LOS ANGELES (AP) — Connie Francis, a celebrated pop star of the late 1950s and 1960s, passed away at the age of 87. She was known for hits like “Pretty Little Baby,” a somewhat ironic title considering the many heartaches she encountered in her personal life.
Her death was confirmed on Thursday by her friend and public relations officer Ron Roberts, who didn’t share further details right away.
Francis was a leading artist before the Beatles arrived on the scene, maintaining a strong presence on the charts from 1957 to 1964. With over 20 hits, she had broad appeal among both the younger crowd and adults. Some of her notable songs included “Who’s Sorry Now?” and the chart-topping “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You.” Like many teen idols of her era, she also ventured into film, starring in movies like “Where the Boys Are” and “Follow the Boys.”
At just 17, she signed a recording contract with MGM Records after making appearances on various TV variety shows. Initially, her early tracks didn’t garner much attention, but she later recorded a rendition of “Who’s Sorry Now?”—a song by Ted Snyder, Bert Calmer, and Harry Ruby. It didn’t take off until Dick Clark featured it on “American Bandstand” in 1958. After that, her records achieved worldwide success, and she even recorded versions of her songs in Italian and Spanish. Her concerts quickly sold out all over the country.
While her career flourished, her romantic life was turbulent. She had a brief romance with fellow teen idol Bobby Darin, who had even offered to write a song for her. However, when rumors of a potential wedding surfaced, her father dramatically intervened by brandishing a gun, putting an abrupt end to their relationship and sending Francis down a painful path.
In her autobiography, she reflected on this saying, “My personal life is a regret from A to Z.” She attributed much of her emotional turmoil to her father’s influence.
Her father, George Franconello, was a roofing contractor from New Jersey and had a penchant for music himself. He encouraged her musical interests from a young age, starting when she was just four, and even became her manager by booking gigs for her.
Although her acting roles diminished by the mid-1960s, she remained a fixture on the concert circuit, such as a performance at Westbury Music Center in New York in 1974, where she was still in demand.
In 1976, Francis took legal action against a hotel, alleging inadequate security during a traumatic incident, initially seeking $2.5 million. Ultimately, she and the hotel settled for $1,475,000. She claimed this incident severely impacted her marriage and contributed to years of emotional distress.
Francis faced significant personal losses, including the tragic murder of her brother George in 1981. Later in the decade, she dealt with her father’s commitment of her to a mental institution, which culminated in a suicide attempt that landed her in a coma for three days.
Throughout her life, she was married four times, though she often remarked that only her third husband, Joseph Gargili, was worth the trouble, as her other marriages barely lasted a year.
Born Concetta Rosemarie Franconero on December 12, 1937, in Newark, New Jersey, her journey in music started early. At just three, her father gifted her a child-sized accordion, and the following year, she was already performing in public. By the age of nine, she was on television shows like “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” and “Perry Como Show.” Godfrey was instrumental in encouraging her to shorten her last name, making it more marketable.
Clark routinely showcased her on “American Bandstand,” a platform she credited for supporting her career at critical moments later on.
