Latest news with #popmusic
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Connie Francis, voice behind 'Stupid Cupid' and 'Pretty Little Baby', dies at 87
Connie Francis, the American pop singer who topped the charts in the 1950s and 1960s with genre-spanning songs of youthful love and heartbreak, died on July 16 night, her manager said. She was 87. Francis had been hospitalised earlier in July with severe pelvic pain, spending some time in intensive care, manager Ron Roberts said. He did not give the place or cause of death. With a powerful, clear voice that could be both peppy and plaintive, Francis sold tens of millions of records in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the skittering lovesick hit Stupid Cupid and the lush, maudlin songs Who's Sorry Now and Where the Boys Are. In 1960, when she was 21, she became the first woman to hold the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the release of Everybody's Somebody's Fool. She went on to record the song in German – "Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel" – and became a keen polyglot in the studio, releasing covers of her hits in Italian, Spanish and several other languages. Francis was born on Dec. 12, 1937, in Newark, New Jersey, to Italian-American parents who named her Concetta Franconero. A talent scout in the 1950s urged her to change her stage name to something radio DJs might find simpler to pronounce. In her memoir, she describes her father, who scraped a living as a laborer in the shipyards and factories of New York, as the most powerful force throughout her life, helping her learn to play the accordion as a child. "I played the accordion the way I did everything else in life – with a vengeance!" she wrote. "Music became my sole focus in life." It was at his urging, Francis wrote, that she recorded what would become her first hit: "Who's Sorry Now" It was at her father's insistence that she stopped dating the singer Bobby Darin in the 1950s. She described not eloping with Darin as one of her life's greatest regrets. Earlier this year, her 1962 recording Pretty Little Baby became a viral sensation on the social media app TikTok, with users lip-syncing to it in videos seen by millions. She told People magazine she had forgotten she ever recorded the song. "To think that a song I recorded 63 years ago is touching the hearts of millions of people is truly awesome," she said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Connie Francis, ‘Pretty Little Baby' singer and actress, dead at 87
Connie Francis, a pop singer and actress whose hits such as 'Lipstick on Your Collar' and 'Who's Sorry Now?' became a soundtrack for a generation of teens in the 1960s, has died, according to a post from her publicist and friend, Ron Roberts. She was 87. '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 in a post on a verified Facebook page for Francis. 'I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.' Francis was recently hospitalized for pain issues and had to cancel some appearances earlier this month, according to posts she shared on social media. The singer's hit 'Pretty Little Baby' had recently gotten attention from a much younger generation, thanks to a TikTok trend. Francis participated with a post of her on with the song on the platform. 'First time I've lip-synched to this 63-year-old recording of mine!' the caption read. Francis also shared a video to thank other artists, including Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, for 'paying tribute' to her and her song. Born Concetta Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, a young Francis won first prize on Arthur Godfrey's popular television series 'Startime Talent Scouts,' which led to her singing on his show for several years as a teen. Godfrey convinced her to adopt the stage name 'Connie Francis' as he told her it was easier to pronounce than her birth name. Success didn't come easy at first for the singer, who was rejected by multiple labels before signing with MGM in 1955. That company released her first single, 'Freddy.' Disappointed in her career, Francis almost quit to go to college before her father convinced her to record a song that had been around before, 'Who's Sorry Now?' Other popular tunes followed, including 'Lipstick on Your Collar,' 'My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own' and 'Don't Break the Heart That Loves You.' Francis also found success on screen, starring in the films 'Where the Boys Are' 'Follow The Boys' in 1963, 'Looking For Love' in 1964 and 'When The Boys Meet The Girls' 1965. It was not something she herself was a fan of, Francis revealed during a 2017 interview. 'I asked the studio why they couldn't come up with a title without the word 'boys' in it!' she said. 'People knew ['When the Boys Meet the Girls'] was another lame Connie Francis movie and they stayed home. I was so pleased it was my last one.' Francis faced challenge, including what came to be known as her 'decade of tragedy.' In 1974, Francis survived a rape and robbery in her hotel room following a performance at the Westbury Music Fair in Westbury, New York. She subsequently sued the hotel and won, but the attack led the singer into a deep depression. Three years later, nasal surgery caused Francis to lose her singing voice, which took her subsequent surgeries and lengthy time to recover. Her beloved brother, George A. Franconero, was murdered in 1981 at the age if 40. According to an article from the New York Times dated March 7, 1981, he was an attorney who 'had twice given law enforcement officials information concerning alleged organized-crime activities' and was 'shot several times in the side of the head by two men' who 'were said to have approached him as he scraped ice from the windshield of his car in his driveway.' She also was treated for bipolar disorder. Francis wrote about her hard times in her 1984 autobiography, 'Who's Sorry Now.' In a conversation about her book with Oprah Winfrey around its release, Francis also reflected on the joy she experienced through her career. 'One of the things I wanted the book to show was that every time there's a story about me, it reads like a Greek tragedy, and I don't want people to feel like I'm capitalizing on so many tragedies that did occur in my life,' she said. 'My life has really been a Cinderella life with the exception of the last 10 years.' Solve the daily Crossword
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Connie Francis: Don't Break the Heart that Loves You singer dies aged 87
Connie Francis, who dominated the pop charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s 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, has died aged 87. Her publicist, Ron Roberts, announced her death in a post on Facebook. Petite and pretty, 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 favour, 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 number one 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 -fuelled resurgence this year, trending for weeks on the social media app and soaring to top spots in Spotify's Viral 50 global and US lists. Concetta Franconero was born December 12th, 1938, in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in the Ironbound neighbourhood. Her father, the son of Italian immigrants, was a dockworker and a roofer who loved to play the concertina, and he put an accordion in his daughter's hands when she was aged three. Connie Francis at her home in 2025. Photograph: Miami Herald/TNS From that moment, he hovered over her musical development and her career, putting her onstage at local lodges and churches. She made her stage debut aged four, singing Anchors Aweigh and accompanying herself on the accordion at Olympic Park in Irvington, New Jersey. At 11, Francis was a regular on a Marie Moser's Starlets, a local television variety show. After appearing on Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. Mack advised her to lose the accordion, and Godfrey advised her to change her last name to 'Francis'. She then embarked on a four-year run as one of the child entertainers on Startime. As she outgrew the child star category, Francis obtained forged documents and began singing in clubs and lounges. Imitating the vocals styles of stars like Patti Page and Rosemary Clooney, she made demonstration tapes for music publishers who wanted to place their songs with famous singers. – This article originally appeared in the New York Times . 2025 The New York Times Company
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Singer behind viral TikTok hit dies at 87
American singer and actor Connie Francis has died at the age of 87, two weeks after being hospitalised with severe pain. Her death was confirmed on Thursday, 17 July, by her friend Ron Roberts, president of her label Concetta Records, and also on her official Facebook page. Francis was a major pop star in the 1950s and 1960s, selling over 200 million records worldwide and becoming the first woman to achieve three number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her song 'Pretty Little Baby' recently experienced a resurgence in popularity on TikTok and Instagram Reels, gaining millions of streams globally. Beyond her musical career, Francis was a vocal advocate for hotel security changes after surviving a rape in 1974, and later championed mental health awareness and support for veterans.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lady Gaga brings her signature arthouse theatrics to the stage as she kicks off her Mayhem Ball tour in Las Vegas with extravagant costumes and eye-popping choreography
Lady Gaga gave her fans a night to remember on Wednesday, as she kicked off her Mayhem Ball tour with an electric show at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The pop icon, 39, brought back the arthouse theatrics for the two hours and 15 minute set, packing in a whopping 29 of her biggest hits to a sold-out crowd. She pulled out all the stops for the tour's opening night, with extravagant costumes, striking staging and her powerful vocals. Splitting the set into four acts, Gaga began with Bloody Mary, surrounded by a gothic style set, before belting out popular tracks, Abracadabra, Judas and Scheiße. And displaying her signature Avant-garde fashion, she donned a number of elaborate looks including creepily long finger prosthetics for Bad Romance. Surrounded by a team of talented dancers, the Oscar winner also delivered eye-popping visuals and slick choreography as she sang fan-favourites like Poker Face, Applause, Summerboy, Million Reasons, Die With a Smile and Shallow. Lady Gaga gave her fans a night to remember on Wednesday, as she kicked off her Mayhem Ball tour with an electric show at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas The pop icon, 39, brought back the arthouse theatrics for the two hours and 15 minute set, packing in a whopping 29 of her biggest hits to a sold-out crowd She pulled out all the stops for the tour's opening night, with extravagant costumes, striking staging and her powerful vocals While her performance of enduring hit track, Paparazzi, saw Gaga don a white wedding gown with a long gauzy train flowing behind her as she strutted down the runway on silver crutches, like in the music video. She pulled on a gothic cape and took to the piano for a toned-down emotional track, before bringing out a humongous spinning skull for Killah. And for Perfect Celebrity and Disease, she leaned into the spooky visuals once again, singing from a sandbox full of human remains and surrounded by backing dancers dressed as skeletons. For the last song, the cameras followed Gaga as she slipped away backstage and removed her makeup and extravagant costume, emerging back on stage in a simple Cramps t-shirt, beanie and sunglasses to sing How Bad Do U Want Me. In typical 'Little Monsters' style, fans went all out with their outfits for the concert, with some even almost rivalling Gaga's herself. The stadium was packed full of racy look, avantgarde masks and recreation's of Gaga's most iconic looks, including the Alexander McQueen outfit she wore to the 2009 MTV VMAs and her famous Philip Treacy lobster hat from 2010. And the icon herself seemed overwhelmed by all the love, admitting in the show: 'Before I came on stage tonight, I couldn't even believe you were here for me'. In March, the songstress announced 2025 tour dates across the UK, North America and Europe, playing on iconic stages such as London's O2 Arena and Madison Square Garden in New York. Splitting the set into four acts, Gaga began with Bloody Mary, surrounded by a gothic style set, before belting out popular tracks, Abracadabra, Judas and Scheiße And displaying her signature Avant-garde fashion, she donned a number of elaborate looks including creepily long finger prosthetics for Bad Romance Surrounded by a team of talented dancers, the Oscar winner also delivered eye-popping visuals and slick choreography as she sang fan-favourites like Poker Face, Applause, Summerboy, Million Reasons, Die With a Smile and Shallow While her performance of enduring hit track, Paparazzi, saw Gaga don a white wedding gown with a long gauzy train flowing behind her as she strutted down the runway on silver crutches, like in the music video Gaga will play three nights at London's O2 Arena on September 29, 20, and October 2, before heading to the Co-op Live in Manchester in what will be her first UK show's since 2022. She will also bring the 'Mayhem' to Mexico, Brazil and Singapore, Las Vegas, Seattle, New York City, Miami, Toronto, Chicago, Paris, Berlin and more. In her tour announcement, Gaga released a statement saying: 'This is my first arena tour since 2018. There's something electric about a stadium, and I love every moment of those shows. 'But with The MAYHEM Ball, I wanted to create a different kind of experience — something more intimate — closer, more connected — that lends itself to the live theatrical art I love to create.' Mayhem soared to the top of the UK album charts this month and also created three top ten singles - Abracadabra, Die With A Smile (with Bruno Mars) and Disease. Gaga last performed for British crowds as part of her ArtRave: The Artpop Ball tour in October 2014, playing three nights at the O2, two in Birmingham, one in Manchester, one in Sheffield, one in Newcastle, two in Glasgow, as well as one in Dublin. She pulled on a gothic cape and took to the piano for a toned-down emotional track, before bringing out a humongous spinning skull for Killah And for Perfect Celebrity and Disease, she leaned into the spooky visuals once again, singing from a sandbox full of human remains and surrounded by backing dancers dressed as skeletons For the last song, the cameras followed Gaga as she slipped away backstage and removed her makeup and extravagant costume, emerging back on stage in a simple Cramps t-shirt, beanie and sunglasses to sing How Bad Do U Want Me In typical 'Little Monsters' style, fans went all out with their outfits for the concert, with some even almost rivalling Gaga's herself The stadium was packed full of racy look, avantgarde masks and recreation's of Gaga's most iconic looks, including the Alexander McQueen outfit she wore to the 2009 MTV VMAs and her famous Philip Treacy lobster hat from 2010 And the icon herself seemed overwhelmed by all the love, admitting in the show: 'Before I came on stage tonight, I couldn't even believe you were here for me' In March, the songstress announced 2025 tour dates across the UK, North America and Europe, playing on iconic stages such as London 's O2 Arena and Madison Square Garden in New York. The shows saw her perform hits from her 2013 project Artpop, alongside classics such as Just Dance, Poker Face and Bad Romance. She was due to head back to the UK in 2018 for her Joanne World Tour but had to pull out after suffering from chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia. The singer, born Stefani Germanotta, previously revealed that her Chromatica Ball tour in 2022 was the first time she had performed without pain for years. She has now rediscovered her love for live shows and kicked off her world tour in style by headlining Coachella in April to rave reviews from fans.
