But it wasn't until Kimberly secured a job with Gaylord
Entertainment's Grand Ole Opry Group/Opryland Productions, that she
realized her true passion for the "business" of music. During
her 7-year tenure with Gaylord Entertainment, Kimberly produced shows
and special events for Opryland theme park, including "Kid's Club", "U.
B. Sharpe", "Howl-O-Ween in the Park", "Christmas In the Park", "The Ray
Stevens Show", guest performing groups, Ryman Auditorium special
events and the popular “Sundays In The Park” event series that included
a monthly bluegrass jam, gospel and song writing events; all of which
had her working hand-in-hand with the Grand Ole Opry Group's marketing
team. She managed the Roy Acuff Theatre and booked entertainment for
7 venues within the Gaylord Opryland Resort. In addition, Kimberly
produced convention entertainment for major companies
including Coca-Cola, Burger King, Sherwin Williams,
Kubota, Duracell and CMT that included some of the most popular artists
in music including Lee Ann Rimes, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Ricky Skaggs,
Alison Krauss, Chicago, Reba McEntire, Huey Lewis and the News and
Stevie Wonder. Kimberly left Gaylord Entertainment at the end of
2000 to move closer to her family in Sparta, Tennessee. At
that time, she secured a job in sales for the local newspaper and
freelanced in event production and public relations. This move resulted
in her working with the City of Sparta to increase tourism by producing
an annual bluegrass festival that brings national talent to the rural
area. In 2002, Kimberly co-founded The Expedition Show (formerly
Williams & Clark Expedition) a national touring bluegrass band for which
she is the bass player and one of two lead singers. With The
Expedition Show, she has acted as the band's publicist which began to
draw attention from other artists, ultimately resulting in the official
launch of East Public Relations in 2005. The company has
successfully maintained a full-time roster of clients that include
artists, a record label and several events.
A
Native of Texas, Kimberly Williams began her love for music at a
very early age through her father, whose extensive record library consisting
of everything from Pat Boone to Johnny Horton to Jim Reeves, would entertain
her to the wee hours of the morning. Through the encouragement of a close
family friend, Kimberly began playing mandolin when she was 12 years old and
soon began singing lead and harmony vocals in her family's band, The Phillip
East Family. During that time, Kimberly booked shows for the band all over
Texas and bordering states including festivals, fairs, and grand opening
events. She continued to perform with her family while attending Texas
State University (formerly Southwest Texas State University) in San Marcos
with a concentration in business administration and a minor in English. In
1992, Kimberly moved to Nashville, Tennessee and hit the music scene playing
writer's nights in local clubs. Soon after, she became a session singer for
songwriters and publishers including Gerald Smith, Vern Gosdin, Hank
Cochran, Tom Collins Publishing, Co-Heart Music, and Muy Bueno Music.
