and I was doing backup work. It was not enough to sustain a comfortable lifestyle and I started to get sick and tired of this life. I refused to get by on my brother's name. During this period, I was working in San Francisco at a French restaurant, La Belle Helene. Some of the patrons would often suggest that I go to France. They said I would do very well there. They were very convincing and without knowing a bit of French, I left it all. I bought a one-way ticket and I was off to Paris. Everyone thought I was crazy." Arrival in France Fredericks arrived in France to pursue a singing career in January 1979. Fredericks met the owner of La Belle Helene at the airport. "He called his friends and I found myself working almost immediately. I started to sing everywhere. It was barely three weeks after my arrival that I was signed with Carla Music to record a disco album entitled Black Orchid." One of the songwriters for Black Orchid was another American singer, Ann Calvert. Through Calvert, Fredericks met Baltimore native Yvonne Jones. Together they formed a trio of background vocalists that were in demand by leading recording artists – Dalida, Johnny Hallyday, Hugues Aufray, Carlos and Sylvie Vartan. Fredericks was determined to learn French as quickly as possible. As her knowledge improved, engagements extended from the studio to the stage. By 1985, Fredericks had established herself as a singer and performing in concerts with Laurent Voulzy, Michel Berger, France Gall and Eddy Mitchell. In 1981 she was a backing singer for Jean-Claude Pascal on the Luxembourg entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, tying for eleventh place. 1985 In 1985, Fredericks was featured in the Gilbert Bécaud spectacular. Later that year, she toured Scandinavia with Mireille Mathieu. She was cast in Je vous aime by Claude Berri and in Roman Polanski's Pirates opposite Walter Matthau. Other film roles followed. 1986 Fredericks' knowledge of the French language greatly contributed to her success. By now Fredericks was singing with leading Francophone artists – Johnny Hallyday, Mylène Farmer, François Feldman, Patricia Kaas, Julien Clerc, and Liane Foly. Her reputation brought her name to the attention of Jean-Jacques Goldman. Fredericks Goldman Jones "[Carole] arrived in France in 1979. Shortly afterwards she launched a career as a studio musician – i.e. one of those people with extraordinary technical skills who