The 85-year-old face of former adolescent pop star Connie Francis shows traces of aging and despondency. Yet, she still has the same gorgeous lips she did in 1958 when she sang “Who’s Sorry Now?”
Francis, who was 1.56 m tall and came from Newark, New Jersey, was well-known for usually sporting fake eyelashes and stiletto heels.
Francis celebrated her 85th birthday with “the largest gathering of lifetime friends and those closest to me,” and she looked stunning.
With the release of her track “Who’s Sorry Now,” Francis gained notoriety. She went on to enjoy success with several singles in the 1960s, including “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” “Heartaches by the Number,” and “Lipstick on Your Collar.”
Despite having the benefit of fame, she was nonetheless troubled by grief.
Bobby Darin, the most popular male performer of the 1960s, fell in love with Francis, the best-selling female vocalist of the day. They fell in love so deeply—he wrote many of the songs she performed—that she subsequently proclaimed, “Bobby was my first and last love.”
Francis discusses her epic romance with Darin and the moment of infatuation that set off his flight response in an interview with FOX News.
She said, “Bobby came to my office one day in 1956 to present me a song. He was writing jingles for a furniture business in New Jersey. This song was played to me, which I somewhat modified. Let’s assume he was unhappy.
He said, “This lady and I don’t dance to the same song.” “I’m going.” He then picked up his tune and started to leave. He did, however, bring the adjustments I made. But, the animosity quickly gave way to love.
Yet their relationship was doomed from the beginning.
The blossoming affair angered Francis’ demanding and irritable Italian father, who eventually pushed Darin away from Francis.
Francis said, “My father loathed him so much.” Even so, “he tried to shoot him.” He carried a gun in his pocket when he arrived. Furthermore, Bobby had a weak heart.
Francis praised Darin following his passing, saying, “He was a beautiful human being.” the most fascinating individual I’ve ever encountered. He exhibited a level of tenacity I had never seen in anyone else.
The talented performer and actor passed away in 1973 at the age of 37. Anyone who heard him perform “Splish Splash,” “Mack the Knife,” “Dream Lover,” and “Beyond the Sea” will never forget him.
Together with another teen star, Sandra Dee, whom he married in 1960, Darin won a Golden Globe for his role in his debut film, Come September.
Francis was working diligently on her job at the same time while being closely watched by her father.
Hollywood finally engaged her in a big role and had her sing the popular song Where the Boys Are after she lent her voice to actors and actresses like Jayne Mansfield in The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958).
Up until her final movie, When the Boys Met the Girls, in 1965, she kept acting in movies. On the other hand, she never excelled at acting.
“I didn’t feel comfortable like I didn’t belong there,” she said. She said about her last movie, “I was very delighted it was my last one.
After Darin, she dated actors Don Rickles and Frank Sinatra, who had blue eyes.
Francis had four previous marriages and divorces before deciding to settle down with Joseph Garzilli, with whom she had an adoption after just one year of marriage. She was assaulted during that marriage by a man who broke into her motel room following a concert in New York in 1974.
After the horrific incident, Francis fell into a severe despair and spent the next seven years living alone and relying on Darvon.
She got nasal surgery in 1977 as a result of her trouble singing in air-conditioned environments. After three additional treatments, she showed little improvement and was unable to speak for the subsequent four years.
Just as she was about to make a comeback, her brother, George A. Franconero, a former district attorney and government witness, was shot and killed in front of his home in what the police are calling a “mob killing.”
Francis’ 2017 book, Among My Souvenirs, is an open and honest account of her life and career, capturing the highs and lows she experienced.
Her 18-year partner Tony Ferretti passed away in 2022; the two had performed “You Made Me Love You” as a duet.
Not so much for the heights I have gained, but rather for the depths from which I have emerged, was how she described how she wanted her current life to be remembered.
She desires A native of New Jersey who now resides in Florida inscribed “I hope I did good” on her gravestone. She wore a short navy blue kaftan with brilliant yellow flowers printed on it to celebrate turning 85. She also wore red lipstick, her hair was beautifully styled, and practical low-heeled sandals.
From our opinion, Connie Francis performed admirably. Her horrific upbringing inspired her to dedicate her life to advocating for mental health to help other victims of violence.
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