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We have sad news to report from the world of music today:
Singer and actress Connie Francis has passed away at the age of 87.
Francis was best known for her successful 1960s pop ballads, including “Who’s Sorry Now?,” “Don’t Break The Heart That Loves You,” and “Pretty Little Baby.”
Francis also starred in the popular 1960 beach comedy Where The Boys Are, for which she also sang the title song.
Connie Francis’ label boss announces her passing
News of Francis’ death comes courtesy of her longtime friend Ron Roberts, who is also the president of her label, Concetta Records.
“It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that I inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night,” Roberts wrote.
“I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news. More details will follow later,” the message.
The announcement was also shared on Francis’ official Facebook profile.
No official cause of death has been revealed.
Word of Francis’ death comes just two weeks after Francis posted on Facebook that she was “feeling much better” following a brief stay in the hospital.
A trailblazing life and career
Born Concetta Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, in 1937, the singer began taking part in pageants and talent contests when she was just four years old.
She signed a recording contract with MGM Records in 1955, but her early singles were unsuccessful.
At her father’s insistence, Connie made one last attempt at a hit in 1957 with “Who’s Sorry Now?”
“I had 18 bomb records,” Francis told UPI in 1996.
“He wanted me to record a song written in 1923. I said ‘Forget about it — the kids on American Bandstand would laugh me right off the show.’ He said, ‘If you don’t record this song, dummy, the only way you’ll get on American Bandstand is to sit on the TV.”
At first, it looked as though that song would also flop. But it became a massive hit after it was featured on Bandstand.
In 1960, Connie became the first female artist to score a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.”
Her career came full circle in 2023, when her 1962 song “Pretty Little Baby” became a surprise hit thanks to its popularity on TikTok.
Our thoughts go out to Connie Francis’ loved ones during this enormously difficult time.
