Newsmakers

Who’s Sorry Now? Songstress Connie Francis Dies At 87

Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero—professionally known as Connie Francis—died on July 16, 2025, at the age of 87 in a Florida hospital following complications related to severe pelvic pain and pneumonia. Her passing was confirmed by close friend Ron Roberts, president of her label Concetta Records.

A Newark, New Jersey native, Francis rose to fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s. She became the first solo female artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” in 1960 and achieved No. 1 again with hits such as “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own.” Throughout her career, she amassed 35 Top 40 U.S. hits and sold more than 100 million records globally.

Francis was a multilingual powerhouse, recording in multiple languages and connecting with international audiences. She also ventured into film, appearing in movies such as Where the Boys Are and Follow the Boys.

After facing significant personal hardships—including a brutal knife‑point assault in 1974, her brother’s 1981 murder, battles with mental health, and several marriages—she stepped away from the spotlight. Nevertheless, she returned to performing in the late 1980s and remained active until her retirement in 2018.

In spring 2025, an extraordinary renaissance of her legacy took place: her 1962 B-side “Pretty Little Baby” went viral on TikTok, garnering billions of streams and bringing renewed global attention to her artistry.

She authored two autobiographies, including the New York Times bestseller Who’s Sorry Now? (1984), and became a respected advocate for mental health awareness and victim support.

Connie Francis is survived by her adopted son, Joseph Garzilli Jr. She was preceded in death by her four husbands and her brother George.

Her legacy lives on through her timeless voice, trailblazing spirit, and the many hearts she touched. As one fan wrote, “No entertainer has ever come close to Connie’s beautiful voice… The voice and magic of Connie Francis will live on forever.

Published by Tandy Culpepper

I am a veteran broadcast journalist. I was an Army brat before my father retired and moved us to the deep South. I'm talkin' Lower Alabama and Northwest Florida, I graduated from Tate High School and got botha Bachelor's degree and Master's in Teaching English from the University of West Florida, I taught English at Escambia County High School for two years before getting my m's in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Auburn University. Following graduation, I did a 180 degree turn and moved to Birmingham where I began ny broadcasting career at WBIQ, Channel 10. There I was host of a weekly primetime half-hour TV program called Alabama Lifestyles. A year later, I began a stint as a television weathercaster and public affairs host. A year later, I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida and became bureau chief at WPTV, the CBS affiliate. Two years later, I moved to Greensboro, North Carolina where I became co-host of a morng show called AM Carolina. The next year, I moved cross-country and became co-host and story producer at KTVN-TV in Reno, Nevada. I also became the medical reporter for the news department. Three years later, I moved to Louisville, Kentucky and became host and producer of a morning show called today in WAVE Country at WAVE-TV, Channel 3, the NBC affiliate. Following three years there, I moved to Los Angeles and became senior correspondent at the Turner Entertainment Reportn, an internationally-syndicated entertainment entertainment news service owned by CNN. I went back to school afterwards and got an MFA in Creative Nonfiction at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. Oh, yes. I won a hundred thousand dollars on the 100 Thousand Dollar Pyramid, then hosted by Dick Clark.

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