Boca Raton, July 17, 2025 – Connie Francis, one of the most successful female pop vocalists of the 20th century, has died at the age of 87. According to her longtime publicist Ron Roberts, she passed away peacefully overnight at her home in Boca Raton, Florida. G-Business reports this based on confirmation from ABC News and Roberts’ official statement on Thursday morning.

Francis, born Concetta Franconero in Newark, New Jersey in 1937, rose to fame as the first woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her 1957 breakout hit, “Who's Sorry Now?” — a song she initially disliked — remained on the charts for months and became her signature track, later lending its name to her autobiography.

By the age of 25, she had sold over 40 million records worldwide, with sixteen certified gold and a chart-topping hit in 1960, “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool.” She also appeared in romantic comedies, including the 1961 film Where the Boys Are, for which she performed the theme song.

Personal Tragedies and Vocal Struggles

But fame came with a heavy price. In 1967, Francis’s close friend was murdered in her home. That same year, a cosmetic procedure to narrow her nose permanently damaged her vocal abilities. In a 1982 NPR interview, she recalled that she could no longer sing in air-conditioned venues, including Las Vegas, where the audience and band suffered in heat so she could perform.

In 1974, after a concert in Westbury, New York, Francis was raped at knifepoint in a Howard Johnson motel. She sued the company for inadequate security and won a $2.5 million settlement — one of the largest in a rape case at the time. During the trial, she told The New York Times, “If what we did here could save one girl, it was worth it.”

The nasal surgery had a more lasting impact on her career than the trauma. She later said she lost most of her vocal range and could not complete even a single song. Her marriage ended soon after. It took three additional surgeries before she was able to sing again.

Francis also battled bipolar disorder, leading to multiple hospitalizations. In 1981, another blow struck: her brother George Franconero, a lawyer who testified against organized crime figures, was murdered outside his home.

A few weeks later, while listening to the radio, Francis quietly sang along to a song — and realized she had regained her voice. "I started screaming in the street: 'I can sing!'" she said in an emotional interview. She immediately called her manager and requested a return to the same venue in Westbury.

Legacy and a Final Viral Hit

Francis resumed performing, eventually launching her own record label and continuing to sing well into her 80s. Though retired in Boca Raton, she occasionally appeared at special events. In early 2025, she experienced an unexpected resurgence when her song “Pretty Little Baby” became a viral hit on TikTok, reaching millions of listeners worldwide.

Throughout her life, Connie Francis remained a symbol of perseverance, artistry, and courage in the face of personal and professional adversity.

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