Legendary nation, rock and pop singer Connie Francis, recognized for her hit Fairly Little Child, has died on the age of 87.
The demise of the US singing icon – born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero – was confirmed on social media by her good friend and copyright supervisor Ron Roberts.
‘It’s with a heavy coronary heart and excessive disappointment that I inform you of the passing of my pricey good friend Connie Francis final night time,’ he wrote on Fb.
‘I do know that Connie would approve that her followers are among the many first to study of this unhappy information.’
Final month Francis, who was one of the vital profitable feminine singers within the Nineteen Fifties and 60s, cancelled an look on Cousin Brucie’s Independence Day radio present after she was hospitalised and transferred to intensive care on account of ‘excessive ache’.
On July 2, Francis wrote on Fb: ‘As a lot of you could now have realized by Cousin Brucie’s Fb web page, I’m again in hospital the place I’ve been present process checks and checks to find out the trigger(s) of the intense ache I’ve been experiencing.
‘I had hoped to participate in Brucie’s present for Independence Day, having needed to cancel a earlier slot a couple of weeks in the past when receiving therapy on my hip. Sadly, I needed to let him know that I once more needed to withdraw.
‘My thanks on your many get effectively quickly messages. I’ll endeavor to maintain you up to date.’
Hours later, Francis – recognized for hits together with Who’s Sorry Now and Silly Cupid – up to date followers that she had been transferred from intensive care right into a ‘personal room’ following a collection of checks.
Two days later, Francis mentioned she was feeling ‘significantly better’ as she wished followers a contented July 4th.
In June Francis mentioned she was affected by ‘pelvic ache’ on account of a fracture, which left her utilizing a wheelchair.
Francis’ demise comes after her 1962 observe Fairly Little Child went viral on TikTok, with influencers together with the Kardashians lip-syncing the lyrics, accumulating over 15 million creates on the platform.
Inside one week in Could, Fairly Little Child, which was launched on Francis’ 1962 album Connie Francis Sings Second Hand Love & Different Hits, was streamed over 14million instances.
Francis – who was the primary lady to prime the Billboard Scorching 100 with My Coronary heart Has a Thoughts of Its Personal – mentioned she was ‘thrilled and overwhelmed’ on the success of Fairly Little Child, which wasn’t an enormous hit on its launch when she was 23.
‘I recorded that tune 63 years in the past and to know that a whole new era now is aware of who I’m and my music is thrilling for me. Thanks a lot all people, thanks TikTok,’ she mentioned.
Alongside her hits, which additionally included My Happiness, The place the Boys Are and All people’s Any person’s Idiot, Francis starred in quite a lot of common movies together with On the lookout for Love in 1964 and When the Boys Meet the Women in 1965.
Francis’ life took a darkish flip in 1974, when she was raped and nearly suffocated at knife-point in her New York lodge room having carried out on the Westbury Music Honest. She was hospitalised for 4 days and suffered recurring nightmares.
Two years later, a jury compensated Francis $2.5million for the assault in one of many largest awards ever made in a rape case at the moment.
Francis argued the lodge, Howard Johnson Motor Lodges Inc., was answerable for the assault on her as a result of it had failed to supply ‘a protected and safe room’.
The rapist was by no means discovered, and the ordeal stopped Francis from performing for quite a lot of years, however the ruling and her advocacy led to widespread modifications in lodge safety protocol.
As her profession was starting to choose up tempo once more within the late 70s with a studio album launch, Francis’ life took a devastating flip once more when her brother was murdered by members of the Mafia in 1981.
Quickly after, Francis was recognized with manic melancholy and was handled in a number of hospitals over the following 4 years.
She launched an autobiography in 1984, Who’s Sorry Now, which grew to become a New York Instances bestseller.
In a 2024 interview, Connie mirrored on her sudden rise to fame.
‘In December of 1957, I used to be typing and taking shorthand and doing submitting in my Aunt Louisa’s insurance coverage agency and in 1960 I used to be voted the world’s Quantity One Feminine Vocalist,’ she mentioned.
Francis was one of many first artists to translate her hits into overseas language variations, which gave her music big worldwide attraction in nations together with Japan, Germany and Italy.
Within the early Nineteen Sixties, Francis was promoting extra data internationally than within the US.
Followers have taken to social media with tributes to Francis.
‘RIP Connie, thanks for all of your lovely songs and films,’ mentioned Raye Leslie.
Peter Trevino mentioned: ‘I used to be 5 years outdated once I purchased my first file, Connie Francis Many Tears In the past. I’ve been a lifelong fan.
‘Connie impressed me to sing, to put in writing songs, study languages and journey the world. Her voice is the tune in tens of millions hearts tonight and perpetually. Sing on Connie!’
‘Very unhappy information,’ started Randy McGill. ‘I had so hoped she could be inducted into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame earlier than she handed away.
‘She was thought-about the primary girl of the primary decade of rock and roll. Way back she deserved to be included within the Corridor of Fame. Relaxation in peace Connie. You’ll all the time be in my corridor of fame.’
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