The songwriter died in 1973, but Connie made it clear that he has remained on her mind after all of these years. Connie Francis became early rock 'n' roll's first female global star through her talent, her tenacity, and her ability to sing in more than a dozen languages. She called Bobby Darin the love of her life. [6], Francis was born to an Italian-American family in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, the first child of George and Ida (ne Ferrari-di Vito) Franconero, spending her first years in the Crown Heights, Brooklyn area (Utica Avenue/St. I didnt grant an interview for seven years. Frank invited me to a party. Dick Clark introduced the song on his Bandstand TV show in 1958, and it became an immediate hit, selling a million copies less than six months after release. We also encourage everyone to report any crime incident they witness as soon as possible. Among her other hits are Stupid Cupid, Lipstick on Your Collar, Everybody's Somebody's Fool, My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own, Never on a Sunday, and Don't Break the Heart That Loves You. "Freddy", that the co-executive thought would make a good present for his son of the same name. Connie/Bety (Ext 2272) NESL 962 50026: Beginning. Connie Francis won television's Startime Talent Scouts at age 12 and signed with MGM Records. Among her top-ten hits on the Hot 100 were "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" (1961, number 7), "When the Boy in Your Arms (Is the Boy in Your Heart)" (1961, number 10), "Second Hand Love" (1962, number 7), and "Where the Boys Are" (1961, number 4). In 1960, she was named the most popular artist in Europe, the first time a non-European received this honor. It was not until her number 7 on the US charts, "Many Tears Ago", later in 1960 when Francis began to record cover versions of her own songs in foreign languages besides German. While the former reached the US Top Ten and peaked at No. There are ninety-five million females in the country, and I'll bet ninety-five percent of them sing. In 1950, 12-year-old Concetta secured the first place on Arthur Godfrey's Startime Talent Scout as a singer and an accordion player. This answer song to "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" by Tony Orlando & Dawn bubbled under the charts. The couple were married for 81 days before their relationship headed towards a divorce. When her father learned that Darin had suggested the two elope after one of her shows, he ran Darin out of the building at gunpoint. Francis explained in a 1961 television interview that she was fluent in Spanish and Italian, but always had a translator nearby to make sure her translated lyrics and especially her pronunciation were as correct as possible. Then he became involved with the mob. known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Connie Francis at Asser Levy Park, Coney Island on July 30, 2009 in New York City | Source: Getty Images, Although Francis doesn't perform anymore, she still has support from countless fans and family members. [28] During the years after the incident, Francis went into depression, taking as many as 50 Darvon pills a day and rarely leaving her home in Essex Fells, New Jersey. Impressed by her singing, Godfrey also suggested that she give up the accordion and concentrate on singing, a suggestion, she happily followed. Other albums released in 1959 were Christmas in My Heart, Connies Greatest Hits, Rock n Roll Million Sellers, Country and Western Golden Hits and Connie Francis Sings Fun Songs for Children. In spite of the success, she was informed by MGM that her contract would not be renewed after her tenth solo recording. First, she missed the opportunity to spend her days with her greatest and first love, the singer Bobby Darin. A 5-year-old child went missing in Dublin, Va., in spring 2015. In the late 1950s, Connie Francis got her big break on the music scene with her cover of Whos Sorry Now? The top-selling song led to a career full of incredible successes in the midst of heartache. It was during this period that she changed her stage name to Connie Francis on the advice of Godfrey, who found it difficult to pronounce Franconero. [7], As Connie Francis explains at each of her concerts, she began searching for a new hit immediately after the success of "Who's Sorry Now?" (Courtesy of Connie Francis). She had gone there to attend the Westbury Music Fair. ~ Connie Francis ~ The Official Facebook Page Birthday: December 12, 1937 (Sagittarius), Born In: Newark, New Jersey, United States, Also Known As: Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero, Spouse/Ex-: Bob Parkinson (m. 1985 div. Legal Statement. Nevertheless, Francis continued to record singles aimed at the youth-oriented market. She had a younger brother named George Franconero, Jr. George Franconero, Sr. was a natural entertainer, having certain musical ambition, which remained unfulfilled. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro Getting Started Contributor Zone Contribute to This Page Astrological Sign: Sagittarius, Article Title: Connie Francis Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/connie-francis, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: April 22, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. Released in November 1957, Who's Sorry Now? was initially ignored. Not one penny. "There's no doubt about it", predicted Mr. Clark. In 1996, Francis released the live album The Return Concert: Live at Trump's Castle. reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 4 in the US. Dick was a public relations agent of several hotels in Las Vegas. Born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, in 1937, Francis changed her name at the suggestion of a TV host. Upon hearing that . The lawsuit was dismissed. I absolutely adored his screenplay of Judy's life he was so eager to do my life story for film, but she [Gloria] wouldn't agree to hire him and that was the end of that. Billboard Hot 100 / This DES stereo video. Francis considered a career in medicine and was about to accept a four-year scholarship offered at New York University. 1986), Dick Kanellis (m. 1964 div. Fox News: Its been said youre still open to finding love. Travel, everything, Darin's manager arranged for him to help write several songs for her. She recorded the song also in Japanese, Italian, and Spanish, as she had done before with her original 1960 version. 36) and "Heartaches" (failing to chart at all), Francis met Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, who sang a number of ballads they had written for her. He had the greatest sense of humor in the world, Connie told, in March 2022. [31] "I'm Me Again" became Francis' last single to chart on the AC charts. After the expiry of her contract with MGM Records, Connie Francis lived for some time in semiretirement, returning to the studio in 1973, recording (Should I) Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree?. Connie Francis married four times; but none of them lasted long. Joseph Garzilli: Bio Summary Who Is Joseph Garzilli? The businessman died in 1973 after battling cancer. She also sang in Romanian during a live performance at the 1970 edition of the Cerbul de Aur in Braov, Romania. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Hawaii Adventures! she was staying. In Europe, she remained as popular as before and continued to have chart hits in UK, Germany, Italy and Spain. The ex-wife of Joseph, Connie Francis is a top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. She was married to first husband Dick Kanellis for just three months (1964-65) and to Joseph Garzilli from 1973 to 1978. songs I wanted, in whatever country, in whatever language, with We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Francis is primarily known for her singing career, but she played the lead in a number of films created for teenagers in the early 1960s. However, what seemed like support to her father seemed more like smothering to Connie. She talked about how she was putting her children through another day in hell. Therefore, Francis enjoyed lasting chart success in the US until her contract with MGM Records ran out in 1969.[18]. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. All Rights Reserved. He was a very sweet, sweet man. Francis has lived in her comfortable house in Florida for the past 21 years, and she'll most likely spend the rest of her days there. You can do better than her, cause Ive seen better legs on Sonny Liston. Don said, Connie, the guy said hes gonna break my legs! So I made a phone call because I did have connections. And then Mr. Clark just happened to play a song called "Who's sorry now" - MY "Who's Sorry Now"! I The pair were married for five years before calling it quits in 1978. The "Who's Sorry Now?" [7], Despite these failures, Francis was hired to record the vocals for Tuesday Weld's "singing" scenes in the 1956 movie Rock, Rock, Rock, and for Freda Holloway in the 1957 Warner Brothers rock and roll movie Jamboree. [36] A single, entitled "Jive, Connie", ended up among the top-ten best-selling singles of the year, which brought Francis the prestigious R.SH-Gold award for the "Best Comeback of the Year" from R.SH (short for "Radio Schleswig-Holstein"), back then one of Germany's most important private radio stations. [40], In 2010, she also appeared at the Las Vegas Hilton with Dionne Warwick, a show billed as "Eric Floyd's Grand Divas of Stage". any recoupment for all the sessions I did. After a few hours, Francis began writing in her diary while the songwriters played the last of their ballads. When his body was discovered days later in the family's septic tank, the mother was put on trial both by the court system, as well . Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. She shared that their relationship started when they recorded some of her old music as duets. During the next two years, she recorded a number of mediocre songs. [17] She managed to churn out more hits by covering several older songs, such as "My Happiness" (number 2 on the Hot 100) and "Among My Souvenirs" (number 7), as well as performing her own original songs. Arranged and conducted by Tony Osborne, the Connie Francis version of the song was a number two hit in the UK, [8] and peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It soon entered the album charts where it remained for 81 weeks, peaking at number 4. She started working with songwriters Neil Sedaka and Howie Greenfield, and recorded a string of hits, including "Stupid Cupid," "Lipstick on Your Collar," "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" and "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You.". Francis was a hit, both as a singer and actress, but she never really enjoyed being on camera. But here, they didn't take me seriously until Together, they made a double sided hit with Stupid Cupid peaking at number 14 on Billboard Hot 100. "Bobby had everything: charisma, talent, he was brilliant. The Many Tears Ago singer and the Splish Splash crooners relationship was not approved by Connies father. Following a November 1974 performance at the Westbury Music Fair in Westbury, New York, Francis was the victim of a brutal rape and robbery after an intruder broke into her hotel room and held her at knifepoint. When we pulled up, the valet guy said to Don, Wow Don, shes a beauty. I said, Why thank you! Don responded, The car dummy, the car. He was really the best. By then, she had established herself as a child entertainer. Market data provided by Factset. Estefan announced that she would produce and play the lead. . And it wasnt. The Where the Boys Are actress wed her first husband, Dick Kanellis, in 1964. By the time of the latter's taping, Darin had married actress Sandra Dee. I owe a lot to Don Rickles because he made me see humor in things that ordinarily I wouldnt have seen humor in. [30] The leading recording on this album was a disco version of "Where the Boys Are". [59], A "Connie Francis Way" street sign is displayed at the corner of Greylock Parkway and Forest Street in Belleville, New Jersey, near the house in which she grew up.[60]. They got married in 1971 and divorced ten months later in 1972. A young Connie Francis. Overseas, especially in England, I was an adult star before I was an There were No. But, my personal life was always secondary to my career. She had guards around her house. In 1965, Connie Francis participated in that year's edition of the annual San Remo Festival, where her team partner Gigliola Cinquetti and she presented "Ho bisogno di vederti", which finished on number 5 of the final ranking. Sedaka then played "Stupid Cupid." But I had my own problems and I took my eye off the ball. Her father, George Franconero, Sr. was a dockworker and a roof-contractor while her mother, Ida Franconero ne Ferrari-di Vito, was a homemaker. She and Garzilli had a son named Joseph Jr. Associated With. She was drinking a lot of red wine and she said she wanted to escape somewhere, but she didnt know where. Connie Francis: her birthday, what she did before fame, her family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. I rented out a room in the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas for two weeks to write the chapters on the rape and my brothers murder. She was terrorized for nearly three hours at knife-point, raped and robbed. But soon he realized that his daughter, with her strong and tuneful voice, had even greater potentials. NEWARK, N.J. -- The brother of singer Connie Francis was slain outside his home Friday by two gunmen who stepped from behind a row of bushes and shot him in the head. He taught her to play instruments from three years old and ensured that he supported her through her career. She later wrote her autobiography, , in 1984 where she opened up about all of the devastation she has faced in her life. ", After becoming the top female vocalist in the country, Francis also starred in a few films throughout the 1960s. whatever arranger, and then the bottom line was, if I didn't like any In her autobiography, Francis stated she and her father were driving into the Lincoln Tunnel when the radio DJ announced Dee and Darin's marriage. that benefits the victims. Her last five albums were Was ich bin (1978, German), Im Me Again (1981), Where the Hits Are (1989), 'Jive Connie Connie Francis Party Powe' (1992, German) and The Return Concert Live At Trump's Castle (1996). She originally did not want to sing her first smash hit, "Who's Sorry Marks Avenue) before the family moved to New Jersey. She made a name for herself with films including "Where the Boys Are" and "When the Boys Meet the Girls. But when on January 1, 1958, Dick Clark, best remembered for hosting American Bandstand, played the song on his program; its popularity began to rise. We raise awareness about these issues to help potential victims seek professional counseling and prevent anyone from getting hurt. In March 1959, Francis released her second studio album, The Exciting Connie Francis. Closer Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. paid for every photograph and I kept the photos. In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan appointed her as head of his task force on violent crime. The Many Tears Ago singer and the Splish Splash crooners relationship was not approved by Connies father. 1978), See the events in life of Connie Francis in Chronological Order, (One of the Best-Selling Pop Singers Known for Her Song Who's Sorry Now ), https://www.pinterest.com/pin/186406872048947536/, https://www.pbs.org/video/connie-francis-lqc8zw/, https://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2009/10/belleville_to_honor_hometown_g.html. Following another idea from her father, Francis traveled to London in August 1959[12] to record an Italian album at EMI's famous Abbey Road Studios. Francis's first autobiographical book, For Every Young Heart, was published in 1963. She said, "[Connie Francis] isn't even in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and yet she was the first female pop star worldwide, and has recorded in nine languages. [37] A subsequent compilation album of her biggest German hits in their original versions was also released successfully. Their romance came to an end soon after and Bobby went on to marry Sandra Dee in 1960. 1964), Izzy Marion (m. 1971 div. 1 Success in the Hot 100's History, Connie Francis - Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel, Where the boys were: Connie Francis recalls Vietnam trip, Key Tradesters Invade As Opening Bell Sounds at Festival, "CONNIE FRANCIS: COMEBACK TRAIL AFTER 7 LOST YEARS", UA Head Warns of Increased S-O-R & Wide Discounting, I'm Me Again--Silver Anniversary Album - Connie Francis, "Two Kill a Jersey Man Who Gave Testimony on Mobster Activities", Connie Francis Put in Mental Hospital at Request of Police, The Return Concert: Live at Trump's Castle - Connie Francis, Connie Francis performs at Araneta Coliseum on Valentine's Day, Connie Francis & Dionne Warwick Shows Draw Record Crowds to Las Vegas Hilton, "Life of a Legend: Connie Francis reflects on showbiz career in tell-all book", Twentieth Century Fox: A Century of Entertainment, Connie Francis reflects on her romance with Bobby Darin before his untimely death, Rock and Roll Baby Names: Over 2,000 Music-Inspired Names, from Alison to Ziggy, The Long, Strange History of Campaign Endorsement Songs, "Connie Francis Interview About Her Struggle With Mental Health", "Moral Rights and Musicians in the United States", "Who's sorry now, indeed the Buzz Connie Francis suit against Universal Music Corp".
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