Frenchie Davis
Ratchets It Up At Help Fundraiser

American Idol 2’s Frenchie Davis will perform alongside stars including Kimberley Locke, Jai Rodriguez, Ricki Lake, Marilu Henner, and Bruce Vilanch at the annual event with a theme of "Blame it on the Movies" to benefit The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation (REAF), a non-profit organization established to raise funds for AIDS service provider agencies through the production of quality entertainment events.

You’re already in the middle of your engagement at the Razz Room.
Yeah, it’s going great, I am having a good time. It’s so hilarious to me to be a part of this, because I have thought I was forever vanished from anything Idol, but I guess I’ve been re-idolized, or at least temporarily so. It’s really good to see Trenyce and Ricky (Smith), and Julia (DeMato) and I were roommates during Hollywood Week, so it’s really good to see her again and; it’s like grown-up-idol [laughs].

You’re going to appear at the Palace of Fine Arts on August 3rd to sing for “Help is on the Way 14”, the fundraiser. How did you get involved with them?
Through Michael Orland (Help is on the Way, Director) who played piano for me when I was on Idol.

What music do you play, what are you bring to San Francisco
I’m doing One Night Only and I Am Changing.

What are San Francisco audiences, what are they like to you? Are they loving you, do you appreciate them?
I appreciate all of my audiences, um, but the San Francisco audience has been amazing. I love em, I’m having a great time here. San Francisco might be that medium that I am looking for. I love the excitement of New York, but I’m still a California girl at heart. Like I’m feeling San Francisco, I love it! We’ll see what happens, but it’s on my list now of cities that I will consider when I get ready to buy my place

“Dreamgirls”. What was it like touring the west coast in that vehicle?
Uh, that was amazing, it was amazing experience. You know I am a big old theatre queen, I’ve always, you know, loved the music from the show. So it was really exciting to have an opportunity to do that. It was a great cast; I made some great friendships in that show people that I am still friends with. It was a wonderful experience.

I’ve heard you sing the songs from “Dreamgirls”, and people respond to you, it’s almost as if they’re your songs. I think you missed an opportunity to display that in the movie form; it would have been great to have you in the film, in that role.
Yeah, I think everything happens for a reason. You know, I am very proud of Jennifer (Hudson) and I’m happy for her, so, and that doesn’t take away from any of my fabulosity. So, It’s all to the good, I’m not even tripping.

You starred in “Rent” on Broadway from 2003 to 2007.
Yeah, eight shows a week for four years, it was exhausting. You know, and what I’ve learned from that, was that I’m probably wont be doing a show for more than like two or three years.  

When I left I had polyps on my left vocal cord and I had to have surgery, and it was just like an ordeal. The fact that I can even have this conversation with you and that I am still able to sing, is a blessing and one that I do not take for granted. Eight shows a week for four years? I am not doing that ever again [laughs]!

Are you looking forward to joining Idol winner Ruben Studdard for a tour of the Tony-winning Fats Waller revue Ain't Misbehavin' this fall?
I haven’t seen him since him and Clay (Aiken) came to see me in “Rent”. That was a few years ago, that was like when I first joined the show, like four years ago. To work with him and to do Ain't Misbehavin', I love that music, and I mean Nell Carter is a legend, so, I’m excited.

Who in your American Idol past do you stay in contact with?
Mostly Ruben (Studdard), Rickey (Smith), um, Nasheka (Siddall); but other than that, not really a lot of people. It was really weird like, everybody did their own thing, I guess? I left the show so much earlier than anyone else, and the other contestants can only be so sorry to see me go.

What about this rumor with you and Eva Pigford?
Yes, she was season 3 of America’s Next Top Model. But yeah, my best friend from the 10th grade is her older cousin, so we all grew up together. You know, the gay community loves us, particularly the black gay community in Atlanta. And um, any smart college educated girl was gonna see that as a way to make money. And so we threw a fabulous party for the girls for Pride in Atlanta and we did a photo shoot for the advertisements, and somehow a copy of the picture ended up on some website and we then they were accusing us of being in a lesbian affair.

Let me tell you, as gay friendly as I am, and as beautiful of a girl as she is, if there was anything going on, I so wouldn’t deny it. But there’s not and there never was. You know what I mean, like its not that deep. I would be like Ellen on the red carpet holding her hand, I wouldn’t even deny it.

On your MySpace, there was an item that said Ice Cream – Vanilla; Men – Chocolate (sometimes vanilla)?
Absolutely. I don’t know why, I just love a black man with white teeth. I just love it when they are black-black [laughs] and got some beautiful white teeth. I don’t know why, but I lived in Germany for four years, so it ain’t like I ain’t had no vanilla either. I just love beautiful men and aren’t I lucky that some of them like me too.

Your MySpace seems to be dedicated to Barrack, what is your connection to him?
Actually my MySpace is more connection to my passion about politics and social issues. Just my passion about politics and you know interacting with my fans and let them know I am not just up here singing and dancing, that I have some views, I have some opinions and I know how to express them intelligently.

What do you think it is Obama that transcends race right now in terms of politics in American right now?
It’s not even about race. And I think, for me, it was an exciting election all the way around. Um, being a woman, being African American and watching the democratic primary, and even, there were even Republicans that I like. I grew up in a Republican household. I know, black republicans, they exist; it’s not a myth. Every year they get together in a phone booth in Washington (D.C.). But um, [laughs] I’m just kidding.

But, what was weird is that I really like Mike Hucklebee, even though I disagree with him wholeheartedly on so many of his views. There are a lot of views of Obama has that I disagree with. I kind of like John McCain, he’s not getting my vote, but I kind of like him. Like, he’s a hero and he’s a good guy. I think on both sides, there were candidates that I liked a lot about.

I miss Hucklebee, like McCain and very proud to see Hilary do what she did and wholeheartedly supporting Obama. And that’s my Shpeal.