Connie Francis (born December 12, 1938 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American pop singer best known for international hit songs such as "Who's Sorry Now?", "Where The Boys Are", and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool".
Francis' first single, "Freddy", (1955) met with little success. Her next nine singles were also failures, and she began to consider a career in medicine. However, a cover version of the song "Who's Sorry Now?" launched Francis into super-stardom worldwide. She recorded the song at what was to have been her final recording session for MGM; the label was about to drop her due to her previous singles' poor sales. She has said that she recorded it at the suggestion of her father, who convinced her it stood a chance of becoming a hit because it was a song adults already knew and that teenagers would dance to if it were released with a more contemporary arrangement.
The gamble paid off. On January 1, 1958, the song debuted on Dick Clark's American Bandstand television show, and by mid-year over a million copies were sold. In April 1958, "Who's Sorry Now" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number four in the USA. This was followed by many other hits over the next decade, as Connie Francis became one of the most popular vocalists in the world.
Francis specialized in downbeat ballads (often remakes of old standards) delivered in her trademark "sobbing" style, such as "My Happiness", "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry", "Among My Souveneirs", "Together", "Breakin' In a Brand New Broken Heart", and the Italian song "Mama". However, she also had success with a handful of more upbeat, rock-and-roll-oriented compositions, such as "Stupid Cupid", "Lipstick On Your Collar", and "Vacation".
In 1960, Francis became the youngest headliner to sing in Las Vegas, where she played 28 days a year for nine years. In 1961, she became the first female artist to score a No. 1 Billboard AC single, with "Together," and she topped the AC chart again the following year with "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You." That same year she starred in her own television special on ABC. Francis appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on July 1, 1962 with French singing star Johnny Hallyday in a show that was taped at the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris, France. On July 3, 1963, she played a Command performance before Queen Elizabeth II at the Alhambra Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland. By 1967, Francis had 35 U.S. Top 40 hits, three of which were number ones. During the height of the Vietnam War in 1967, Connie Francis performed for U.S. troops. Francis ended her recording career in 1969. She returned in 1973 with "The Answer", a song written just for her, and soon began performing again.
Francis has always been a great fan of country music and recorded several albums of country standards during her pop career. In 1969, she had a modest country hit with, "The Wedding Cake." She appeared on the country charts again in 1982 with "There's Still a Few Good Love Songs Left in Me." Several country singers found chart success remaking Francis' pop hits for the country market, including Marie Osmond ("Who's Sorry Now" in 1975), Susan Raye ("My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" in 1972), Margo Smith ("Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" in 1978), and Debby Boone.
Francis' autobiography, Who's Sorry Now? was published in 1984.
In 2000, "Who's Sorry Now" was named one of the Songs of the Century. Her latest CD The American Tour contains performances from recent shows. In late December 2004, Francis headlined in Las Vegas for the first time since 1989. In March 2007, Francis performed to a sold-out crowd at the Castro Theater in San Francisco."Who's Sorry Now" will always be my personal favorite. Find out more about this living legend at: http://www.conniefrancis.com/
Research info gathered at: www.wikipedia.org
Visit my ezine at: http://www.concelebratory.blogspot.com/
and personal blog: http://www.copyat5.blogspot.com/
Francis' first single, "Freddy", (1955) met with little success. Her next nine singles were also failures, and she began to consider a career in medicine. However, a cover version of the song "Who's Sorry Now?" launched Francis into super-stardom worldwide. She recorded the song at what was to have been her final recording session for MGM; the label was about to drop her due to her previous singles' poor sales. She has said that she recorded it at the suggestion of her father, who convinced her it stood a chance of becoming a hit because it was a song adults already knew and that teenagers would dance to if it were released with a more contemporary arrangement.
The gamble paid off. On January 1, 1958, the song debuted on Dick Clark's American Bandstand television show, and by mid-year over a million copies were sold. In April 1958, "Who's Sorry Now" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and number four in the USA. This was followed by many other hits over the next decade, as Connie Francis became one of the most popular vocalists in the world.
Francis specialized in downbeat ballads (often remakes of old standards) delivered in her trademark "sobbing" style, such as "My Happiness", "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry", "Among My Souveneirs", "Together", "Breakin' In a Brand New Broken Heart", and the Italian song "Mama". However, she also had success with a handful of more upbeat, rock-and-roll-oriented compositions, such as "Stupid Cupid", "Lipstick On Your Collar", and "Vacation".
In 1960, Francis became the youngest headliner to sing in Las Vegas, where she played 28 days a year for nine years. In 1961, she became the first female artist to score a No. 1 Billboard AC single, with "Together," and she topped the AC chart again the following year with "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You." That same year she starred in her own television special on ABC. Francis appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on July 1, 1962 with French singing star Johnny Hallyday in a show that was taped at the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris, France. On July 3, 1963, she played a Command performance before Queen Elizabeth II at the Alhambra Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland. By 1967, Francis had 35 U.S. Top 40 hits, three of which were number ones. During the height of the Vietnam War in 1967, Connie Francis performed for U.S. troops. Francis ended her recording career in 1969. She returned in 1973 with "The Answer", a song written just for her, and soon began performing again.
Francis has always been a great fan of country music and recorded several albums of country standards during her pop career. In 1969, she had a modest country hit with, "The Wedding Cake." She appeared on the country charts again in 1982 with "There's Still a Few Good Love Songs Left in Me." Several country singers found chart success remaking Francis' pop hits for the country market, including Marie Osmond ("Who's Sorry Now" in 1975), Susan Raye ("My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" in 1972), Margo Smith ("Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" in 1978), and Debby Boone.
Francis' autobiography, Who's Sorry Now? was published in 1984.
In 2000, "Who's Sorry Now" was named one of the Songs of the Century. Her latest CD The American Tour contains performances from recent shows. In late December 2004, Francis headlined in Las Vegas for the first time since 1989. In March 2007, Francis performed to a sold-out crowd at the Castro Theater in San Francisco."Who's Sorry Now" will always be my personal favorite. Find out more about this living legend at: http://www.conniefrancis.com/
Research info gathered at: www.wikipedia.org
Visit my ezine at: http://www.concelebratory.blogspot.com/
and personal blog: http://www.copyat5.blogspot.com/
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