Pretty Little Baby singer Connie Francis had WILD love life that included a pop king and 4 marriages
The Pretty Little Baby singer - who died at age 87 on Thursday - had a hot romance with teen idol crooner Bobby Darin.
And the chart-topping artist was also married four times.
However, Bobby seemed to be the love of her life.
Darin started his career writing for Connie and became famous in the 1950s for hits like Mack the Knife, Dream Lover and Splish Splash.
He later wed Sandra Dee, a major Hollywood movie star who was best known for playing Gidget, which broke Connie's heart.
Connie was also married four times.
Early in her career, Francis was introduced to Bobby, who was just starting his career out. Darin's manager paired the two together so he could write for the brunette pinup with the velvety voice.
Only weeks later Darin and Francis fell in love.
Francis' strict Italian father would separate the couple whenever possible, however, which caused problems. When her father learned that Darin had hinted the two elope after one of her shows, he ran Darin out of the building at gunpoint.
Francis saw Darin only two more times: both were on TV shows.
The handsome singer moved onto young beauty Sandra Dee.
In her autobiography, Francis learned about Dee and Darin's marriage on the radio which upset her. She later shared that not marrying Darin was the biggest mistake of her life.
Francis - who has no biological children - was married four times.
In 1964, she was briefly married to Dick Kanellis, a press agent and entertainment director for the Aladdin Hotel.
In January 1971, she married Izzy Marion, a hair-salon owner, divorcing 10 months later.
In 1973, Francis married Joseph Garzilli, a restaurateur and travel-agency owner. They adopted a baby boy, Joey but divorced in 1977.
Francis married TV producer Bob Parkinson in 1985, but divorced later that year. Francis dated Tony Ferretti from 2003 until Ferretti's death in 2022.
The legendary pop and country singer's death was confirmed by her friend Ron Roberts on Thursday, just weeks after Connie was admitted to hospital in Florida.
In a statement shared on Facebook, Ron penned: 'It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that i inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night.
'I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news. More details will follow later.'
Her sad passing comes shortly after her 1962 song Pretty Little Baby went viral on TikTok, putting her back in the charts for the first time in over 60 years.
As news of her death circulated, tributes came flooding in from fans on X (formerly Twitter) as they expressed their sadness at her loss.
Fans penned: 'So sad to hear about the great Connie Francis. Paying musical tribute during the Heritage Chart Breakfast show...so many great songs...Lipstick on Your Collar, Where The Boys Are, Stupid Cupid, V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N, Whose Sorry Now & many, many more. Terrific career. Great legacy.'
'The world has lost a great one last night. RIP to connie francis. you may know her from the recent viral hit 'pretty little baby'.. 87 years young. now you're with bobby once again.'
'Rip Connie Francis 1937 - 2025. Goodbye to a true icon.'
'This one really hurts. The beautiful Connie Francis passed away yesterday at the age of 87. RIP Connie.'
'That's such a same. Listened to so many of her records over the years and my Mum used to sing her songs beautifully. R.I.P Connie Francis!'
Earlier this month, TMZ reported that Connie had been admitted to a Florida hospital, though the reason for her hospitalization wasn't known at the time.
It was said that she was admitted to the intensive care unit after experiencing 'extreme pain'. She had reportedly been dealing with orthopedic health issues over the last few years, which doctors had been monitoring regularly.
At the time, the performer, who was said to have been confined to a wheelchair amid her pain, was forced to cancel an appearance on Cousin Brucie's Independence Day radio show.
Addressing her absence on his show, Connie later penned on Cousin Bruce's Facebook announcement: 'I had hoped to take part in Brucie's show for Independence Day, having had to cancel a previous slot a few weeks ago when receiving treatment on my hip.
'Sadly, I had to let him know that I again had to withdraw. My thanks for your many get well soon messages. I will endeavor to keep you updated. Love, Connie.'
Shortly afterwards, Connie confirmed she had been moved from intensive care to a 'private room' following a series of tests, with the star going on to thank her fans for their well wishes.
Born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero into a large Italian family, the singer was encouraged by her family to perform at an early age.
She changed her name to Connie Francis on a suggestion during an audition for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, appearing on NBC's Startime Kids as a teenager.
While she had minor success in her 20s with singles such as The Majesty of Love and You, My Darlin', You,' she considered leaving music for a career in medicine.
At the insistence of her father, she recorded a cover of the 1923 song Who's Sorry Now in late 1957, which would sell over 1 million copies in 1958.
She recorded a slew of hit records throughout the 1960s, though her rape in a Jericho, New York hotel lead her into more than a decade of seclusion and refuge.
She won a landmark $2.5 million judgment that lead to widespread changes in hotel security.
A decade after her assault, she wrote the autobiography Who's Sorry Now, which became a New York Times bestseller.
The singer was also once linked to crooner Bobby Darin. Her 1984 memoir even has two chapters dedicated to the 'Mack the Knife' singer.
She returned to recording and performing in 1989 and wrote another autobiography - Among My Souvenirs - before retiring in 2018.
Her work was rediscovered earlier this year with millions of fans lip syncing the catchy 1962 song Pretty Little Baby on TikTok, making it a viral hit six decades later.
She told People in March, 'To tell you the truth, I didn't even remember the song! I had to listen to it to remember.'
'To think that a song I recorded 63 years ago is touching the hearts of millions of people is truly awesome. It is an amazing feeling,' she added.
Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian's daughter North even got in on the fun, as Francis added, 'It's an honor. To see that they're paying homage to me is just breathtaking.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Morgan Wallen calls out 'side chicks' in concert audience after Coldplay kiss cam CEO chaos
Morgan Wallen took a cheeky dig at audience members with 'side chicks' during his latest show - days after a CEO was infamously caught cozying up to his female colleague on a Coldplay concert kiss cam. Andrew Byron, the head of the billion-dollar AI startup Astronomer, was broadcast on the big screen at Boston's Gillette Stadium with his arm around the company's HR chief Kristin Cabot during Coldplay's gig there Tuesday night. They rapidly covered their faces, with Byron diving out of view and Cabot turning her back to the camera, but their reaction caught the attention of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who joked: ' Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy.' The clip went instantly viral and Byron was placed on leave this Friday before the company announced his resignation on Saturday. Public records suggest both Byron, 50, and Cabot, 56, are married - but that they live at different addresses to each of their spouses' registered abodes. As the awkward moment exploded across the internet, Wallen, 32, appeared to make a sly reference to it at his own Friday night show in Glendale, Arizona. 'Anybody in here with their side chick or whatever, I think you're safe here,' he said in fan footage posted to TikTok, before quipping: 'I don't condone cheating…anymore.' The next morning, Astronomer issued a statement announcing that Byron had resigned from the billion-dollar company. 'As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,' the statement said. 'Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted.' Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy will stay on as interim CEO. 'While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not. We're continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems.' Byron and Cabot were caught red-faced as the kiss-cam at a Coldplay concert in Boston panned to the CEO with his arms wrapped his subordinate on Tuesday. The pair immediately ducked and turned from the cameras after realizing their faces were on the big screen. Astronomer announced the CEO's resignation on Saturday following an internal investigation that put Byron and Cabot on leave on Friday Astronomer acknowledge the awkward situation in the statement announcing Byron's resignation. 'Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI,' the statement read. 'While awareness of our company may have changed over night our product and our work for our customers have not'. The couple have gained infamy since the moment went viral. At the time Coldplay front man Chris Martin, cracked a joke which stirred rumors over the couple's awkward reaction. 'Oh look at these two! Oh what? Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy,' Martin said to the crowd. Public records suggest both Byron and Cabot are married - but that they live at different addresses to those listed as their spouses. Speculation of the suspected affair became the talk of the internet, and Daily Mail confirmed that Cabot is in fact currently married to another CEO. Massachusetts property documents dated in January confirmed that Cabot is currently married to Andrew Cabot, the chief executive of Privateer Rum, a Massachusetts-based booze maker. It is unclear exactly when the pair tied the knot, but the documents confirm that Cabot, whose maiden name is Stanek, was married at the time of selling a $1.8m property in Watertown, Mass, earlier this year. Privateer Rum's website lists Andrew Cabot as its CEO and COO of the company, and public documents show that he has been married at least twice before, in 1993 and 2014. He shares two children with his first wife Maud, who shared a picture of her ex-husband with Cabot looking loved up at his daughters 25th birthday party on social media in April of last year. Cabot even posed with his son Henry, 30, in the snaps, and was seen wearing a wedding ring at the event - which was missing during her cozy Coldplay date with Byron. Byron is also married, with his wife Megan Byron, removing his last name from her social media accounts shortly after the exchange with Chris Martin went viral. It comes after AI-tech start-up Astronomer said they have launched a formal investigation into the moment of intimacy. 'Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability,' they said in a statement. 'The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.' When Cabot joined the firm as HR boss in November 2024, Byron heaped praise on her, saying she would be a 'perfect fit' at his company. 'Kristin's exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory,' he said in a press release at the time. 'She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer.' Byron's firm is valued at over $1 billion, with the company experiencing rapid growth since he became CEO in 2023.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
John Oliver's Erie Moon Mammoths debut in front of a record crowd
Besides being a fan, John Oliver has had a certain affinity for minor league baseball. On Saturday night, the comedian and host of HBO 's 'Last Week Tonight' saw his latest crazy creation set out into the world as the Erie Moon Mammoths made their debut in front of a record crowd of 7,070 at UPMC Park. 'We're sending our furry child out into the world and you are the custodian of it. Now, please be careful with our child,' Oliver said a couple hours before the Moon Mammoths took the field against the Chesapeake Oyster Catchers. Oliver spotlighted Minor League Baseball promotions and alternate nicknames during 'Last Week Tonight' on May 5. At the end of the segment, Oliver invited teams to send in proposals why they should get rebranded by the show's staff. Forty-seven teams sent in pitches, including the Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Erie president Greg Coleman sent a list of 11 reasons why they were the perfect candidate, including: 'The SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea.' 'To have so many teams expressing interest was really edifying. I think it kind of validates the fact that we thought there was something special about minor league baseball. We thought this would be a group of people that would respond to the ludicrous idea that we had,' Oliver said. Erie was announced as the winner on May 19. After six weeks of research by Oliver and his staff, the Moon Mammoths were unveiled on June 29. That included the mascot named Fuzz, a purple woolly mammoth wearing a space helmet. 'Erie did stand out to us as being, you know, uniquely eccentric. And I say that as both a compliment and an insult, which is the biggest compliment there is," Oliver said. 'There was something about the Moon Mammoth that spoke to us for being particularly odd. It felt like it could make a baseball team's theme. You could almost see the logo in your head and it felt like something to be extra surprising.' The fact that this came together in less than three months is a minor miracle. It usually takes 16 months for a team to have an alternate identity approved and then take the field. 'I thought we had a good chance when I sent it in. And then when we were selected it was a little surreal,' Coleman said. 'And since then working with the " Last Week Tonight" team, they've been wonderful and detail oriented.' The Moon Mammoths name was inspired by George Moon, who found the bone of a prehistoric mammoth while scuba diving in 1991. The remains are housed at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Moon has become a regional celebrity since the rebranding was announced. He was at the game and caught the ceremonial first pitch from Oliver. 'It's fun. I'm enjoying it,' Moon said. 'From all those years ago to today, I would never have thought anything like this would've been possible. The newspaper did something on its 30th anniversary (in 2021). Other than that, I haven't heard much.' Coleman said since the Moon Mammoths were unveiled, the team has done the equivalent of four years of online sales in three weeks. The line of people waiting to get into the team store, which was located in left field, stretched out to near home plate in the concourse area. Karyn Drombosky and Sean Mizerski drove from Pittsburgh and were wearing homemade tusks as they waited to get into the team store. 'It's just great. We're big baseball fans. We see the Pirates all the time, and minor league games are fun. There's so much silliness,' Drombosky said. 'We watch John Oliver pretty regularly. We were like surprised but excited when we saw he picked the Erie team to take over.' In addition to throwing out the first pitch, Oliver was a batboy during one inning and also led the crowd in 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' during the seventh inning stretch. The cap and jersey that Oliver wore for the first pitch are going to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Moon Mammoths will be back on Aug. 19 as well as Sept. 12 and 13. Coleman said there will be at least four Moon Mammoths games next season. 'I love minor league baseball. There is a special eccentricity to it,' Oliver said. 'It felt like a nice fit with our show because minor league baseball, as you know, is willing to try anything. That was proven by the fact that over half the league was willing to sight unseen, rebrand and put their trust in the hands of a group of people who are objectively untrustworthy. That's a bad decision, and it's that kind of bad decision making that I love about minor league baseball.' ___
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Chris Hughes takes his relationship with JoJo Siwa to the next level as he shares MAJOR sign he is part of the family during trip to her home in LA after couple reunited
has proved he has fully settled into girlfriend JoJo Siwa 's family in a new Instagram post. Earlier this week, Chris, 32, flew across the Atlantic to reunite with JoJo, 22, and he couldn't hide his love for her during the tip. The couple were previously spotted holding hands as they left The NOW Massage parlour together, with Chris treating her to a massage. And on Saturday night, he further showed his obsession for JoJo as he posted a snap on social media and made it clear the family have fully taken him in already. The former Love Island star shared a snap of framed picture set up in the family home which showed the lovebirds hugging, alongside snaps of the Dance Moms star's family. It was placed next to other photos of her loved ones, suggesting that her parents approve of their romance - and that they are fond of Chris. Earlier on in the night, Chris made himself at home as he enjoyed a takeaway with her nearest and dearest. On his Story, he tagged JoJo's mum Jessalynn alongside some delicious food they had eaten. A few slides after, and he was posing with JoJo's family pooch, sharing a black-and-white snap with his followers. Insinuating that he doesn't want to leave, he wrote: 'Had the best few days. It's so beautiful here.' On Monday, the loved-up pair couldn't keep their hands off each othe r, with Chris gushing that he's 'in love' with JoJo, before calling her his 'princess.' He said: 'I am really in love with this one.' Grilled on his recent admission that he's already thought about marrying JoJo, Chris added: 'One day, I am a proper family man so one day! Yeah 100% that's the fairytale right? She is my princess, she is a good one.' It certainly wasn't a showbiz relationship anyone saw coming, and when the former Love Island star and the former Dance Moms star met, JoJo was in a relationship with her ex partner Kath Ebbs. Confirming on CBB that she identifies as queer, she has openly discussed how Chris is her first relationship with a man. Speaking to The Sun's Fabulous Magazine, Chris hit back at accusations their relationship is fake, as he admitted: 'I've had more people call me 'gay' in the last two months of my life than ever before. But it doesn't bother me – as long as people aren't nasty, opinions are fine.' He revealed even he was surprised by the turn of events, and after a string of public relationships, he began to wonder whether there was anyone out there for him. He explained: 'Then meeting Joelle gave me this magical feeling. She is the most precious person... I'm obsessed with her. I'd do anything for her.' The star confessed the 10-year age gap doesn't phase him as you can't help who you fall in love with. And while it has only been a matter of months Chris can already see the relationship going the full way and believes it is forever. Discussing the prospect of marriage after confessing they both say 'I love you' every day, he hinted: 'I do see a forever here... I'd love to marry her. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I run through scenarios of our wedding day.' He also revealed they both want children and he has received the seal of approval from her family after joining them on their Orlando holiday in May.
