Published
Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 08:00
- Formerly known as Denis LePage, the Montreal artist topped the US dance charts in 1980.
Nini Nobless, one half of cult Canadian duo Lime, has died aged 74.
Nobless' death was confirmed by a friend on Facebook. "I've never known anyone so brilliant," they wrote. "Every time she put her hands on a keyboard, she generated an ear worm. I'll never see this again in my life and I'm privileged to have shared these very rare moments with her." According to La Presse, she died of cancer on Monday, August 21st.
Nobless, who was born and famously known as Denis LePage before transitioning, formed Lime in 1980 with her then-wife Denyse LePage. The duo were pioneers of Canadian Hi-NRG music, a sound that emerged from their native Montreal and was more European-inspired than Hi-NRG from the US, drawing heavily from Italo disco.
Lime are best known for tracks such as "Babe, We're Gonna Love Tonight," "I Don't Wanna Lose You" and debut single "Your Love," which topped the US Dance charts. A lot of their music continues to be spun by contemporary Italo disco DJs today.
Outside of Lime, Nobless composed Voggue's "Dancin' The Night Away" in 1980. She also released a handful of electro-pop records in the 2000s and 2010s.
Listen to "I Don't Wanna Lose You," and read some tributes.