Connie Francis
‘Pretty Little Baby’ Singer Dead at 87
Published
Singer Connie Francis, best known for her recently viral track “Pretty Little Baby” as well as “Stupid Cupid,” has died.
Connie’s death was confirmed by her longtime friend Ron Roberts on Thursday via Facebook — just 2 weeks after TMZ broke the news she was in the ICU for unknown medical issues.
Ron announced Connie passed Wednesday, adding … “I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.”
He said more details will follow, but has not announced anything further.
Connie had a prolific singing career, rising to become one of the most popular singers in the 1950s and early 1960s. She had had several Top 10 singles such as “Who’s Sorry Now?,” “Don’t Break The Heart That Loves You,” “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own” and “Where the Boys Are”.
She was the first woman to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to her 1960 hit “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.”
Though her career is celebrated, it was nearly a miss. Connie was about to be dropped by her record label, MGM Records, in 1957 when her father convinced her to record a version of “Who’s Sorry Now?” as a last-ditch effort to get her on the charts — and it skyrocketed her into success.
With the professional success came some personal woes, as Connie was raped in a Long Island motel room in 1974 and temporarily lost her voice 3 years later due to a nasal surgery. And just a few years after in 1981, her brother George was murdered by the mafia.
She was ready for a career comeback in 1981 — but her music failed to resonate with fans, which severely impacted her mental health. Her worried father had her committed to several mental health institutions, and in 1984, she survived a suicide attempt — the same year she published her first memoir, “Who’s Sorry Now?”
After overcoming her mental health struggles, Connie used her hardships to help others, even teaming up with Ronald Reagan‘s administration on a violent crime task force and becoming an advocate for rape and trauma victims.
As we reported, Connie had been hospitalized in early July, telling fans in a post shared by Ron that she was “back in the hospital” to undergo tests to determine why she was feeling “extreme pain.”
On July 9, Ron confirmed she was still in hospital care and and still feeling discomfort.
Connie was 87. She is survived by her adopted son, Joseph Garzilli Jr.
RIP.
