Star-crossed singer Connie Francis, whose hits included 'Pretty Little Baby' dead at 87

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By BOB THOMAS
Updated 7:42 AM CDT, July 17, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Connie Francis, the wholesome pop star of the 1950s and 1960s whose hits include “Pretty Little Baby” and who would later serve as an ironic title for a personal life filled with heartbreak and tragedy, has died at age 87.

Her death was announced Thursday by her friend and publicist, Ron Roberts, who did not immediately provide additional details.

Francis was a top performer of the pre-Beatles era, rarely off the charts from 1957-64. Able to appeal to both young people and adults, she had more than a dozen top 20 hits, starting with “Who’s Sorry Now?” and including the No. 1 songs “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” and “The Heart Has a Mind of Its Own.” Like other teen favorites of her time, she also starred in several films, including “Where the Boys Are” and “Follow the Boys.”

The dark-haired singer was just 17 when she signed a contract with MGM Records following appearances on several TV variety shows. Her earliest recordings attracted little attention, but then she released her version of “Who’s Sorry Now?” an old ballad by Ted Snyder, Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/connie-francis-died-87-singer-pretty-little-baby-785646a658c66d61f4263eeb5b5d5d42

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Marta and I love the movie "Where the Boys Are"

[NBachers]

1. Birth name: Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero

Francis was born to an Italian-American family (one of her grandfathers having immigrated from Reggio Calabria in 1905)[6] in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, the first child of George Franconero (1911–1996) and Ida (née Ferrari-di Vito; 1911–2000). She spent her first years in the Crown Heights, Brooklyn area (Utica Avenue/St. Marks Place) before the family moved to New Jersey.[7] Growing up in a mixed Italian-Jewish neighborhood, Francis became fluent in Yiddish, which led her later to record songs in Yiddish and Hebrew.[7][8]

During rehearsals for her appearance on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts in December 1950, Francis was advised by Godfrey to change her stage name to Connie Francis for easier pronunciation. Godfrey also told her to drop the accordion—advice she gladly followed, as she had begun to hate the large and heavy instrument.[7] Around the same time, Francis took a job as a singer on demonstration records, to bring unreleased songs to the attention of established singers and/or their management who might choose to record them for a professional commercial record.[9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connie_Francis

[sinkingfeeling]

2. R.I.P.

[Boomerproud]

3. Go in peace Concetta.

[valleyrogue]

4. In many respects, she had a very shitty life.

Being raped in 1974, with the perp never caught, nearly destroyed her life.

[area51]

5. RIP