Ever since Kimberly “Kim” Covington was old enough to speak she loved to sing. As A young girl she loved to listen and watch her mother lift her voice, singing the Gospel throughout her native hometown of Trenton, New Jersey, with a local famous female gospel group, The Trenton Gospelettes. As she got older, Kim knew she was destined to travel the world.
Kim said it was her Great Uncle, Reverend Daniel Evans, founder of The Wayne Avenue Baptist Church in Trenton who inspired her and a community of other Christians, including her mother to sing.
Watching her mother sing for the glory of the Lord gave Kim the desire to follow in her footsteps. Kim began her singing career singing Gospel. However she had bigger aspirations for herself. She wanted to travel the world. She was taught by her mother that through her strong faith in God, and her willingness to push beyond the limits, there was nothing she could not accomplish in life. Kim believed that with all her heart and pursued a music career that many could only dream of.
Kim remembers training hard every weekend with her vocal coach, Mrs. Olga, and for Kim classical music was not easy nor flexible enough to her liking. “You must sing what is written”, she said. Kim also said it is why she became more influenced by Jazz music. “I was more free in my interpretation”, she said.
While attending Trenton Central High School, Kim performed as Billy Holiday and sang “Good Morning Heartache” in a school play. Trenton High’s music teacher, Mr. Thomas Grice, saw the 16 year-old’s performance and saw a talent he knew would blossom into a perfected artist one day. He took her to Philadelphia where she met the great saxophonist Mr. Tony Williams and the Stanton Diner Teenage Jazz Band, who’s leader had invested much of his time and money into artists such as, Grover Washington Jr., along with other musicians from German Town.
“We were all between the ages of 14 and 18”, said Kim. “And that’s when a different class became a part of my life at 16. And I worked every weekend while going to Trenton Central High”. Kim said she even missed her High School Prom that year because she chose to sing in Philadelphia that weekend. “I kind of regret I missed that experience though, she said through her chuckles.”But that was the choice”, she said.
That trip to Philadelphia led Kim on a three month tour to Singapore. After touring Singapore, Kim said the band returned back to the United States. “I did a couple records with, Philadelphia International”, she said. “Things weren’t working so well. The group was kind of slow, records were slowing down”, she said.
Some of Kim’s influence came from great artists like,Donna Summer and Whitney Houston, who sadly passed away on Kim’s birthday.
Just when she thought her singing career was at a halt, Kim received a telephone call offering her an amazing opportunity to travel abroad, and of course she took it, straight to France. That is where she met her first husband and got married.
After a decade long marriage that sadly ended, Kim continued to stay in Paris and traveled to and from Italy to perform as well as other various places like, Hawaii, Marrecessh Morracco, Tel Aviv and Dubai. More often, Kim performed at private affairs in London.
Kim met her second husband on a plane traveling back to Italy to perform. After talking to him for three straight months in French, she was hooked.
Kim has performed with several musicians throughout Paris and France, along with lead orchestras. She has focused more on producing her own music than music of other people. Although she admits she has been a bit silent recently, she does have projects in the works. She sings fluently in French and Italian and says she fills gifted to be able to communicate through her songs. “Because I sing in French and Italian too, when I take them to a ‘Kimberly Show Evening’, I take them through Gospel, I take them through also a traditional song, a song in French and Italian to let them know that I can also communicate the music to them through their language. And I take them to the Whitney and to the Tina side”.
Kim performs Tina Turner’s “Simply The Best” with, F. Fattizzo band -Premio Mediterraneo in 2006
Kim gives her mother much credit and respect for being one of her biggest supporters throughout her singing career. “She looks at me and she says, mmm, I made you, so I know what you’re made of”.
Kim sings one song, “Sur Les Musique Noire” in two different languages, French and English. Although she sings it to perfection, Kim says it wasn’t easy learning the song. “It was very difficult, but because I studied French in high school and Douglas College, made learning my songs easier”, she said.
Here Kim sings the same song in English
What is next for Kimberly Covington? “Working with honest people who know how to get the job done. I speak three languages, I would love to share my mother country USA with Italy & France. What will happen? God Knows. I will step out on faith”, said Kim.
One things is for certain, Kim will always honor and glorify God in all that she pursues and achieve.
“It has been a long road, changing countries. If God had told me the future I would have locked myself in a closet and said, I can’t do this! How great God is. So smart not to tell us the journey before we trust him and jump out on faith”, said Kim.
Kim performing at: Concerto Gospel in memoria di S.S. Papa Giovanni Paolo II with the Brotherhood Gospel Choir.