Connie Francis, a pop star in the 1950s and 1960s who enjoyed a resurgence in popularity this year, has died. She was 87.
The news of her passing was shared in a July 17 Facebook post by Ron Roberts, her royalties/copyright manager and president of Concetta Records, the record label she owned.
“It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that I inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night,” Roberts wrote.
“I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news. More details will follow later.”
The post was also shared on Francis’ official Facebook page.
Earlier this month, Francis had written multiple posts on Facebook saying she had gone to the hospital due to “extreme pain.” Her last post on July 4 said she was “feeling much better.”
In 1960, Francis became the first woman to have a No.1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.” That same year, she scored another chart-topper with “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own” and would go to No. 1 for a third time in 1962 with “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You.”
Francis enjoyed other massive hits, too, including “My Happiness,” “Lipstick on Your Collar,” “Where the Boys Are” and “Who’s Sorry Now?” She notched 15 Top 10 songs in her career.
Francis enjoyed a renaissance over the last few months, thanks to her song “Pretty Little Baby,” which has been featured in videos on TikTok.
“My thanks to TikTok and its members for the wonderful, and oh so unexpected, reception given to my 1961 recording ‘Pretty Little Baby,’” she wrote on Facebook on May 17. She added that she was informed the song had become “a viral hit.”
“Clearly out of touch with present day music statistics terminology, my initial response was to ask: ‘What’s that?’” she added.
Francis said she recalled recording “Pretty Little Baby” after hearing it again once it had gone viral.
“Yes. I remembered after I heard it. It’s just a blessing to know that kindergarten kids know me and my music now. It’s really thrilling,” she told Billboard in May.
