Disco legend France Joli exploded onto the international music scene in 1979 at age 16 with her worldwide smash hit Come to Me. The Montrealer became an “overnight success” in July 1979 when she performed at the legendary Beach ’79 concert on Fire Island. Attendees included everyone from Calvin Klein to Studio 54 co-owner Steve Rubell. Joli sang her signature song Come to Me which charted at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, then at No. 1 on the disco chart. To this day the song is known as “the definitive Fire Island dance classic.”
Joli has performed at hundreds of Pride events around the world, but will perform at her hometown Pride for the first time at the Mundo Disko concert at the Fierté Montréal Festival on August 10.
France and I recently sat down for a candid Q&A.
You were just 12 in 1975 when you signed with your first manager, the legendary Lee Gagnon who now lives in New York.
France Joli : Lee Gagnon was a wonderful father figure since my father was not very present in my life. He taught me proper etiquette, how to walk in high heels, how to present myself in public. He gave me musical direction as well. He put me in singing and piano lessons. He brought me into the studio where I did some commercials and learned a lot. He didn’t just do extraordinary things for my career, he did extraordinary things for me as a human being. He was a mentor, always respectful and such a gentlemen.
You then auditioned for legendary record producer Tony Green when you were 15. You sang Barbara Streisand’s Evergreen and Hopelessly Devoted To You by Olivia Newton-John.
France Joli : As much of a mentor and father figure Lee Gagnon was, my career was going nowhere, so my mom ended the management contract. A year later I auditioned in English for Trans-Canada Records where Yves Martin said he knew just the right person for me – and that’s how I auditioned for Tony Green.
Your classic No. 1 disco song Come To Me was recorded in November 1978, written for you by Tony Green the day after you auditioned for him.
France Joli : I was very young. But we knew it was a great song from the beginning because when we recorded it in the studio, there was a lot of buzz in the industry. All the musicians were like, “You got a hit record there.” But I never really expected to have such success with it, so to hear my song being played on all the radio stations was quite surreal. The dream became more and more real as the weeks and months went by.
At age 16, you famously debuted Come to Me live at the iconic Beach ’79 benefit concert on Fire Island.
France Joli : It changed my life. It was my first American performance. I sang for 5,000 gay men and lesbians. It was my first encounter with the gay community and I was so fully embraced by so many people. It was a perfect night. I came on at 1:45 am, there was a full moon on the beach. Though the song hadn’t been released yet, they had heard the song in the clubs. So people were screaming like it was the biggest hit of the summer! It was like a dream. And seeing these guys just being so free, that’s when I started being an advocate for the gay community.
Today Come to Me is known as THE Fire Island dance classic.
France Joli : It makes me feel special. Every year somebody calls me from Fire Island to do a show, and sometimes we can make it happen. I’ve returned to Fire Island many, many times over the years but I was really touched when they invited me back to celebrate the 40th anniversary in 2019. It was also bittersweet because a lot of guys were missing. Many of my friends died of AIDS. I’m about to cry now. (France pauses for a moment.) It was like losing my foundation. So returning was also quite emotional. But on the positive side, it was magical. And it will always be magical every time I set foot on that island.
Fame also took a physical and emotional toll on you.
France Joli : Yes, I have an eating disorder that’s under control right now. It began when I was 12 when people in the business told me I had to be 10 pounds underweight because of the cameras and television. I was bulimic and anorexic when I was younger. That nearly destroyed me. Today I’m 70 pounds overweight. It’s harder to lose the weight when you’re older. But I’m done being overwhelmed by this. I eat better today and take it day by day.
Montréal’s iconic Lime Light discotheque was a popular hangout for visiting celebrities like Alice Cooper, Rick James, Freddie Mercury, Kraftwerk, Elton John, David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Performers at the club included Gloria Gaynor, Grace Jones, Donna Summer, The Trammps, James Brown. You headlined the Lime Light a couple times.
France Joli : It was THE club to be at. I remember one performance in particular, in 1981. My single Gonna Get Over You was climbing the charts, and the Lime Light was so packed there were people on top of the speakers and hanging from the ceiling! It was so packed the fire department came. It was surreal. What an audience!
Montreal was disco’s Second City, Lime Light house DJ Robert Ouimet was known as “The Godfather of Montreal Disco” and you were Montreal’s Queen of Disco. Did you and Robert meet?
France Joli : Being so young I didn’t hang out in the clubs so much. I did meet Robert but we never really got an opportunity to bond. He was a phenomenal talent.
Robert told me he preferred the Lime Light to Studio 54. You performed at Studio 54 many times.
France Joli : French culture was part of the Lime Light in Montreal, which you didn’t get at Studio 54, of course. But there were mega-stars at Studio 54 every night. Turn your head and you’d see Brooke Shields and Donna Summer and Michael Jackson. Studio 54 was so big and the drugs back then were right in your face. It was a little scary and I found performing at Studio 54 to be very intimidating.
Why is disco still important?
France Joli : It is happy music that came to symbolize freedom. All people – not just the gay community – lost themselves dancing on the dance floor. I believe that is why disco remains so popular today. I also think one of the reasons disco was so controversial is because the LGBTQ community made it popular, and many people resented that it became the soundtrack of gay liberation.
What does Pride mean to you?
France Joli : Pride means freedom, acceptance and equality. It is a day of remembrance, protest and celebration. We’ve come a long way but there is still a lot of discrimination against LGBTQ people around the world. It’s important for me to be part of the solution, to help get more people involved because I fell in love with the LGBTQ community. They are my family. It is a privilege for me to perform at Pride celebrations.
And now you will perform at your hometown Pride for the first time!
France Joli : And I thought it might never happen! I have performed at Prides around the world, but I have always wanted to sing at Pride in my hometown. I’ve been longing to do this. So here I am at age 61, and it really warms my heart that it’s really finally happening after all these years.
You are a living legend and will forever be Montreal’s Queen of Disco.
France Joli : Well, all my life I had a hard time with compliments. Now I just take them and I go, “That’s the way you feel about me? You got it, baby! I thank you so much.
INFOS | France Joli performs at the Mundo Disko free concert at the Scène TD on the Esplanade du Parc olympique at the Fierté Montréal Festival on August 10.
