Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero, known to the world as Connie Francis, an American pop singer, actress, and a leading female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s, has died at the age of 87. Her death, on July 16, 2025, was confirmed by her long-time friend Ron Roberts.

Born on December 12, 1937, in Newark, New Jersey, Francis began her musical journey at a young age, encouraged by her father, George Franconero. By the age of four, she was already performing in local venues, showcasing a talent that would soon capture national attention. Her big break came in 1958 with her rendition of "Who's Sorry Now?" after she appeared on American Bandstand. This classic ballad, originally penned in the early 20th century, became a sensation after it was featured on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand". This exposure catapulted her into the limelight, and she quickly followed up with a string of hits, including "Stupid Cupid" and "Lipstick on Your Collar". Francis's commercial peak roughly spanned from Elvis Presley's induction into the U.S. Army to the Beatles first setting foot on American soil. Over that five-year period, Francis was one of the biggest stars in music, earning three No. 1 hits: "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" and "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You".

Francis was the first woman in history to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 when "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" topped the chart in 1960. She was also the first woman to achieve three No. 1 hits on the chart, among her 53 career entries. In 1960, she was recognized as the most successful female recording artist in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and the United States. It is estimated she sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Francis recorded several albums dedicated to specific demographics, including "Italian Favorites," "Rock 'n' Roll Million Sellers," "Country & Western," "Fun Songs for Children," "Jewish Favorites," and "Spanish and Latin American Favorites," even recording versions of her hits in Italian, German, Spanish, and Japanese. This adaptability became a considerable asset when her pop hits dried up in the mid-'60s.

During the height of the Vietnam War in 1967, Francis performed for US troops. Due to music trends in the early and mid-1960s, especially the British Invasion, Francis's chart success on Billboard's Hot 100 began to wane after 1963. She had her final top-ten hit, "Vacation", in 1962.

Francis's career faced significant hurdles due to a series of traumatic personal experiences and medical problems, starting with being the victim of a knifepoint rape attack in 1974, which led Francis to suffer from psychological and physical difficulties that sidelined her performing career. After appearing at Long Island's Westbury Music Fair on Nov. 8, 1974, she was sexually assaulted in her Howard Johnson's hotel room; the culprit was never caught. Francis sued the hotel chain; she'd later win a $2.5-million settlement that helped reshape security practices in the hospitality industry. As she was recovering from her assault, she underwent a nasal surgery that went astray, leading her to lose her voice for years; it took three subsequent surgeries before she regained her ability to sing. She was committed to multiple psychiatric hospitals. Francis attempted suicide in 1984 and was in a coma for several days. She and her doctors eventually concluded her mental health issues stemmed from post-traumatic stress disorder, primarily related to the events of 1974.

Despite these challenges, Francis resumed performing from 1989 to 2018, when she retired. In 1984, Francis wrote and published her autobiography, "Who's Sorry Now?", which became a New York Times bestseller. In December 2017, Francis released her most recent autobiography, "Among My Souvenirs".

In May 2025, her 1962 song "Pretty Little Baby" went viral on TikTok, becoming a sleeper hit. When reached for comment, Francis said she had forgotten about the song but was pleased that her music—and the innocence it sought to represent—was being embraced by a younger audience. She had hoped to make a comeback appearance at an event hosted by Cousin Brucie in early July 2025 but was unable to do so due to failing health.

Francis suffered a hip injury in early 2025 that left her wheelchair-bound. She was undergoing stem cell therapy and had hopes of fully recovering as recently as May. In late June 2025, Francis revealed she had been experiencing pelvic pain on her right side and was advised that it was due to a fracture. She noted that she would need to rely on her wheelchair longer than anticipated while recovering. She was hospitalized in Florida on July 2 due to a recurrence of extreme pain. She underwent a series of tests and examinations while in intensive care and was later transferred to a private room. Francis was readmitted to the ICU for more tests, and it was confirmed that she had pneumonia. She died in Pompano Beach, Florida on July 16, at the age of 87.

Connie Francis's legacy lies in her groundbreaking contributions to pop music, her resilience in the face of adversity, and her ability to connect with listeners across generations. She remains an iconic figure in music history, remembered for both her artistic achievements and her personal journey.