Connie Francis, the celebrated pop star known for classic hits like Who’s Sorry Now? and Pretty Little Baby that helped shape the music scene before the Beatles era, passed away on July 16, 2025, at the age of 87. She died after being hospitalized due to severe pain. Her friend and publicist, Ron Roberts, shared the news on Facebook Thursday, stating, “It is with great sorrow and heavy heart that I announce my dear friend Connie Francis passed away last night.”
Francis was admitted to the hospital on July 2, 2025, as doctors ran tests to identify the cause of her intense pain. In her last Facebook update on July 4, she told fans she was feeling better and wished everyone a happy Independence Day. Her illness forced her to cancel scheduled events, including a Fourth of July performance with radio legend Cousin Brucie.
Born Concetta Rosemarie Franconero on December 12, 1937, in Newark, New Jersey, Francis went on to become one of history’s most successful female recording artists. By 26, she had sold 42 million records; her career total surpassed 200 million worldwide. Her father, George Franconero—a roofing contractor skilled with the accordion—started managing her career when she was only four.
At 17, Francis signed with MGM Records after making TV appearances on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts and The Perry Como Show. Godfrey was the one who encouraged her to change her last name from Franconero to Francis. Her big break came in 1958 with Who’s Sorry Now?, a 1923 ballad that found new life after Dick Clark played it on American Bandstand.
From 1957 to 1964, Francis topped the charts with more than a dozen singles landing in the top 20. She made history as the first woman to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool in June 1960. Other number-one songs included My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own and Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You. Further hits such as Stupid Cupid, Lipstick on Your Collar, Mama, and Frankie solidified her enduring appeal.
Francis also ventured into movies, starring in several MGM films like Where the Boys Are (1960), Follow the Boys (1963), Looking for Love (1964), and When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965). Her recording of the title song for Where the Boys Are climbed to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961 and reached number one in 19 countries after she recorded it in multiple languages in a single New York session.
Her personal life, however, was filled with profound challenges. Her romance with Bobby Darin ended after her father confronted the singer with a gun during a rehearsal. In 1974, Francis endured a rape at knifepoint in her hotel room at the Westbury Music Center in New York. She later sued the hotel for inadequate security and received a $1.475 million settlement. The assault led to the end of her marriage and years of emotional distress. The attack happened while she was married to Joseph Garzilli, whom she wed in 1973; together, they adopted a son, Joseph Garzilli Jr., in 1974.
Tragedy struck again in 1981 when her brother George was fatally shot outside his New Jersey home. Francis also battled manic depression, endured 17 involuntary hospitalizations, and once attempted suicide with sleeping pills, spending three days in a coma before recovering. In the 1980s, a botched nasal surgery temporarily damaged her singing voice.
Francis was married four times, with all but her third marriage lasting less than a year. She once remarked that only her marriage to Joseph Garzilli, from 1973 to 1977, was worth the effort. In 1984, she published her autobiography Who’s Sorry Now?, candidly reflecting on her difficulties and expressing remorse over decisions made under her father’s strong influence.
In recent years, Francis found unexpected new fame when her 1962 single Pretty Little Baby went viral on TikTok. By July 2025, the song was used in over two million TikTok videos and racked up nearly 85 million streams on Spotify.
Francis often stated that she hoped to be remembered for her resilience in overcoming adversity rather than just her musical accomplishments. She wanted her legacy to be defined not by her successes but by her persistence in rising above life’s hardships.
She is survived by her son, Joseph Garzilli.