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The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Connie Francis was a trailblazing pop star haunted by tragedy
There may be more widely revered singers, but the statistics don't lie – worldwide, the Italian-American Connie Francis was the best-selling female vocalist of the 50s and 60s. Her breakthrough hit, 1958's Who's Sorry Now, was written as far back as 1923 and had been a hit for Johnnie Ray just a couple of years earlier, with a swinging, uptempo arrangement. But what made the 19-year-old Francis's version click was the way in which she took pleasure in her ex's misery, coolly and coyly cooing over the slow-rocking backing while picking his failed love life apart; for a finale, she ended the song with impressive, high-kicking spite. In contrast, her second UK No 1 was the daffy Stupid Cupid, written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, and loaded with ear-catching gimmicks: the bow-and-arrow guitar effect on the chorus; Francis jumping an octave when she sings 'Cu-pid!'; and instruments that drop out – the musical equivalent of a wink – to allow her voice to sound as seductive as possible. Her career would follow this pattern through the late 50s and early 60s, alternating lightly updated pre-rock ballads with teenage material redolent of soda shops and drive-ins, the kind of American 50s scenario later lit in neon by Happy Days and Grease. Of the ballads, My Happiness and Mama were especially heartfelt performances, and both reached the top 10 in Britain and America, while the desperation of the country-leaning My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own gave her the second of three US No 1s. The finger-snapping Fallin' and It's Gonna Take Some Time were cool and sassy, while Lipstick on Your Collar (its title later used by Dennis Potter as a late 50s signifier) and Vacation were so camp, they were almost gleeful self-parodies. In 1960, Francis made her big-screen debut in Where the Boys Are, and the Sedaka/Greenfield theme song became another transatlantic top five single. 1960 was also the year Brenda Lee broke through – up to this point, Francis had been a lone trailblazer for women in rock'n'roll; the likes of Wanda Jackson and Jo Ann Campbell made great records but never came close to a top 10 hit, while the girl group era which gave us the Ronettes, the Chiffons and the Shangri-Las didn't begin in earnest until 1962. Francis struggled to adapt to the rise of the teenage girl group, though when she recorded material as strong as 1965's soulful No Better Off it was clear the fault didn't lie with the singer. She would be edged further into easy listening territory, scoring her last two hits in the UK with the darkly intense My Child in 1965 (she would never have children of her own) and the accusatory Jealous Heart in 1966. The latter could have been directed at her father, also her manager, who had broken up her relationship with the singer Bobby Darin by waving a gun at him; Francis would later describe Darin as 'the most interesting human being I've ever met in my life'. The following decades were less than kind to Connie Francis, who seemed to be dogged by tragedy. She was raped at knifepoint and almost killed in her motel room in 1974, after performing at a fair in New York state. She went public with the story, and Howard Johnson Motor Lodges were ordered to pay her $2.5m in compensation (later reduced to $1.475m in a settlement); this would then become a test case, leading to major upgrades in American hotel and motel security. The attacker was never found. Francis's bravery in going public couldn't help her overcome the mental health repercussions, and she didn't sing in public for several years afterward. Then in 1981, her brother was shot dead, apparently by a professional hitman; the trauma would lead to Francis being misdiagnosed with manic-depressive disorder. She was involuntarily hospitalized by her controlling father, and spent much of the 1980s in and out of psychiatric institutions. Again, Francis was brave enough to speak out as a survivor, and became a spokesperson for Mental Health America to help others 'suffering from the deleterious effects of depression and trauma of all kinds'. Though the hits had dried up in the mid-60s Connie Francis kept a devoted following. In 1977, 20 All Time Greats made her – rather shockingly – the first female solo artist to have a No 1 album in Britain. She had also been the first female singer of the modern pop era to score three US No 1 singles, while 1962's Pretty Little Baby – only an album track at the time – would become a TikTok hit, gaining millions of streams in 2025 thanks to its use by Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian. Connie Francis was a trailblazer, both as a pop star and an advocate of mental health support, and – like most trailblazers – she had to face the highs and the lows on her own.
News18
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Connie Francis Dies At 87: 5 Classic Hits Beyond Pretty Little Baby
The singer gained fame after popular influencers and celebrities used her song "Pretty Little Baby" as the music for their social media posts. Heard the song Pretty Little Baby? Yes, that viral track which has been featured in millions of social media videos shared by popular influencers and celebrities. Sung by Connie Francis, the single was released as part of her 1962 studio album Connie Francis Sings 'Second Hand Love". Today, the world may recognise her for Pretty Little Baby, but back in the 1950s and 1960s, she was one of the top-charting female vocalists, estimated to have sold millions of records. If you loved Pretty Little Baby and want to listen to other hit songs of Connie Francis, check out the list. Everybody's Somebody's Fool Featured on her More Greatest Hits album, Everybody's Somebody's Fool was released in 1960. Written by Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield, the bluesy ballad was the first song by a female artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It remained at the peak for two consecutive weeks. My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own The song, which was also released in 1960, became the singer's second consecutive hit to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it held the position for two weeks. Who's Sorry Now This song is featured in her debut studio album, Who's Sorry Now, which was released in 1958. It reached No. 4 position on the Hot 100 chart and spent a total of 22 weeks on the Billboard chart. It was among her first songs to be certified gold in America. Stupid Cupid Written by Howard Greenfield and Neil Sedaka, Stupid Cupid was released in 1958. Featured on her compilation album Connie's Greatest Hits, the song was among the top 15 tracks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No.14. Don't Break the Heart That Loves You Released in 1962, the song was written by Benny Davis and Murray Mencher. Don't Break the Heart That Loves You was Connie's third and final chart-topper. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March of that year and held the position for a week. Connie Franchis passed away at 87 Unfortunately, Connie Francis passed away on Wednesday, July 16. One of her friends confirmed the news of her passing at the age of 87. In a post shared on Facebook by her friend, Ron Roberts said, 'It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that I inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night." The news of her demise came just days after she was hospitalised to treat 'extreme pain". First Published: July 18, 2025, 14:24 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Connie Francis was a trailblazing pop star haunted by tragedy
There may be more widely revered singers, but the statistics don't lie – worldwide, the Italian-American Connie Francis was the best-selling female vocalist of the 50s and 60s. Her breakthrough hit, 1958's Who's Sorry Now, was written as far back as 1923 and had been a hit for Johnnie Ray just a couple of years earlier, with a swinging, uptempo arrangement. But what made the 19-year-old Francis's version click was the way in which she took pleasure in her ex's misery, coolly and coyly cooing over the slow-rocking backing while picking his failed love life apart; for a finale, she ended the song with impressive, high-kicking spite. In contrast, her second UK No 1 was the daffy Stupid Cupid, written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, and loaded with ear-catching gimmicks: the bow-and-arrow guitar effect on the chorus; Francis jumping an octave when she sings 'Cu-pid!'; and instruments that drop out – the musical equivalent of a wink – to allow her voice to sound as seductive as possible. Her career would follow this pattern through the late 50s and early 60s, alternating lightly updated pre-rock ballads with teenage material redolent of soda shops and drive-ins, the kind of American 50s scenario later lit in neon by Happy Days and Grease. Of the ballads, My Happiness and Mama were especially heartfelt performances, and both reached the top 10 in Britain and America, while the desperation of the country-leaning My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own gave her the second of three US No 1s. The finger-snapping Fallin' and It's Gonna Take Some Time were cool and sassy, while Lipstick on Your Collar (its title later used by Dennis Potter as a late 50s signifier) and Vacation were so camp, they were almost gleeful self-parodies. In 1960, Francis made her big-screen debut in Where the Boys Are, and the Sedaka/Greenfield theme song became another transatlantic top five single. 1960 was also the year Brenda Lee broke through – up to this point, Francis had been a lone trailblazer for women in rock'n'roll; the likes of Wanda Jackson and Jo Ann Campbell made great records but never came close to a top 10 hit, while the girl group era which gave us the Ronettes, the Chiffons and the Shangri-Las didn't begin in earnest until 1962. Francis struggled to adapt to the rise of the teenage girl group, though when she recorded material as strong as 1965's soulful No Better Off it was clear the fault didn't lie with the singer. She would be edged further into easy listening territory, scoring her last two hits in the UK with the darkly intense My Child in 1965 (she would never have children of her own) and the accusatory Jealous Heart in 1966. The latter could have been directed at her father, also her manager, who had broken up her relationship with the singer Bobby Darin by waving a gun at him; Francis would later describe Darin as 'the most interesting human being I've ever met in my life'. The following decades were less than kind to Connie Francis, who seemed to be dogged by tragedy. She was raped at knifepoint and almost killed in her motel room in 1974, after performing at a fair in New York state. She went public with the story, and Howard Johnson Motor Lodges were ordered to pay her $2.5m in compensation (later reduced to $1.475m in a settlement); this would then become a test case, leading to major upgrades in American hotel and motel security. The attacker was never found. Francis's bravery in going public couldn't help her overcome the mental health repercussions, and she didn't sing in public for several years afterward. Then in 1981, her brother was shot dead, apparently by a professional hitman; the trauma would lead to Francis being misdiagnosed with manic-depressive disorder. She was involuntarily hospitalized by her controlling father, and spent much of the 1980s in and out of psychiatric institutions. Again, Francis was brave enough to speak out as a survivor, and became a spokesperson for Mental Health America to help others 'suffering from the deleterious effects of depression and trauma of all kinds'. Though the hits had dried up in the mid-60s Connie Francis kept a devoted following. In 1977, 20 All Time Greats made her – rather shockingly – the first female solo artist to have a No 1 album in Britain. She had also been the first female singer of the modern pop era to score three US No 1 singles, while 1962's Pretty Little Baby – only an album track at the time – would become a TikTok hit, gaining millions of streams in 2025 thanks to its use by Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian. Connie Francis was a trailblazer, both as a pop star and an advocate of mental health support, and – like most trailblazers – she had to face the highs and the lows on her own.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Connie Francis, Whose Ballads Dominated '60s Pop Music, Dies at 87
Connie Francis, who dominated the pop charts in the late 1950s and early '60s with sobbing ballads like 'Who's Sorry Now?' and 'Don't Break the Heart that Loves You,' as well as up-tempo soft-rock tunes like 'Stupid Cupid,' 'Lipstick on Your Collar,' and 'Vacation,' died on Wednesday. She was 87. Her publicist, Ron Roberts, announced her death in a post on Facebook. Petite and pretty, Ms. Francis had an easy, fluid vocal style, a powerful set of lungs and a natural way with a wide variety of material: old standards, rock 'n' roll, country and western, and popular songs in Italian, Yiddish, Swedish and a dozen other languages. Between 1958 and 1964, when her brand of pop music began to fall out of favor, Ms. Francis was the most popular female singer in the United States, selling 40 million records. Her 35 Top-40 hits during that period included 16 songs in the top 10, and three No. 1 hits: 'Everybody's Somebody's Fool,' 'My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own' and 'Don't Break the Heart That Loves You.' She was best known for the pulsing, emotional delivery that coaxed every last teardrop from slow ballads like 'Who's Sorry Now?', and made 'Where the Boys Are' a potent anthem of teenage longing. Sighing youngsters thrilled to every throb in 'My Happiness' and 'Among My Souvenirs.' 'What struck me was the purity of the voice, the emotion, the perfect pitch and intonation,' said Neil Sedaka, who wrote 'Stupid Cupid' and 'Where the Boys Are' with Howard Greenfield. 'It was clear, concise, beautiful. When she sang ballads, they just soared.' Her song 'Pretty Little Baby' had a TikTok-fueled resurgence this year, trending for weeks on the social media app and soaring to top spots in Spotify's Viral 50 global and U.S. lists. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
