Connie Francis

Connie Francis
Singer

Connie Francis is an American pop singer, actress. She is estimated to have sold over 100 million records worldwide. Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero was born on December 12, 1937 to an Italian-American family in New Jersey, USA.

Francis was a singer from the age of four, appearing regularly in talent contests and neighborhood festivals. She appeared on the NBC variety show Starttime Kids from 1953 to 1955. In May 1955, she recorded four songs. MGM Records decided to sign her to a contract. "Freddie" was released as Francis' first single, which, like her eight subsequent singles, became a commercial failure.

In the fall of 1957, Francis had her first success with a duet single recorded with Marvin Rainwater: "The Majesty of Love". The single sold over a million copies. Francis considered a career in medicine and was about to accept a four-year scholarship to New York University. In her final recording session for MGM on October 2, 1957, she recorded a cover version of the 1923 song "Who's Sorry Now". On February 15, 1958, Francis performed it at a show. By mid-year, more than a million copies had been sold and Francis was suddenly launched worldwide. In April 1958, "Who's Sorry Now?" It reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart and number 4 in the US. For the next four years, Frances was voted "Best Female Vocalist" by the American Bandstand viewers.

The success of "Stupid Cupid" regained momentum in Francis' chart career, and she reached the US Top 40 an additional eight times during the remainder of the 1950s. She managed to score more hits by covering several older songs, as well as performing her own originals. In 1959, she earned two gold records for "Lipstick On Your Collar" and "Frankie."

In the 1960s, Frances was recognized as the most successful female artist in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia, and in every other country where records were purchased. She is the first woman in history to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In the 1960s, she was voted number 1 singer in more than 10 countries. In 1960, she was named Europe's most popular artist, the first non-European to receive the honor. From mid-1961 to mid-1963, Radio Luxembourg closed the daily broadcast with "It's Time to Say Goodnight", a song Francis recorded especially for them and later officially released in 1996.

While appearing at the Westbury Music Fair in New York, on November 8, 1974, Francis was raped in Jericho, New York. She later sued the hotel for failing to provide adequate security and reportedly won a $2.5 million judgment. Francis went into depression. In 1977, Francis underwent nasal surgery and completely lost her voice. She underwent three more operations and was unable to sing for four years.

In 1978, Francis returned to the recording studio and released an album called "Who's Happy Now". Francis attempted suicide in 1984. In late December 2004, Francis headlined Las Vegas for the first time since 1989. In March and October 2007, Francis performed at the Castro Theater in San Francisco. She appeared in concert in Manila, Philippines on Valentine's Day 2008.

Songs of Connie Francis

* Falling (1958)

* Frankie (1959)

* Lipstick on Your Collar (1959)

* My Happiness (1959)

* Stupid Cupid (1958)

* Who's Sorry Now (1958)



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Brook Benton

Brook Benton
Singer

Benjamin Franklin Peay, better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter.

Benton was born on September 19, 1931 in Lugoff, South Carolina, USA. When he was young, he enjoyed gospel music, writing songs and singing in a church. In 1948, he moved to New York to pursue his music career. Returning to his home state, he joined an R&B group. He returned to New York. He decided to change his name to Brooke Benton as a solo artist.

He has written songs for artists such as Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter (for whom he co-wrote the hit "A Lover's Question") and Roy Hamilton. He released his first minor hit, "A Million Miles From Nowhere". He appeared in the movie "Mr. Rock and Roll" in 1957. In 1959, he achieved his breakthrough with hits such as "It's Just a Matter of Time" and "Endlessly". "It's Just a Matter of Time", sold over a million copies and was awarded a gold disc.

Benton died on April 9, 1988 at the age of 56 in Queens, New York City.

Songs of Brook Benton

* Endlessly (1959)

* It's Just a Matter of Time (1959)

* So Close (1959)

* So Many Ways (1960)

* Thank You Pretty Baby (1959)

* Baby (You're Got What It Takes) (with Dinah Washington) (1960)

* Fools Rush In (1960)

* Kiddio (1960)

* Rockin Good Way (with Dinah Washington) (1960)

* Same One (1960)

* This Time of the Year (1960)

* Ties That Bind (1960)



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Don Gibson

Don Gibson
Singer

Donald Eugene Gibson was an American songwriter and country musician.

Don Gibson was born on April 3, 1928 in a poor family in Shelby, North Carolina, USA. He dropped out in second grade.

His first band was called Sons of the Soil, with whom he made his first recording in 1949. In 1957, he traveled to Nashville and recorded his self-penned songs "Oh Lonesome Me" and "I Can't Stop Loving You". It resulted in a double-sided hit on both the country and pop charts. "I Can't Stop Loving You" has been recorded by over 700 artists, most notably Ray Charles in 1962.

Gibson married Bobbi Patterson in 1967.

Gibson recorded a series of successful duets with Dottie West in the late 1960s and early 1970s. West and Gibson released an album together in 1969, titled Dottie and Don. He also recorded several duets with Sue Thompson.

He died on November 17, 2003. The Don Gibson Theater opened in November 2009 in historic Uptown Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina. Originally built in 1939. It includes an exhibition on the life and achievements of Don Gibson. It has a 400-seat music hall and adjoining function space that can accommodate up to 275 people.

Songs of Don Gibson

* Blue Blue Day (1958)

* Don't Tell Me Your Troubles (1959)

* Give Myself a Party (1958)

* I Can't Stop Loving You (1957)

* Look Who's Blue (1958)

* Oh Lonesome Me (1958)

* Who Cares (1959)

* Big Hearted Me (1960)

* Far Far Away (1960)

* I'm Moving On (1960)

* Just One Time (1960)

* Sweet Dreams (1960)



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Ivory Joe Hunter

Ivory Joe Hunter
Singer

Ivory Joe Hunter was an American rhythm-and-blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. Hunter was a prolific songwriter, and some estimate he wrote more than 7,000 songs.

Hunter was born on October 10, 1914 in Kirbyville, Texas. Hunter was a talented pianist by the age of 13. He made his first recording in 1933.

In 1942 he moved to Los Angeles. He wrote and recorded his first song "Blues at Sunrise", which became a nationwide hit on the R&B charts in 1945. In 1949, he recorded "I Quit My Pretty Mama". and "guess who". He recorded "I Almost Lost My Mind", which topped the 1950 R&B charts. By 1954, he had recorded over 100 songs.

While visiting Memphis, Tennessee in the spring of 1957, Hunter was invited by Elvis Presley to visit Graceland. Presley recorded several of his songs.

Hunter returned as a country singer in the late 1960s and recorded an album titled I've Always Been Country.
Hunter died on November 8, 1974 in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 60.

Songs of Ivory Joe Hunter

* A Tear Fell (1955)

* Empty Arms (1957)

* I Almost Lost My Mind (1950)

* I Need You So (1950)

* Since I Met You Baby (1957)

* Yes I Want You (1958)



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