SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — The gorgeous homegrown jazz singer Kimmie Horne has been making audiences swoon since she was a young girl with dreams of working as a broadcast journalist but a trip to the recording studio and an open microphone would change her path.
“This is what you should be doing,” said Kimmie Horne.
Kimmie comes from a legacy of entertainers including Hollywood Icon Lena Horne.
“The legacy that Lena Horne left as a trailblazer as a beautiful singer movie icon and she had so much spunk,” said Kimmie. “I feel like the Horne, the torch has been passed to me and I stand very proudly on that.”
Kimmie, who has traveled the world over to entertain the masses, decided to launch her own jazz festival here at home and it has been a big hit.
“Five years ago I wanted to do something literally that just offered a platform for me to be able to share the stage with some of my musical peers,” said Kimmie.
She moved the festival from Lathrup Village to Southfield two years ago and it was so successful, the Florida Keys contacted Kimmie to bring her festival there as well.
“It's grown beyond my wildest dreams,” said Kimmie. Seven thousand people came out on the very first night now it's a full weekend extravaganza.”
It put Southfield in the spotlight too. Kimmie took home the National Cultural Entertainment Award and the festival has helped raise nearly 20,000 for the Southfield Public Arts.
“When we started the festival we definitely wanted to give back to the community,” said Kimmie.
And give back she has, an additional $20,000 has gone to the Ronald McDonald House of Detroit.
“For anyone whose ill music is healing and so our dollars helped create a music room,” said Kimmie.
If you want to see Kimmie for yourself, The Kimmie Horne Jazz Festivalin Southfield is the place to be this weekend.
“Bring your lawn chairs, bring your blankets, get comfy,” said Kimmie.
Thornetta Davis will be the headliner Friday and on Saturday Kimmie will take the stage at 9pm but many of her friends will be taking the stage as well.
Kimmie is the first woman to put her name on a jazz festival and she says she could not make this happen without the backing of local businesses like Varsity Lincoln, Ascension Health even the Dirty Dog Cafe.
So bring your family and enjoy!
