Singer Connie Francis, best known for her song Pretty Little Baby, has passed away at the age of 87 on Wednesday, with the singer's death being shared publicly a day later.
The star’s death was confirmed on social media by her friend and copyright manager Ron Roberts.
“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.” he wrote on Facebook.”
But who was Francis? Here’s everything we know.
Who was Connie Francis?
Francis was one of the most successful female singers in the 1950s and 60s.
Her career started in the 1950s when she made an appearance on the NBC variety show Startime Kids. She signed a contract with MGM Records as a result of her successful appearance on the show, but the label released her after she had unsatisfactory chart results.
With her song Everybody's Somebody's Fool, the pop singer became the first woman to ever reach the top spot on the Billboard Top 100, capping off an amazing career.
Her performance of Who's Sorry Now? on American Bandstand a year later served as a significant breakthrough. The recording peaked at number one in the UK and number four in the United States.
In the following months, she released a series of successes, such as Stupid Cupid, My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own, and Pretty Little Baby, which has been going viral on social media.
Pretty Little Baby was released in 1962 as the seventh single on her eleventh album, Connie Francis Sings Second Hand Love. While it didn’t get the fame it deserves around this time, the song grew in popularity in 2025 as it started being used in several videos across Instagram and TikTok.
The song accumulated 10 billion streams, according to a report in May 2025.
Frances acknowledge the listens over a Facebook post at the time, she wrote: “The first I learned of it was when [a friend] called to advise me that I had 'a viral hit'. Clearly out of touch with present day music statistics terminology, my initial response was to ask: 'What's that?' Thank you everyone!”
She later added: “I am thrilled and overwhelmed at the success of Pretty Little Baby. I recorded that song 63 years ago and to know that an entire new generation now knows who I am, and my music is thrilling for me. Thank you so much everybody, thank you TikTok.”
What are Connie Francis' most famous songs?
- Connie Francis’ breakout hit Who’s Sorry Now in 1958 launched her to stardom.
- The same year, she launched a catchy rock 'n' roll tune called Stupid Cupid, written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield.
- Currently her most famous song would be Pretty Little Baby, thanks to TikTok and Instagram.
- In 1960, she released Everybody's Somebody's Fool which became her first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Francis also acted in a number of films during the 1960s, including Where the Boys Are, Follow the Boys, and When the Boys Meet the Girls.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the singer had a net worth of £18.6 million ($25 million) at the time of her passing.
How did she die?
It is thought that Frances died from health complications.
The singer was hospitalised and moved to critical care last month because of “extreme pain” so she had to cancel her appearance on Cousin Brucie's Independence Day radio show.
On July 2, in an update to fans on Facebook, she wrote: “As many of you may now have learned through Cousin Brucie’s Facebook page, I am back in 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 endeavour to keep you updated.”
In June, Francis had revealed she started using a wheelchair after suffering from ‘pelvic pain’ due to a fracture.
Was she married and did she have children?
Francis married several times and has one son. In 1973, she married her third husband Joseph Garzilli, and the two adopted a son the following year, Joseph Jr. The couple however divorced in 1977.
In 1985, she married Bob Parkinson, but their union was brief.
