Connie Francis Dies at 87
Connie Francis from her first television special in 1961
One of America’s greatest voices, Newark’s Connie Francis, who sold upwards of 100 million records internationally, dominating the American charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, died July 16 at 87. Francis recorded songs in 15 different languages. She pioneered the double-tracked vocal that directly influenced Tammy Wynette and other female singers across a variety of genres. At the end of her life, she enjoyed being portrayed on Broadway in the Bobby Darin musical Just In Time, and had a TikTok hit, “Pretty Little Baby,” that went viral 63 years after she recorded it. (She was reportedly thrilled at amassing a whole new generation of fans.) In honor of this pop pioneer, we repost our 2023 “History.” (See link below)
This is a movie blockbuster that has yet to be made. The story of Concetta Rosemarie Franconero of Newark is filled with heartbreak, drama and violence amid some of the greatest vocal performances on record ever.