back for the Wildcard Show? Yes, I do, actually, and it's a hysterical story. It was on my 21st birthday, and I was on my way to go celebrate with all my friends and we had about 5 or 6 of us packed into a car. We were headed downtown, and one of the producers called and said, "Hey, Kim, by the way...you're going to be on the Wildcard Show." So, of course, I turned the car around and didn't go out that night. I went home and packed, and the next morning I was out in L.A. Wow...what a great birthday present. It was the greatest birthday present I could have had. So, Kim, what's going on with you and J.D. Adams? Is anything going on between you two? Yes, we are together and we're wonderful. He is in L.A. right now, and I'll be going back to Houston. But, we still talk every day, and I have every intention of moving out to L.A. as soon as possible. What was it like living in the house? Very hectic and crazy, but it was wonderful at the same time. We all became like brothers and sisters and, you know, we had each other's backs. You know, we didn't spend as much time there as we probably would have liked, because our schedules were so hectic. Now, since y'all were all living together but also competing against one another, did that make things tougher? Um, I don't really think so. I think that, you know, we made ourselves...we made ourselves more into the American Idol team than we did competitors. We just tried to forget about the competition, because if you think about the competition too much, it's going to be a miserable experience. So, we just tried to help each other out as much as possible and then let America decide. OK, Kim. Look into your crystal ball and tell me who you see as the final 2 and the ultimate winner. Um, I think that Clay and Ruben will probably be the final 2, and I think that Ruben will probably wind up pulling through in the end. You know, he has a massive fan base and whenever he's on stage, it's just...I mean, he has undeniable talent. Do you think it helps or hurts to talk back to the judges? Oh, I think it definitely hurts. That's why I always kept my comments to myself. I think most things are better left unsaid. How do you feel about inviting people back for the Wildcard Show that didn't originally make the Top 32? Well, you know, I just felt that it was great that they were given that opportunity and that they were able to experience what the Top 32 had experienced. There was no resentment against them or anything by any means. Which do you think is tougher--performing for just the judges and the camera or performing in front of a live audience? Oh my gosh, it's definitely performing in front of the camera with just the judges. I mean, you almost feel naked in a way. You know, being in front of the audience is a big part of your performance. Feeling their vibe makes you have, like, ten times more fun. While you were in the house, did you all have access to the Internet? Could you go to some of the websites and see what fans were thinking and saying about the show? Yeah, um, well some of the people went to message boards, but I was one to never go to the message boards. I just didn't think it was necessary. I mean, there was a lot of negativity that none of us needed. But, my mom would e-mail me all of the fansites that people had set up for me, and they were absolutely amazing. They were outrageous. I couldn't believe that somebody had actually taken time out of their lives to support me in that way. So, to the people out there who have set up the fansites, thank you very much. It's definitely a confidence booster. Well, you've got a lot of fans at our site, so hopefully you'll be able to stop by sometime. Thank you. I'd love to. I'll definitely check it out when I get home. OK, of all the finalists, who would you say was the most competitive? Let's see...you know, I don't think anybody was really competitive. Everybody was really focused. Some of us were more focused than others, but everyone handled the situation at hand in a different way. What was your favorite part of the whole American Idol experience? Oh, gosh...I think the entire experience was absolutely incredible, of course, but at the same time, I think the most shocking and surreal part was actually walking down a red carpet and having all the camera guys scream my name. What would be something that people would be surprised to find out about you? Um, that I'm a total goofball (*laughter*) and that I wear crazy socks all the time. It kinda symbolic of, like, what's on the outside...I mean, I may have on some pretty nice boots or something, but then I may have some crazy socks on underneath. So, like, on the inside I'm a goofball, but on the outside, you might not think so. If you had the opportunity, is there anything you'd go back and change about your time on the show? Um, I don't think that I'd change anything except for maybe wearing waterproof mascara the night Julia was voted off (*laughter*). Was that tough? Yeah, it was really tough. We had become really close and knowing that she wasn't going to be there for the remaining time that I was going to be there really hit me at that moment. Have you talked to her since? Oh, yeah. I talk to her almost every day. I'm actually in New York right now, and I think she's going to come stay with me. Now, if you were asked to sit at the judges' table and review your own performances, which would you say was probably your best and your worst? Um, I think my best was probably Travis Tritt's "Anymore" and my worst was probably "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)". I don't think any of our performances, including mine, could ever really be defined as bad, but there's definitely fine-tuning that needs to be done. Did you have a favorite or a least favorite theme? Disco Night was probably my most favorite experience. Seeing Rickey in that big afro when he walked out...that was absolutely hysterical. So, no matter what the judges said that night, I know that all of us had an incredible time. If you could only use one or two words to describe each of the remaining finalists, what would you use for each one? Let's start with Ruben. Ruben? Big Daddy, because that's what we all called him. Clay? Goober. Carmen? Baby girl. Trenyce? Soul diva. Joshua? Family man. Kimberley Locke? Alarm clock. If she wasn't physically telling me to wake up, she was singing at the top of her lungs in the morning. Beautiful singing, I might add... When Gladys Knight was on the show, she made the comment that she could see you in the movies. Do you have any sort of acting aspirations, or do you want to concentrate on a music career? I definitely want to focus on my singing for right now, but as soon as American Idol is off the air, I want to pursue an acting career. Maybe sitcoms or whatever comes my way. If you could pick the Celebrity Judge one week, who would you like to see on the show? Oh, wow...who could I bring on the show as a judge? Let's see...I know...Eminem! (*laughter*) That would be hysterical...I would bring Eminem in on Rap Week. Of all the celebrities you've met, who really stands out? Definitely Olivia Newton-John, because I used to watch Grease every single day after school. Then, as soon as it was over and got to the credits, I'd stop it, rewind it, and watch it again. I literally watched it every day after school for I don't know how many years straight. What was the funniest things that happened while you were in the house? Oh, when they hid Josh's shoes from him. The boys hid Josh's shoes because he had put shaving cream in the boys' beds. So, they hid all of Josh's shoes, and we were getting ready to go to a photo shoot. All of the producers were in on it, too, and they were all yelling at Josh. He thought he had misplaced his shoes, but we had really hid them all in a closet. He took the joke in good spirits, I hope? Oh, yeah, of course. Can you tell us...is there anything going on between Clay and Carmen? No, there's not. What advice would you give to someone who wanted to try out for the show? I would definitely say be confident in who you are before you go in. Be comfortable in your own skin, of course. And, if you believe in yourself, then everybody else will, too. And, if you don't try, you'll never know. Is there any song you would have liked to perform that you weren't able to for whatever reason? Yes. I would have really liked to do "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" by Michael Bolton. I was maybe going to do that on Billboard week instead of "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)", but for some reason, I didn't listen to my gut instinct. Now I wish I would have gotten the chance to do that. Then, this week, they're doing the music of Diane Warren, and I was really, really looking forward to doing Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time", which Diane wrote. But, maybe I'll get another opportunity to sing those somewhere else. In terms of song selection, do you all get advice or suggestions from the vocal coach? It's pretty much left up to us. Um, they just help us with the arrangements and the key. Well, Kim, we're about out of time. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. Oh, not a problem at all! And please tell everyone out there who is supporting me thank you very much, and let them know that it doesn't go unnoticed. They're the only reason that I am where I am today, so thank you. That's so nice of you to say. And, like I said earlier, you have lots of fans here at the FORT, so hopefully you'll be able to stop by sometime and say hello. Oh, definitely. I'll definitely do that as soon as I get home. Great! Well, thanks again, Kim, and congratulations. Thanks. Bye! Thanks to Kim for taking the time to talk to me, and to the people at FOX for granting me permission to interview this year's finalists. [back]