index

Kimberly
Dawn

Award Winning Nashville Recording Artist

Biography

"The Story"

FAN PAGE

PICTURE PAGE

Kim has been performing and singing since the age of 4. The first time she was handed a microphone it was as if a new personality emerged. According to Kim's parents, She was always so shy until she started to sing. Kim was able to draw her audience into her songs from the very beginning. People feel such emotion when she sings says local resident and homemaker, B.J. Hampton. Once the microphone was in place it seemed to never leave her hands. At every available opportunity, Kim jumped at the chance to be the center of attention. She performed with her dad and grandmother on many occasions in churches and at family get togethers. Throughout her school years she was front and center in Christmas productions, Spring Recitals, and annual Musical Revues. The summer after Kim turned sixteen, she accepted an audition for the musical The Sound of Music. She was given a part as one of the VonTrapp children in this heartwarming production. Acting and singing only added to the fever of the performing bug. The very next summer, Kim sent an auditiontape to Dr. Carlton Young, a Professor of Music in Nashville TN. She was the only candidate accepted from the state of KY to tour with others from all over the United States. They toured England and Whales for 10 days. Kim thought at this time her dream was coming true. She would be singing, performing for grand audiences and touring in foreign territory. The experience was every bit as wonderful as she thought it would be. Then reality came to surface when she returned home. It was time to go back to college, continue working at the local mall, and sing when the opportunity was found. Not long after returning from over seas, Kim met her future husband Jimmy.

The two of them were together constantly from the beginning, and began planning a wedding. A short time after meeting they were married. Jimmy and Kim were married. They remained married for close to thirteen years and have two children, Will (14) and Kourtney (12). Jimmy was extremely supportive in many ways, but the pressures of performing and travel were too much in the end.
In 1999, Kim began singing with her best friend from high school, Lisa. the two of them had gotten together many times for church performances and weddings, but this time they were asked to do a 90-minute performance for one of the local industry banquets. It was time to put a real show together and learn a lot of new music.

In five weeks time they became timZ2, and were getting calls and booking weeks at a time to perform. Kim and Lisa were teaching school during the day, changing to stage clothes before school was out and performing as timZ2 at local gigs at night. As teachers, their summers should have been free, but as performers they spent the entire summer on the road performing two or three times a week. After a live television appearance on a local station, Kim and Lisa were contacted by a band looking for female singers. Lisa was being faced with a hard decision.
Lisa was the wife of a farmer and the mother of (3). Music and the road wasn't included in her future for herself. Lisa and I love each other like sisters, and I knew that if the option ever came to go on the road permanently Lisa would never be able to do it. Family and tradition are too deeply imbedded in Lisa's blood.

Don't get me wrong, my children and husband will always come first in a major decision, but we aren't as attached to the land, or the location of our family. We know it doesn't matter where we are together, as long as we are together. The kids have been involved in all the decisions we've made about our future. They think all of this is a great adventure. I hope I'm teaching them that it's okay to set goals and follow dreams. No one will ever pop out of a bottle and just grant a wish; you have to work hard and be willing to make sacrifices along the way if you're going to realize a dream.
     Lisa and Kim continued performing together and stayed booked months in advance. They were given the opportunity to record demos for songwriters, which gave Kim the experience in the studio she would later be so thankful for. Jimmy continued to look for avenues to follow in order to further Kim's career. They made many trips to Nashville just scouting out possibilities for Kim to exhibit her talents. Eventually Kim and Lisa entered a talent search contest in Clarksville, TN. The girls won second place out of 25 acts. It was a wonderful performance, but the girls weren't the winners and that was where all the prizes were.
     In the winter of 2002, Kim and Lisa were booked for an entire weekend. Friday's gig went great, but Lisa was coming down with something and felt horrible. Saturday's performance started off okay, but after the third number Lisa had to leave the stage. Kim had to carry the rest of the show to a close. The two of them discussed what to do about the television performance the next day. Lisa was going to try to make it. In the end, Kim had to perform the hour live performance alone. This marked the end of the duo timZ2, and the beginning of the solo career of Kim. Producer/Engineers from Gene Breeden's Studio in Nashville, TN were willing to take a chance and help Kim record her first solo album.
     Kim's career is flying high with the upcoming release of her second album. She is currently performing most weekends on the stage of Live At Libby's in Daysville, Ky.

Please scroll down to sign my guest book and visit my fan page.

Kim Keeling Country Music Performer