Actress and singer Connie Francis, whose emotive pop ballads such as “My Happiness” and “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own,” dominated the charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, has died. 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,” wrote Roberts, who also served as the singer’s copyrights and royalties manager. “I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.”
Francis had been using a wheelchair due to a painful hip injury for several months leading up to her death.
However, earlier this month, the singer revealed she had been hospitalized again to undergo additional testing for her “extreme pain.”
Pop Singer of the Ages
Born on Dec. 12, 1937, the New Jersey native began singing at an early age. She appeared on a slew of variety shows, including Ted Mack’s “Original Amateur Hour” and Arthur Godfrey’s “Talent Scouts,” before signing a recording deal with MGM Records in 1955.Just a few years later, Francis became the first solo female to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, when her single “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” topped the chart in June 1960.
Some of her other chart-topping hits include “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You,” “Lipstick on Your Collar,” “Where the Boys Are,” “Many Tears Ago,” and “Mama.”
Off stage, she is known for her roles on screen, starring in MGM films such as “Where the Boys Are” (1960), “Follow the Boys” (1963), “Looking for Love” (1964), and “When the Boys Meet the Girls” (1965).
Francis was honored with the Golden Globes’ Special Achievement Award in 1964 for her international contributions to the recording world. Decades later, in 2017, she released her third book, a memoir of her life and career titled “Among My Souvenirs.” She announced her retirement the following year.
In recent months, Francis’s 1960s single “Pretty Little Baby” has captivated a new generation of listeners. In May, the tune began going viral on TikTok, where it’s now been featured in millions of videos, including those shared by media personalities Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner.
“The first I learned of it was when Ron [Roberts] called to advise me that I had ‘a viral hit.’ Clearly out of touch with present day music statistics terminology, my initial response was to ask: ‘What’s that?’ Thank you everyone!”