Connie Francis Biography

Connie Francis was born in Newark, New Jersey on December 12, 1938. At the age of 12, she won TV's Startime Talent Scouts and signed with MGM Records. On American Bandstand, she played Who's Sorry Now, which became an instant success. Francis was the victim of a violent rape in her hotel room in 1974. Her lawsuit resulted in increased security measures across the hotel sector. Singer and actress Concetta Franconero was born in Newark, New Jersey on December 12, 1938. Connie Franconero, the daughter of a roofing contractor, earned first place on Arthur Godfrey??s Startime Talent Scouts TV show when she was 12 years old and appeared on the show for four years. After having trouble pronouncing her true last name, Godfrey persuaded her to alter it to Francis. Francis is most known for her singing career, but she also starred in a series of films aimed at teens in the early 1960s. After being rejected by virtually every major record company, Francis signed with MGM Records in 1955. MGM published her debut song, Freddy, since MGM's boss had a son with the same name. She released a lot of poor tracks during the next two years. Francis was about to give up music and pursue pre-med at NYU on a full scholarship when her father persuaded her to record a decades-old song called Who's Sorry Now. Dick Clark premiered the song on his Bandstand TV show in 1958, and it became an instant smash, selling a million copies in less than six months. She began collaborating with songwriters Neil Sedaka and Howie Greenfield and had a run of successes, including Stupid Cupid, Lipstick on Your Collar, Everybody's Somebody's Fool, My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own, and Don't Break the Heart That Loves You. Francis appeared in four films: Where the Boys Are (1960), in which he co-starred with George Hamilton and Yvette Mimieux; Follow The Boys (1963); Looking For Love (1964); and When The Boys Meet The Girls (1966). (1965). Connie traveled to Vietnam in the late 1960s to perform for the troops. She has done charitable work for organizations such as UNICEF, the USO, and CARE over the years. Francis was the victim of a horrific rape and robbery during a November 1974 performance at the Westbury Music Fair in Westbury, New York, after an intruder entered into her hotel room and held her at knifepoint. She won a lawsuit against the hotel for insufficient security, which led the hotel and motel sector to install deadbolts, viewing ports, and better illumination. Francis was unable to sing for years following her assault, but gradually recovered and was able to tour again in the early 1990s. Who's Sorry Now, her autobiography, was published in 1984. She was married to her first spouse, Dick Kanellis, for three months in 1966, then to Joseph Garzilli from 1973 until 1978. She and Garzilli have a son.

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