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.
LOS ANGELES — Connie Francis, the wholesome pop star of the 1950s and 1960s whose hits include "Pretty Little Baby," 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 to 1964. 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.It, too, had little success initially until Dick Clark played it on his "American Bandstand" show in 1958. Francis followed with such teen hits as "Stupid Cupid," "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," and "Lipstick on Your Collar." Her records became hits worldwide as she re-recorded versions of her original songs in Italian and Spanish, among other languages. Her concerts around the country quickly sold out.Meanwhile, a romance bloomed with fellow teen idol Bobby Darin, who had volunteered to write songs for her. But when her father heard rumors that the pair were planning a wedding, he stormed into a rehearsal and pulled a gun on Darin, ending their relationship and seeming to set Francis on a pained and traumatic path.She chronicled some of it in her autobiography, "Who's Sorry Now?""My personal life is a regret from A to Z," she told the Associated Press in 1984, the year the book came out. "I realized I had allowed my father to exert too much influence over me." In this Dec. 9, 1980 photo, Dick Clark, host of American Bandstand, left, appears with Connie Francis during taping of the show in Los Angeles. Her father, George Franconero, was a roofing contractor from New Jersey who played the accordion, and he had his daughter learn the instrument as soon as she began to show an aptitude for music. When
Traffic Weather Sports Classifieds Cars Jobs Homes Television Radio Salt Lake Utah Local Music Celebrity Entertainment History
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Star-crossed singer Connie Francis, whose hits included 'Pretty Little Baby' dead at 87Connie 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 didn't immediately provide additional details.
Read more »
Star-crossed singer Connie Francis, whose hits included 'Pretty Little Baby,' dead at 87Connie 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.
Read more »
Star-crossed singer Connie Francis, whose hits included 'Pretty Little Baby,' dead at 87Connie 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.
Read more »
Star-crossed singer Connie Francis, whose hits included 'Pretty Little Baby,' dead at 87Connie 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.
Read more »
Star-crossed singer Connie Francis, whose hits included ‘Pretty Little Baby’ dead at 87Connie 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.
Read more »
Connie Francis, singer whose hits included 'Pretty Little Baby,' dies at age 87Connie Francis was a wholesome pop star of the 1950s and '60s whose personal life was filled with heartbreak and tragedy.
Read more »