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Nikki McKibbin
Nikki McKibbin
Background information
Born	September 28, 1978 (age 28)
Origin	Grand Prairie, Texas
Genre(s)	Rock, Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, Songwriter
Years active	2002, 2005—present
Label(s)	Chenoa Records (2005-Present) RCA Records (2002-2003)
Website	NikkiMcKibbin.com

Nikki McKibbin (born Katherine Nicole McKibbin on September 28, 1978 in Grand Prairie, Texas, USA) is an American rock music singer songwriter who finished third in the 2002 debut season of the reality television series American Idol. Prior to American Idol, McKibbin was one of the top twenty finalists in the first season of Popstars.

Contents 1 Early life 2 American Idol 3 Post-Idol career to Present 4 Online radio success 5 Performances on American Idol 6 Discography 6.1 Singles 6.2 Others 7 External links

Growing up people would tease her for her style. After American Idol she would remark how she thought it was funny that she got praised for her originality on the show but made fun of it in Texas. After high school she went to and graduated from cosmetology school. She also joined the business world and founded Angelfire Productions, a karaoke company, which did very well for her until she sold it in 2005 to focus on her music career. She would often sing at the Dallas Coyote Ugly Bar.^{[citation needed]}

McKibbin has a son named Tristen. She never married his father, but had a brief marriage which ended in early 2002.^{[citation needed]} She has struggled with money, and at one point was a stripper. She said she's not ashamed of this, and did what she had to do to take care of her son.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, Nikki auditioned for the show American Idol, earning a spot in the finals. According to the American Idol archives, McKibbin was the first finalist to sing in a fixed rock style in the competition. While on American Idol, McKibbin escaped elimination on several occasions, and her performances of Alanis Morrisette's "Mary Jane" and Melissa Etheridge's "I'm the Only One" earned the plucky red-head praise and a spot in the final three with eventual winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini. Nikki also set a record by being in the bottom three or two five times, a record that still stands as of 2006.

Immediately following her stint on American Idol, McKibbin signed with 19 Management and RCA Records. They urged her to record a country album, but she was determined to stay true to her rock roots; she rejected the idea saying that her fans had known her and voted for her on the show because she was a rocker, not a country singer. The creative differences resulted in no releasable recordings being produced.

In 2004, she appeared on the holiday CD Christmas in a Fishbowl with several other reality stars for Fishbowl.com.

In 2005, McKibbin appeared in several reality shows, including a special "Reality TV Stars" episode of the NBC series Fear Factor, and the sports competition show Battle of the Network Reality Stars in which her team won. She also appeared in the E! Entertainment reality show Kill Reality which documented the filming of The Scorned, a television movie with a cast comprised of reality television stars. McKibbin plays a singer in the film. The movie premiered October 31, 2005. After The Scorned McKibbin was accepted into the Screen Actors Guild.

McKibbin made an appearance in the band Rivethead's music video "You're So Cold".

In May 2005, McKibbin joined Dallas rock band Downside. They did several shows together including a sold out show at the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas, but due to creative and personal differences Nikki left the band in September of the same year.

In 2005, it was announced that she was signed to Australian indie label Astral Records, with her rock-influenced album originally intended to be released in February 2006. Recording began with manager/producer Joe Canizarro in December 2005, starting with a cover of "To Be With You" by Mr. Big. The single "The Lie"/"To Be With You" and a limited edition behind-the-scenes DVD was made available from her official web site. It was announced in Summer 2006 that McKibbin and Astral Records had decided to part ways and that she would be exclusively signed to Joe Canizarro's label Chenoa Records.

Her producers for her debut album include Canizarro (who also handles U.S. A&R for Astral Records), Stephen Ferrera, who worked with Kelly Clarkson, and Chenoa Music recording artist Annica.

Nikki's long-awaited debut album, Unleashed, is due out May 1 2007 per the latest blog on her MySpace. Also, fans can purchase "The Lie" on iTunes.

The popular Live365 station just added a third single, "Naked Inside," to its playlist.

• "I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor) (Audition; Spring 2002)
• "Unchained Melody" (The Righteous Brothers) (Pasadena Auditions; June 2002)
• "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (Bonnie Tyler, 1983) (Semi-finals; July 2, 2002)
• "Ben" (Michael Jackson, 1972) (Motown week; July 16, 2002) (Bottom 3)
• "Piece of My Heart" (Janis Joplin, 1968) (1960s week; July 23, 2002)
• "Heartbreaker" (Pat Benatar, 1979) (1970s week; July 30, 2002) (Bottom 3)
• "Hard-Hearted Hannah" (Ella Fitzgerald) (Big band week; August 6, 2002) (Bottom 3)
• "Always Something There to Remind Me" (Naked Eyes, 1983) (Love songs week; August 13, 2002) (Bottom 2)
• "Mary Jane" (Alanis Morissette, 1995) (1980s & 1990s week; August 20, 2002) (Bottom 2)
• "I'm the Only One" (Melissa Etheridge, 1993) (1980s & 1990s week; August 20, 2002) (Bottom 2)
• "Black Velvet" (Alannah Myles, 1990) (Choice selections week; August 27, 2002) (Bottom 2; voted off)
• "Edge of Seventeen" (Stevie Nicks, 1982) (Choice selections week; August 27, 2002) (Bottom 2; voted off)

1. "The Lie" (2006)

1. American Idol: Greatest Moments (2002)
2. Christmas in a FishBowl (2004)

• Nikki McKibbin official site
• "American Idol" profile of Nikki McKibbin
• Nikki McKibbin at the Internet Movie Database
• Be With You A Nikki McKibbin fansite

• Nikki's Store on Burnlounge.com
• Nikki's Music MySpace