Connie Francis Biography

Connie Francis was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in 1938, to a working-class Italian family in New Jersey. Her father encouraged her as a young child to sing and perform at competitions and festivals, recognizing that the young Connie already showed signs of talent even at the young age of four.

Connie Francis accepted a number of small jobs as a singer, and it was through one of these gigs that she came to the attention of managers who also recognized her potential. In 1955, she signed with MGM Records and released her first single, “Freddy.” A few other unsuccessful recordings followed, until Francis recorded the song “Who’s Sorry Now,” and Dick Clark featured it on American Bandstand in 1958. The single rocketed to the top of the charts, and Connie Francis’s career as a singer officially began.

Connie Francis worked with some of the industry greats, including Neil Sedaka, to record a series of hit singles, including "Stupid Cupid," "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own," and "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You." Her career as a singer led to a career in acting, and Connie found herself starring in some of the 1960’s biggest films, including Where the Boys Are (1960), Follow The Boys (1963), Looking For Love (1964), and When The Boys Meet The Girls (1965). She also spent the decade entertaining the troops in Vietnam, until a terrible incident made her a victim of assault, and she spent the next few decades away from the public scene.

In 1984, Connie Francis resurfaced with the publication of Who’s Sorry Now, her autobiography. A few years later she began to record and perform again, and she continues to do so. She recorded a live album, The Return Concert, in 1995, and a year later released a tribute album to the late Buddy Holly, With Love to Buddy. She performed in Las Vegas in 2004 and then again in 2007 in San Francisco. In 2008, she traveled to Manila for a concert performance, and also appeared in 2010 with Dionne Warwick at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Today, Connie Francis is widely recognized for her charitable and philanthropic efforts, which include extensive work for American Veterans and those suffering from mental ilness. As the national spokeswoman for Mental Health America’s STAR Campaign, Francis continues to work tirelessly to fight for an enforcement bill of rights for patients in mental institutions. On the entertainment front, Francis has recently finished her much anticipated autobiography, Among My Souvenirs, The Real Story. The book is schedule for release in late 2017.