Particle.news
Download on the App Store
81 ARTICLES
·
3w ago

Connie Francis Dies at 87 After Viral Resurgence of Pretty Little Baby

Her publicist announced her death following hospitalization for extreme pain with no cause publicly disclosed.

Singer Connie Francis, London Airport, Aug. 1, 1962.
American pop singer Connie Francis, circa 1960. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Image
FILE - Singer Connie Francis performs during the dress rehearsal of the German TV show "Summer Party of Folk Music" in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, June 5, 2004. (AP Photo/Eckehard Schulz, file)

Overview

  • Ron Roberts, president of Concetta Records, confirmed on Facebook that Francis passed away on the night of July 16 and said more details would follow.
  • Earlier this month, Francis was hospitalized with extreme pain and had been undergoing tests, updating fans on July 4 that she was feeling better.
  • In early 2025, her 1962 recording Pretty Little Baby went viral on TikTok and Instagram, reintroducing her music to a new generation.
  • She rose to fame in 1958 after Dick Clark played her cover of Who’s Sorry Now? on American Bandstand and became the first solo female artist to top the Billboard Hot 100.
  • Despite surviving a 1974 sexual assault, her brother’s 1981 murder and years of mental health struggles, Francis maintained a global concert career and advocacy for survivors of trauma.