Connie Francis, Legendary Singer, Dies At 87 After Illness

Photo: AP

Connie Francis, who was once the most famous and biggest-selling female singer in the world, has died at the age of 87. Her real name was Concetta Rosemarie Franconero. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in a simple Italian-American family. Connie started playing the accordion when she was just three years old because her father encouraged her. Later, she changed her name to Connie Francis and began appearing on TV when she was a teenager.

Her Early Life And Start In Music

Connie’s journey to success was not easy. In the beginning, she tried very hard to become a singer, but almost all record companies rejected her songs. She only got her first contract with MGM Records because her demo song was called “Freddy,” which was the name of the record company president’s son. Even after this, her first few songs did not become hits. She was so disappointed that she decided to leave music and study medicine at university.

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Her First Big Hit

Before leaving, she recorded one last song called “Who’s Sorry Now?” because her father forced her to do it. She did not like the song because it was old, written in 1923. Connie thought young people would laugh at her. But her father told her if she didn’t record the song, she would only get on TV by sitting on it, meaning she would never be famous. In 1958, Dick Clark played the song on his famous show American Bandstand and said Connie would reach number one. Connie was sitting at home and was shocked when she saw this on TV. She said it felt like a huge celebration in her living room that night.

Becoming A Music Star

After that, Connie Francis became a superstar. She sang many popular songs like “Stupid Cupid,” “Lipstick On Your Collar,” and “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.” In 1960, she became the first woman to reach number one on the Billboard Top 100 with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.” She also recorded songs in many languages like German, French, Italian, Japanese, Neapolitan, and Spanish. Her song “Where The Boys Are” from the 1961 movie was released in seven languages. She was truly an international singer loved by people all over the world.

Helping Others Through Her Music

In 1963, Connie recorded one of the first charity songs called “In The Summer Of His Years.” It was a tribute to US President John F. Kennedy after he was killed. But soon, in the mid-1960s, her popularity reduced because new singers like The Beatles and Bob Dylan became famous. Connie also lost her voice for some time after a nasal surgery.

A Tragic Incident

In 1974, she tried to make a comeback by performing at the Westbury Music Fair in New York. After her performance, a terrible thing happened to her. She was attacked, beaten, and raped at knifepoint in her motel room. This made her very scared and sad. She stopped singing and became a recluse. She was admitted to psychiatric hospitals many times and later said her father forced her to go. Connie became so depressed that she once tried to kill herself by taking sleeping pills. But when she was about to do it, her adopted son Joey knocked on the bathroom door and said, “Mommy, you’re the best mommy I ever had.” This made her realise she wanted to live, and she threw the pills away.

Winning A Court Case

Later, Connie won $1.5 million in a court case against the motel company, Howard Johnson’s, because they did not have proper locks on the glass door through which the attacker entered her room.

Another Personal Loss

In 1981, just when she was ready to sing again, her younger brother George Franconero was shot dead in front of his house. He had given evidence against the mafia, and this broke Connie’s heart. She became very sad again and spent many years in hospitals for treatment. During this time, she was told she had bipolar disorder. But Connie did not give up. She started supporting groups that helped victims of crime and people with mental health problems. She became part of Women Against Rape and the Victims’ Assistance Legal Organisation and spoke for Mental Health America.

Her Return To Music

In 1989, Connie returned to recording songs. She continued singing to sold-out audiences even in her 70s. She recorded more than 70 albums in her career, which is an incredible achievement for any singer.

Her Recent Life And Viral TikTok Fame

In the last few months, Connie Francis became famous again because of her song “Pretty Little Baby,” which she recorded in 1962. The song went viral on TikTok, and many people, including Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, used it in their videos with their children and pets. One video by Brooke Monk and Sam Dezz was watched over 158 million times. Even ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog said Connie was her favourite singer. Gracie Lawrence, an actress playing Connie Francis in a Broadway musical called Just in Time, shared a video of herself singing the song in Connie’s character. Connie was surprised that people loved this old song so much. She told People magazine, “To tell you the truth, I didn’t even remember the song. But it feels amazing that something I recorded 63 years ago is now touching so many hearts.”

Her Illness And Death

Recently, Connie was suffering from pelvic pain because of a fracture. She was in hospital for treatment when she was diagnosed with pneumonia. On Wednesday night, she died at the age of 87. Ron Roberts, the president of her record label, shared this sad news on Facebook and told BBC News that more details would be shared soon. He said, “I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.”

Her Thoughts On Life

Looking back at her life in 2010, Connie Francis said she would live her life the same way again, except for her brother’s murder. She said, “Although there were some terrible lows, there were also exhilarating highs that I would have never felt in any other profession.”