A GoPride Interview
Frenchie Davis
French Kissed: Frenchie Davis brings her R&B love to Chicago Pride Fest
Thu. June 21, 2012 by Jerry Nunn
I love coming to Chicago for Pride. I'm so excited
French Kissed: Frenchie Davis brings her R&B love to Chicago Pride Fest
R&B singer and former "American Idol" contestant Frenchie Davis hits town again this weekend for Chicago Pride Fest, Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23 in Chicago's Boystown neighborhood.
After appearing on the second season of "Idol," Davis moved on to a number of musicals including a four-year run in the Broadway hit "Rent," and continued in "Ain't Misbehavin'" and Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella."
In 2011 Davis appeared on the first season of the NBC hit television show "The Voice" where she auditioned by singing "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry. She was selected by judge Christina Aguilera and advanced to the next round before eventually being cut.
The 33-year-old Davis has also collaborated with esteemed producer Tony Moran to create a number of dance club hits. So get ready to dance as Frenchie Davis takes the North Stage on Saturday night!
JN: (Jerry Nunn) Hi, Frenchie. I met you backstage at Market Days last year and you liked my glasses, you are the sweetest! Are you ready for another hot Chicago summer?
FD: (Frenchie Davis) Yes I am! I love coming to Chicago for Pride. I'm so excited!
JN: Will you be singing "Love's Got a Hold On Me?"
FD: Yes I will be. I can't wait to sing it for you guys!
JN: What was it like working with Christina Aguilera on The Voice?
FD: It was a great experience. She has a great ear, actually, when it comes to creating ways to make a song your own. It was really important to her that Team Christina didn't sound like karaoke singers. I had a lot of fun working with her on my vocal arrangements.
JN: I just spoke with Beverly McClellan and she said great things about you.
FD: Awwww I adore Beverly! That's my sister from another mother.
JN: Can you compare being on American Idol to The Voice?
FD: I don't think a comparison will be fair because they're two entirely different shows and I don't have enough experience to compare the two because I was only able to compete on one of them. My experience was that the caliber of talent was much higher on The Voice. I will say The Voice was about that, the voice.
JN: You have been in such a variety of musicals. Do you one that meant a lot to you personally or special moment from one?
FD: All the shows I've been in are special to me for different reasons. I loved doing Rent, Dream Girls, and Little Shop of Horrors. And they've all been different experiences. I've made friends from every show, and I loved the songs from every show. They were all different.
JN: Is there a musical that you would like to do but haven't?
FD: Yes, at some point I would love to do the play Chicago.
JN: Do you watch Smash or Glee?
FD: Not regularly but I do love them and think they're great shows.
JN: You worked with Tony Moran, what other DJs would you like to work with?
FD: That's a hard question! I don't want to offend anyone by accidentally leaving someone out because there are a lot of DJs I'd love to work with.
JN: Do you talk openly about your sexual preference?
FD: Yes I do.
Editor's Note: Frenchie Davis came out lesbian during an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday, June 21. "I wasn't out before the relationship, but I wasn't in," Davis told the paper. "I dated men and women, though lesbians weren't feeling the bisexual thing. Now I'm in love with a woman I think I can be with forever."
JN: Will you ever grow your hair out?
FD: I don't know.
I just love short hair. Some people look great with a lot of hair, but for me it's too much.
Maybe with age, I'll think about it but I love my hair short.
I focus on a beat face. I love being able to jump in and out of the shower and put on a little moisturizer and keep it moving. I don't want to have to think about what I'm doing with my hair.
JN: What future projects do you have coming down the pike?
FD: Right now, finishing the album and putting out a single in iTunes in a month or so. Eventually more theatre, but concentrating right not on putting out some hot dance tracks for my gays to twirl to this summer.
JN: Well, I am looking forward to seeing you on Halsted again!
FD: Smooches.
JN: Did I just get Frenchie kissed? (laughs)
Frenchie Davis performs Saturday, June 23 at 8:00 pm on the Chicago Pride Fest North Stage. For more of Frenchie's kisses and projects visit www.FrenchieDavis.org.
Chicago Pride Fest line-up: Friday, June 22 | Saturday, June 23
After appearing on the second season of "Idol," Davis moved on to a number of musicals including a four-year run in the Broadway hit "Rent," and continued in "Ain't Misbehavin'" and Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella."
In 2011 Davis appeared on the first season of the NBC hit television show "The Voice" where she auditioned by singing "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry. She was selected by judge Christina Aguilera and advanced to the next round before eventually being cut.
The 33-year-old Davis has also collaborated with esteemed producer Tony Moran to create a number of dance club hits. So get ready to dance as Frenchie Davis takes the North Stage on Saturday night!
JN: (Jerry Nunn) Hi, Frenchie. I met you backstage at Market Days last year and you liked my glasses, you are the sweetest! Are you ready for another hot Chicago summer?
FD: (Frenchie Davis) Yes I am! I love coming to Chicago for Pride. I'm so excited!
JN: Will you be singing "Love's Got a Hold On Me?"
FD: Yes I will be. I can't wait to sing it for you guys!
JN: What was it like working with Christina Aguilera on The Voice?
FD: It was a great experience. She has a great ear, actually, when it comes to creating ways to make a song your own. It was really important to her that Team Christina didn't sound like karaoke singers. I had a lot of fun working with her on my vocal arrangements.
JN: I just spoke with Beverly McClellan and she said great things about you.
FD: Awwww I adore Beverly! That's my sister from another mother.
JN: Can you compare being on American Idol to The Voice?
FD: I don't think a comparison will be fair because they're two entirely different shows and I don't have enough experience to compare the two because I was only able to compete on one of them. My experience was that the caliber of talent was much higher on The Voice. I will say The Voice was about that, the voice.
JN: You have been in such a variety of musicals. Do you one that meant a lot to you personally or special moment from one?
FD: All the shows I've been in are special to me for different reasons. I loved doing Rent, Dream Girls, and Little Shop of Horrors. And they've all been different experiences. I've made friends from every show, and I loved the songs from every show. They were all different.
JN: Is there a musical that you would like to do but haven't?
FD: Yes, at some point I would love to do the play Chicago.
JN: Do you watch Smash or Glee?
FD: Not regularly but I do love them and think they're great shows.
JN: You worked with Tony Moran, what other DJs would you like to work with?
FD: That's a hard question! I don't want to offend anyone by accidentally leaving someone out because there are a lot of DJs I'd love to work with.
JN: Do you talk openly about your sexual preference?
FD: Yes I do.
Editor's Note: Frenchie Davis came out lesbian during an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday, June 21. "I wasn't out before the relationship, but I wasn't in," Davis told the paper. "I dated men and women, though lesbians weren't feeling the bisexual thing. Now I'm in love with a woman I think I can be with forever."
JN: Will you ever grow your hair out?
FD: I don't know.
I just love short hair. Some people look great with a lot of hair, but for me it's too much.
Maybe with age, I'll think about it but I love my hair short.
I focus on a beat face. I love being able to jump in and out of the shower and put on a little moisturizer and keep it moving. I don't want to have to think about what I'm doing with my hair.
JN: What future projects do you have coming down the pike?
FD: Right now, finishing the album and putting out a single in iTunes in a month or so. Eventually more theatre, but concentrating right not on putting out some hot dance tracks for my gays to twirl to this summer.
JN: Well, I am looking forward to seeing you on Halsted again!
FD: Smooches.
JN: Did I just get Frenchie kissed? (laughs)
Frenchie Davis performs Saturday, June 23 at 8:00 pm on the Chicago Pride Fest North Stage. For more of Frenchie's kisses and projects visit www.FrenchieDavis.org.
Chicago Pride Fest line-up: Friday, June 22 | Saturday, June 23
Interviewed by Jerry Nunn. Jerry Nunn is a contributing writer to the GoPride Network. His work is also featured in Windy City Times, Nightspots Magazine and syndicated nationally. Follow @jerrynunn