Latest news with #ConnieFrancis
TimesLIVE
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
‘Pretty Little Baby' singer dies at 87 just weeks after her viral TikTok comeback
If you've been on TikTok and Instagram recently, chances are you've heard the catchy tune of Pretty Little Baby soundtracking videos of adorable babies and proud parents. The song, which was originally released in 1962 by singer Connie Francis, recently found new life on social media platforms, and with it a new generation of fans. Now the music world is mourning Francis, who died in hospital last week aged 87. Francis had been updating fans about her health struggles in recent weeks. On June 25 she revealed that she had fractured her pelvis and would need to rely on her wheelchair for longer than anticipated. On July 2, she posted that was in hospital undergoing tests and checks after experiencing extreme pain. She posted her final message on July 4 saying she felt 'much better'.
CTV News
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Connie Francis, ‘Pretty Little Baby' singer and actress, dead at 87
Connie Francis, a pop singer and actress whose hits such as 'Who's Sorry Now?' became a soundtrack for a generation of teens in the 1960s, has CNN Newsource Connie Francis, a pop singer and actress whose hits such as 'Lipstick on Your Collar' and 'Who's Sorry Now?' became a soundtrack for a generation of teens in the 1960s, has died, according to a post from her publicist and friend, Ron Roberts. She was 87. '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 in a post on a verified Facebook page for Francis. 'I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.' Francis was recently hospitalized for pain issues and had to cancel some appearances earlier this month, according to posts she shared on social media. The singer's hit 'Pretty Little Baby' had recently gotten attention from a much younger generation, thanks to a TikTok trend. Francis participated with a post of her on with the song on the platform. 'First time I've lip-synched to this 63-year-old recording of mine!' the caption read. Francis also shared a video to thank other artists, including Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, for 'paying tribute' to her and her song. Born Concetta Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, a young Francis won first prize on Arthur Godfrey's popular television series 'Startime Talent Scouts,' which led to her singing on his show for several years as a teen. Godfrey convinced her to adopt the stage name 'Connie Francis' as he told her it was easier to pronounce than her birth name. Success didn't come easy at first for the singer, who was rejected by multiple labels before signing with MGM in 1955. That company released her first single, 'Freddy.' Disappointed in her career, Francis almost quit to go to college before her father convinced her to record a song that had been around before, 'Who's Sorry Now?' Other popular tunes followed, including 'Lipstick on Your Collar,' 'My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own' and 'Don't Break the Heart That Loves You.' Francis also found success on screen, starring in the films 'Where the Boys Are' 'Follow The Boys' in 1963, 'Looking For Love' in 1964 and 'When The Boys Meet The Girls' 1965. It was not something she herself was a fan of, Francis revealed during a 2017 interview. 'I asked the studio why they couldn't come up with a title without the word 'boys' in it!' she said. 'People knew ('When the Boys Meet the Girls') was another lame Connie Francis movie and they stayed home. I was so pleased it was my last one.' Francis faced challenge, including what came to be known as her 'decade of tragedy.' In 1974, Francis survived a rape and robbery in her hotel room following a performance at the Westbury Music Fair in Westbury, New York. She subsequently sued the hotel and won, but the attack led the singer into a deep depression. Three years later, nasal surgery caused Francis to lose her singing voice, which took her subsequent surgeries and lengthy time to recover. Her beloved brother, George A. Franconero, was murdered in 1981 at the age of 40. According to an article from The New York Times dated March 7, 1981, he was an attorney who 'had twice given law enforcement officials information concerning alleged organized-crime activities' and was 'shot several times in the side of the head by two men' who 'were said to have approached him as he scraped ice from the windshield of his car in his driveway.' She also was treated for bipolar disorder. Francis wrote about her hard times in her 1984 autobiography, 'Who's Sorry Now.' In a conversation about her book with Oprah Winfrey around its release, Francis also reflected on the joy she experienced through her career. 'One of the things I wanted the book to show was that every time there's a story about me, it reads like a Greek tragedy, and I don't want people to feel like I'm capitalizing on so many tragedies that did occur in my life,' she said. 'My life has really been a Cinderella life with the exception of the last 10 years.'
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How Connie Francis' 1962 song ‘Pretty Little Baby' went viral on TikTok
Connie Francis was a giant of 1950s and '60s sugary-sweet pop, notching up more than a dozen hits. In the months leading to her death, which was announced on Thursday, she experienced one more in 'Pretty Little Baby', which has become a viral hit on TikTok six decades after its release. As of Thursday, more than 22.5 million TikTok videos have been created using the song, often pairing videos of baby animals, toddlers, make-up tutorials and retro fashions. According to TikTok, those videos have amassed more than 45.5 billion views globally. Celebrities such as Kylie Jenner Kim Kardashian and North West have used it too, with West lip-synching along to the track. Play Hooky, feel-good pop songs tend to do well on TikTok, and 1962's 'Pretty Little Baby' is an exemplar of that phenomenon.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
CEO resigns after viral video at Coldplay concert
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Discovery, which is also CNN's parent company, partnered with Best Friends Animal Society for the film and covered adoption fees at select shelters ahead of its premiere. 01:15 - Source: CNN Singer and actress Connie Francis dies at 87 Connie Francis, a pop singer and actress whose hits such as 'Lipstick on Your Collar' and 'Who's Sorry Now' became a soundtrack for a generation of teens in the 1960s, has died, according to a post from her publicist and friend, Ron Roberts. 01:57 - Source: CNN Lightning bolt strikes near delivery man Video shows a lightning strike nearly hitting a delivery man in Wayne, New Jersey, as storms took place across the Mid-Atlantic. 00:36 - Source: CNN Hikers confront man allegedly setting a tree on fire in LA Video shows a tense moment where hikers confronted a man for allegedly starting a fire near Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles on Sunday and prevented him from leaving the scene. 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Malaysian Reserve
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
Italian American Legend Connie Francis Belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) launches advocacy campaign on behalf of Francis, whose chart-topping ballads once ruled the airwaves — and now trend across TikTok by the billions. CLEVELAND, July 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As the nation remembers Connie Francis, one question, amplified by disbelief, grows louder: Where the girls are? Everywhere but the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it seems. 'The Rock Hall has faced ongoing criticism for under-representing early female pop vocalists and girl groups — many of whom, like Connie Francis, laid the foundation for pop and rock in the 1950s and '60s,' said COPOMIAO President Basil Russo. 'There's a strong case to be made that she deserves induction for her cultural influence and pioneering success as one of the first female pop superstars. Madonna — a successor to Francis in both Italian American heritage and chart dominance — was inducted in 2008. Francis's exclusion today appears indefensible.' Consider her legacy: 200+ million records sold worldwide First woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 Top-selling female artist of the 1960s 27 billion TikTok views featuring her music (and counting) 53 Billboard Hot 100 chart hits The voice of a generation, Francis broke through at a time when women were expected to sing, not lead. Born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, N.J., to Italian immigrant parents, she grew up speaking Italian and performing at local events by age 4. After years of grinding out talent contests and TV appearances, she exploded onto the scene in 1958 with 'Who's Sorry Now?' COPOMIAO is rallying the public to contact the Rock Hall and advocate for the recognition Connie Francis deserves. From there, she became a trailblazer: the first woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 'Everybody's Somebody's Fool,' and the first to headline major tours across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. She recorded in over a dozen languages, starred in Hollywood musicals, and even opened for the Queen of England. By the mid-1960s, Francis had become not only a household name but also a symbol of Italian American pride. ABOUT COPOMIAO Formed in NYC in 1975, the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) is a national coalition of 74 cultural, educational, fraternal and anti-defamation groups that advocate for the Italian American culture.
