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Connie Francis Biography

(1938–)

Related Works

1958 Who's Sorry Now?
1961 Connie Francis at the Copa
1961 More Italian Favorites

1966 Live at the Sahara in Las Vegas
1977 Sings the Big Band Hits
1968 Connie and Clyde
1962 Do the Twist with Connie Francis
1959 My Thanks to You
1996 Return Concert-Live At Trump's
1984 Connie Francis and Peter Kraus, Vols. 1 & 2
1968 Sing Along with Connie Francis
1970 Connie Francis Sings the Songs of Les Reed
1965 Connie Francis Sings for Mama
1967 My Heart Cries for You
1974 Sings Great Country Hits
1963 Mala Femmena & Connie's Big Hits from Italy
1964 A New Kind of Connie
1966 Connie Francis and the Kids Next Door
1973 Great Songs of the Sixties
1978 Who's Happy Now?
1963 Your Other Love
1963 Connie Francis Sings German Favorites
1989 Where The Hits Are
1959 Connie Francis Sings Rock 'n' Roll Million Sellers
1961 Sings Jewish Favorites
1963 Greatest American Waltzes
1990 Greatest Italian Hits
1997 Exciting
1968 Hawaii: Connie
1964 Looking for Love
1962 Connie Francis Sings Irish Favorites
1966 Movie Greats of the 60s
1967 Happiness: Connie Francis on Broadway Today
1965 Jealous Heart
1964 Connie Francis [Metro]
1960 Connie Francis Sings Fun Songs for Children
1965 Connie Francis Sings All Time International Hits
1999 Best Of Connie Francis
1998 Best Of Connie Francis
1962 Country Music, Connie Style
1962 Award Winning Motion Picture Hits
1996 Swinging Connie Francis
1964 Sing Great Country Favorites
1962 Connie Francis Sings ("Second Hand Love") And Other Hits
1968 Dance Party
1959 Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites
1996 Souvenirs
1965 Connie Francis Sings Folk Favorites
1959 Christmas Is in My Heart
1976 The Special Magic of Connie Francis
1998 Connie Francis
1961 Connie Francis Sings Folk Song Favorites
1959 The Exciting Connie Francis
1963 Modern Italian Hits
1961 Songs to a Swinging Band
1970 Greatest Golden Groovy Goodies
1995 Xmas Cheer
1977 Connie Francis Sings Great Jewish Favourites
1997 On Guard
1967 The Incomparable Connie Francis

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Singer, actress. Born Concetta Franconero, on December 12, 1938, in Newark, New Jersey. The daughter of George Franconero, a roofing contractor, Connie won first prize on Arthur Godfrey’s Startime Talent Scouts TV show at age 12, and performed on the show for four years. Godfrey convinced her to change her real last name to Francis after he had difficulty pronouncing it.

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.

Francis signed with MGM Records in 1955 after she was rejected by nearly every major recording label. MGM released her first recording, "Freddy" because the president of MGM had a son named by the same name. During the next two years, she recorded a number of mediocre songs. Francis was all set to quit music and study pre-med at NYU on scholarship when her father convinced her to record a decades-old tune, "Who's Sorry Now." 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. 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 starred in four motion pictures, Where the Boys Are (1960), with George Hamilton and Yvette Mimieux; Follow The Boys (1963);Looking For Love (1964); and When The Boys Meet The Girls (1965).

In the late 1960s Connie went to Vietnam to sing for the troops. Through the years, she has performed charity work for organizations such as UNICEF, the USO, and CARE.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. She won a lawsuit against the hotel for inadequate security, the result of which influenced the hotel and motel industry to install deadbolts, viewing ports, and improved lighting. Francis was unable to sing for years after her attack, but slowly recovered until she was again able to tour in the early 1990s.Her autobiography, Who's Sorry Now, was released in 1984.

She was married to first husband Dick Kanellis for just three months (1964-65) and to Joseph Garzilli from 1973 to 1978. She and Garzilli adopted one son.