Frenchie Davis

Best known to the public for her brief tenure as a vocal contestant on the fifth season of the popular reality series American Idol (2006), Frenchie Davis was born in Los Angeles and, after studying theater at Washington, D.C.'s Howard University, quickly established herself as a presence in musical theater around the world, tackling small roles in German productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Jesus Christ Superstar. The performer also portrayed Effie White in the West Coast production of Dreamgirls, and sustained a four-year role in the Broadway production of Rent. Davis then auditioned and was accepted for Idol, but much-publicized controversy erupted when it became apparent that the young woman (under the pseudonym "Honey Brown") had posed for pornographic spreads on an Internet website; Fox followed suit by dismissing Davis from the Idol running, which prompted a massive public outcry to no avail -- many tagging her as the most talented of all the competitors. The network persisted with its dismissal, however, and eventually handed the crown to Taylor Hicks. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi