Connie Francis, voice behind viral song Pretty Little Baby, dead at 87
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Connie Francis, voice behind viral song Pretty Little Baby, dead at 87")
Connie Francis Photograph: (X)
Connie Francis, a popular singer in the 1950 and '60s, found a new audience weeks before her death as her song Pretty Little Baby went viral on Instagram and TikTok. The song was initially released in 1962.
Singer Connie Francis, whose song Pretty Little Baby is used in almost every third reel on Instagram these days, has passed away at the age of 87. Connie was hospitalized a few days ago after complaining of ‘extreme pain’. The veteran musician who has also sung the hit song Stupid Cupid passed away on July 16. The news of her demise was confirmed by her friend Ron Roberts in a statement on Facebook.
Ron Roberts took to Facebook to share the sad news and wrote, “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 exact cause of her death has not been revealed yet.
Connie Francis updated fans about her illness days before her death
The news comes days after the Pretty Little Baby hitmaker informed fans that she had been admitted to the hospital in July after she experienced ‘extreme pain’. Connie had cancelled plans to appear at an Independence Day show due to illness. She said she was undergoing tests and suggested her health issues could be linked to previous treatment she had on her hip.
Connie wrote on social media, “Hello Everyone. As many of you may now have learned through (radio star) Cousin Brucie’s Facebook page, I am back in the hospital, where I have been undergoing tests and checks to determine the cause(s) of the extreme pain I have been experiencing. I had hoped to take part in Brucie’s show for Independence Day, having had to cancel a previous slot a few weeks ago when receiving treatment on my hip. Sadly, I had to let him know that I again had to withdraw. My thanks for your many get-well-soon messages. I will endeavor to keep you updated. Love, Connie."
The singer was taken into intensive care before being shifted to a private room. Connie kept her fans updated initially with her final post on Facebook on July 4, reading as, “Hello Everyone. Today I am feeling much better after a good night, and wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Fourth of July. Thank you all for your continued kind thoughts and prayers. A happy Independence Day to you and your loved ones."
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Pretty Little Baby and other hits
Connie's death comes weeks after her song Pretty Little Baby found a new audience online after going viral on Instagram and TikTok. The song was originally released in 1962. Connie rose to fame back in the 1950s and saw many of her songs, including Stupid Cupid, Lipstick on Your Collar, Who’s Sorry Now, and Where the Boys Are, topping the charts. She found fame once again among the new generation as her song Pretty Little Baby went viral.
Her cover of Who’s Sorry Now helped propel her to fame after it was featured on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in 1958 and it went on to sell more than a million copies and score her a number one hit in the UK. She continued recording and performing and published her autobiography Who’s Sorry Now? in 1984. She followed it with a second, Among My Souvenirs in 2017. She took a step back from the spotlight in 2018.
Who was Connie Francis?
Born in an American-Italian family in Newark, New Jersey, in 1937, Connie was encouraged to take part in various talent contests by her father from a young age. She appeared in NBC’s Variety show Startime Kids and became a local celebrity, having participated in numerous talent contests in her neighbourhood. She was hired to do the vocals for Tuesday Weld’s singing scenes in the 1956 movie Rock, Rock, Rock, and then for a movie called Jamboree in 1965. In a career spanning over 6 decades, Connie sang several classic songs. In 1984, Francis wrote and published her autobiography, Who’s Sorry Now?, which became a bestseller.
Francise was married four times and adopted a child, a boy, with her third husband.
Connie Francis retired in 2018, and lived in Florida until her death. Earlier this year, when her song Pretty Little Baby, a sleeper hit during its initial hit, became viral on the internet, the veteran singer had expressed surprise. Connie had admitted that she had forgotten about the song but that she was pleased that her music and the innocence it sought to represent were being embraced by a younger audience.
(With agency inputs)
