Connie Francis, Singer of "Pretty Little Baby" and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" Dead at 87

Connie Francis circa 2024, courtesy of Inspired Pencil

Connie Francis, an iconic, "wholesome" singer who enjoyed the most fame in the 1950s and 1960s, has died. She was 87.

Francis, who was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero, is estimated to have sold more than 100 million records over the span of her career.

Francis' publicist and friend Ron Roberts announced her passing on Thursday; the Associated Press reported that she "had been hospitalized with extreme pain."

Her song "Pretty Little Baby" became popular recently due to TikTok, particularly due to mentions of the song by Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner.

Connie Francis at the height of her career; Image Courtesy of Biography.com

Francis saw the most popularity of her singing career between 1957 and 1964; she was a mere 17 years of age when she signed a contract with MGM Records. She had appeared on numerous variety television shows prior. She was also repeatedly featured on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

Francis had international stardom, recording versions of her songs in Italian and Spanish.

Perhaps one thing she is most remembered for is her personal life and a relationship with teen idol Bobby Darin. Her family objected to the courtship, and Francis famously chronicled this in her book Who's Sorry Now?

Francis was born December 12, 1937.