Latest news with #RonRoberts
CTV News
2 days 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.'
UAE Moments
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- UAE Moments
'Pretty Little Baby' Singer Connie Francis Dies at 87
Music legend Connie Francis, who gave us the catchy classics 'Stupid Cupid' and 'Pretty Little Baby,' has died at the age of 87. Her longtime friend and Concetta Records president, Ron Roberts, confirmed the news on Facebook, calling it a 'heavy and heartbreaking loss.' Just a few weeks before her passing, Connie had opened up about her health on Facebook, saying she was undergoing tests due to pelvic pain. By early July, she had moved from the ICU to a private hospital room. A Career That Shaped Pop If you grew up hearing 'Who's Sorry Now?' or caught her viral moment on TikTok through 'Pretty Little Baby,' you've felt Connie's charm. Her music dominated the 1950s and '60s, and even decades later, her songs still have fans humming along. She Leaves Behind a Son Connie is survived by her son. Her official Facebook page also shared the sad news, remembering her as a true music icon who left a timeless mark on the world.
ABC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Singer Connie Francis has died at age 87
Singer Connie Francis, whose hits included Stupid Cupid and Pretty Little Baby, has died at age 87. Her death was confirmed by her publicist Ron Roberts, who did not provide any further details about her death. Her hit Pretty Little Baby was revived on TikTok recently — something she said was "an amazing feeling".
CNN
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Connie Francis, ‘Pretty Little Baby' singer, dead 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.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Connie Francis, 'Pretty Little Baby' singer, dead at 87
Connie Francis, known for musical hits such as "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "Pretty Little Baby," has died. She was 87. Ron Roberts, the president of Francis' record label Concetta Records, first shared the news on the artist's official Facebook page on Thursday. "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," the message concluded. Earlier this month, Francis revealed she had been hospitalized for "extreme pain." "I am back in hospital where I have been undergoing tests and checks to determine the cause(s) of the extreme pain I have been experiencing," she wrote on Facebook. "I am pleased to advise that following a series of tests and examinations in Intensive Care, I have now been transferred to a private room." Two days later, she informed her fans that she was "feeling much better after a good night," Her last post was on July 4. "We were expecting it, unfortunately … they couldn't locate where the pain was exactly," Roberts, who said Francis was experiencing trouble with her hip, told People of her death. "It's been two months of the most extreme high then the most extreme low," he said. Roberts told the outlet that Francis began to "deteriorate" after leaving the hospital earlier this month and was "unconscious" for at least two days before she died. "She slipped away peacefully," he said. Francis, who first found fame and success in the 1950s, was best known for hit singles such as "My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own," "Where the Boys Are," "Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" and more. In 2018, Francis opened up about the story behind one of her biggest hits, "Who's Sorry Now?". "My father wanted me to record that song for a year and a half and I turned him down," she told Fox News Digital. "It was a square song, it was written during the 1920s, and the kids on 'American Bandstand' would laugh me right out of the show. He said, 'If you don't sing this song, sister, the only way you'll get on 'American Bandstand' is if you sit on top of the television set.' So I did it as the last song." "I stretched the other songs before I got to 'Who's Sorry Now' so there wouldn't be time," she continued. "But there were 16 minutes left. My father said, 'If I have to nail you to that microphone, you're gonna do "Who's Sorry Now."' So I did it. I didn't like it… I remember that record had been out for three months and it went nowhere... But Dick Clark liked it… It was a cosmic moment for me. It's a moment I'll never forget. Because I knew in five seconds my life would never be the same. And it wasn't. It was a happy shock." Francis faced a number of personal challenges throughout her life, including a suicide attempt in 1984, surviving rape in 1974 and family turmoil. "To make a short story long, in the '80s, I was involuntarily committed to mental institutions 17 times in nine years in five different states," she told the Village Voice in 2011. "I was misdiagnosed as bipolar, ADD, ADHD, and a few other letters the scientific community had never heard of. A few years later, I was discovered to have had post-traumatic stress disorder following a horrendous string of events in my life." Francis was married four times and is survived by a son, Joseph Garzilli Jr.
