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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