Connie Francis, 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Who's Sorry Now' pop singer, dies at 87
Francis who was born in Newark and grew up in Belleville.
Ron Roberts, the president of her music label, Concetta Records, announced the news on Facebook early Thursday, July 17. The statement was reshared to Francis' official Facebook page.
"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."
Her cause of death was not shared, however Francis had been hospitalized in an intensive care unit in recent weeks, where she was undergoing tests to find the source of her "extreme pain." She kept fans informed via her Facebook page. Her last update, on July 4, noted she was "feeling much better."
Roberts added that additional details would be announced at a later time.
Francis is considered one of the bestselling female vocalists of the 1960s and is credited with helping globalize American music, including by recording her singles in as many as 12 different languages.
The Newark, New Jersey, native's 1962 hit "Pretty Little Baby" recently went viral on TikTok, exposing the mid-century star to a new generation of fans.
She went on to have an acting career, in the films "When the Boys Meet the Girls," "Follow the Boys," "Looking for Love" and a film sharing a name with her 1961 hit, "Where the Boys Are," that became a low-budget hit for MGM.
In later years, Francis took extended breaks from music due to tragedy. A cosmetic surgery procedure in 1967 affected her vocal performances, according to her biography. She returned to music after suffering a miscarriage in 1974. Later that year, she was sexually assaulted and robbed at knifepoint, leading to a hiatus from the public for several years. She sued the hotel chain where she was attacked and won over $2 million, one of the largest judgments of its kind at the time.
Her life was also affected by mental health struggles and alleged physical abuse from her husbands, and she became an advocate for victims' rights.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Connie Francis dead: 'Pretty Little Baby' singer was 87
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