Legendary Singer Connie Francis, Once a Rival to Elvis and The Beatles, Passed Away at 87
via WTVR CBS 6 / YouTube
A Pop Icon Remembered
Connie Francis, a major pop star of the 1950s and ‘60s, has died at the age of 87. Known for her popular songs like Pretty Little Baby and Who’s Sorry Now?, she rose to fame during a time when Elvis Presley and The Beatles topped the charts. Her friend and publicist, Ron Roberts, shared the news of her passing but didn’t give more details.
Earlier this month, Francis revealed she had been hospitalized with “extreme pain.” Recently, she gained attention again when Pretty Little Baby went viral on TikTok. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner helped bring it back into the spotlight. “I’m flabbergasted and excited about the huge buzz my 1962 recording of ‘Pretty Little Baby’ is making all over the world,” she said in a TikTok video.
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Chart-Topping Career
From 1957 to 1964, Francis was a regular on music charts, with over 25 hits. She was the third top-selling performer of that time, behind Presley and The Beatles. Her music appealed to both teens and adults, earning her more than a dozen Top 20 songs. Some of her most loved tracks were Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You and The Heart Has a Mind of Its Own.
She didn’t just stick to music — like many teen stars of her time, Francis acted in films like Where the Boys Are and Follow the Boys. She began her music career at 17, signing with MGM Records. Though her early songs didn’t do well, her version of Who’s Sorry Now? took off after it aired on American Bandstand in 1958. Host Dick Clark continued to support her, which she later said saved her career.
Behind the Music
Francis became famous for hits like Stupid Cupid, Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool, and Lipstick on Your Collar. She even re-recorded songs in other languages like Italian and Spanish. Her shows often sold out around the country. A well-known relationship with Bobby Darin ended when her father found out about a possible wedding and pulled a gun on Darin.
In her 1984 autobiography Who’s Sorry Now?, she wrote, “My personal life is a regret from A to Z.” She said, “I realised I had allowed my father to exert too much influence over me.” Her father, George Franconero, had managed her since she was a child. He bought her a toy accordion at age 3 and started booking her shows when she was just 4.
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Tragedies and Resilience
Though her film career faded, she still performed live. In 1974, after a show in New York, Francis was raped at knifepoint in her hotel room. Her attacker was never found. She sued the hotel, won a $2.5 million judgment, and later settled for $1.475 million. She said the incident led to emotional pain and the end of her marriage.
In 1981, her brother George was shot and killed outside his New Jersey home. Not long after, her father had her placed in a psychiatric hospital, where she was diagnosed with manic depression. She attempted suicide by taking sleeping pills, but survived after being in a coma for three days.
Giving Back
After recovering, Francis reached out to President Ronald Reagan, offering to help others. She called herself “America’s most famous crime victim.” Reagan named her to a task force on violent crime. “I don’t want people to feel sorry for me,” she told The New York Times in 1981. “I have my voice, a gift from God I took for granted before. He gave it back to me.”
She was married four times but only spoke well of her third husband, Joseph Garzilli. The others, she said, weren’t worth the trouble. Born Concetta Rosemarie Franconero on December 12, 1937, in Newark, New Jersey, she began performing at age 9. She appeared on TV shows like Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, where Godfrey suggested she change her last name.
