Budding Vocalist to Perform in Atlanta

Two weeks from now, when 16-year-old Tiombe Anika Lockhart shows up at the 26th Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, she will come under the scrutiny of some of the world’s top athletes.

They will all be there: weightlifters, boxers, rowers, swimmers, soccer players, pole vaulters, wrestlers, archers and jocks of every other stripe from all four corners of the world. They’ll stop at the coffeehouse in Olympic Village and maybe order up a decaf mocha (caffeine is a banned substance) or latte. They’ll settle into one of the 200 seats and prepare to soak in some stress-relieving entertainment. That’s where Tiombe comes in.

Tiombe, who attends the Los Angeles High School for the Arts, said she’ll perform a mix of music including hip-hop, rhythm and blues and gospel. “I’ll be performing on a stage for the athletes and coaches” and anyone else allowed into the village.

Tiombe and her mother left their native Atlanta five years ago for Los Angeles, hoping to make connections in the music and television industry. But Tiombe’s greatest opportunity may be in her hometown during her upcoming two-night gig in Olympic Village.

“I really hope this can be a springboard for her,” said Tiombe’s mother, Gloria Lockhart, who said her daughter has a long list of performance credits, including a spot as a junior vocalist on the TV show “Star Search.”

Lockhart said her daughter will be one of the youngest of approximately 40 entertainers scheduled to perform for the athletes in Olympic Village. The invitation came about after one of the entertainment managers for this year’s Olympics heard Tiombe sing at an event several years ago, Lockhart said. The official stayed in touch with Tiombe’s mother and invited Tiombe to perform this year in Atlanta, as long as she could pay her own air fare and expenses.

Tiombe didn’t have the money, but was able to raise enough with the help of friends and area businesses, including Kaiser Permanente.