Legendary pop singer Connie Francis, whose career spanned from the 1950s through the 1960s and who recently experienced a resurgence with her viral TikTok hit “Pretty Little Baby,” died at age 87 on July 16, 2025. Her friend and publicist Ron Roberts announced her death on Thursday, stating that “Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.”
Francis’ death came just weeks after she was hospitalized in Florida for extreme pain related to orthopedic health issues. On July 2, she had informed fans through social media that she was undergoing tests and examinations to determine the cause of her severe discomfort, which forced her to cancel an appearance on Cousin Brucie’s Independence Day radio show. The singer had been dealing with hip problems and was confined to a wheelchair in her later years.
Born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero on December 12, 1937, in Newark, New Jersey, Francis began her musical journey at age three when her father bought her an accordion. Her parents enrolled her in local talent contests by age 10, and she became a fixture on the New York-based television show “Startime” through her early teens. Television host Arthur Godfrey suggested she shorten her Italian surname to something “easy and Irish,” leading to her stage name.
Francis signed with MGM Records in 1955 at age 17, following appearances on several TV variety shows. Her breakthrough came in 1957 when she recorded “Who’s Sorry Now?,” a 1923 ballad that initially attracted little attention until Dick Clark played it on “American Bandstand” in 1958. The song’s success launched her career, selling over one million copies and reaching the Billboard Top 10.
During her peak years from 1957 to 1964, Francis dominated the charts with numerous hits including “Stupid Cupid,” “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” “Lipstick on Your Collar,” and “Where the Boys Are.” She achieved three number-one singles: “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” in June 1960, making her the first woman to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, followed by “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own” three months later, and “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” in March 1962.
Francis demonstrated remarkable versatility by recording her hits in multiple languages, including Italian, German, Spanish, and Japanese. She released albums targeting specific demographics with titles like “Italian Favorites,” “Country & Western,” “Jewish Favorites,” and “Spanish and Latin American Favorites.” Her records achieved worldwide success, with “Where the Boys Are” reaching number one in 19 countries.
Beyond her recording career, Francis appeared in several MGM films, including “Where the Boys Are” (1960), “Follow the Boys” (1963), “Looking for Love” (1964), and “When the Boys Meet the Girls” (1965). Producer Joe Pasternak cast her in “Where the Boys Are,” where she portrayed Angie, one of four co-eds on spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and performed the title song that became a major hit.
Francis’ personal life was marked by tragedy and hardship. Her romance with singer Bobby Darin ended when her controlling father chased him away before they could elope. She endured four unsuccessful marriages, two miscarriages, and the loss of a son who lived only 10 days. In 1974, she was raped at knifepoint in a Westbury, New York, hotel room, leading to years of emotional trauma. Her brother George was murdered in 1981, and she was later diagnosed with manic depression and involuntarily institutionalized 17 times.
Earlier this year, Francis experienced an unexpected career resurgence when her 1962 song “Pretty Little Baby” went viral on TikTok. The song, recorded when she was 24, was featured in more than two million TikTok videos and garnered nearly 85 million streams on Spotify. Francis expressed amazement at the revival, noting that a song she recorded 63 years earlier was captivating new generations of audiences.
Throughout her career, Francis sold over 200 million records worldwide, making her one of the most commercially successful female singers in history. She had sold 42 million records by age 26 and accumulated more than a dozen top 20 hits during her peak years. Francis retired from the music industry in 2018 but continued performing in Las Vegas and Atlantic City venues until her retirement in the 2010s.
Francis often reflected on her difficult personal journey, stating that she would prefer to be remembered not for the heights she reached, but for the depths from which she came. Her final social media post on July 4 wished fans a happy Independence Day and thanked them for their continued support during her hospitalization.
Sources:
https://cnycentral.com/news/entertainment/connie-francis-pretty-little-baby-singer-dead-at-87-50s-60s-pop-star-whos-sorry-now-stupid-cupid-mgm-records-dick-clark-american-banstand
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/connie-francis-dead-where-the-boys-are-singer-actress-87-1236318310/
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2025-07-17/connie-francis-dies
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14913855/Singer-Connie-Francis-dead-aged-87-hospital-Pretty-Little-Baby-viral-TikTok.html
