According to People, the artist's close friend, Ron Roberts, president of Concetta Records, confirmed the news on Facebook on the morning of 17/7. "It is with a heavy heart that I must share the news of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night. I know Connie would have wanted her fans to be the first to know, and we will provide more details as they become available," Roberts wrote.

The singer's death comes two weeks after US media reported her hospitalization due to severe pain. On 2/7, she posted on Facebook that she was "back in the hospital" undergoing tests to determine the cause. On July 4th, she updated her condition, saying she felt better after a good night's sleep.

The NY Post reported that although Francis retired in 2018, "Pretty Little Baby," which she recorded over 60 years ago, experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent months. The song is from the album Connie Francis Sings 'Second Hand Love' & Other Hits, released in 1962.

As of June, over 17 million TikTok videos used the song as background music, amassing over 27 billion views globally. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner also used the track. In May, the song debuted on both the global and US Spotify charts.

On 7/6, Francis posted a video thanking users for reviving the song. "I am absolutely amazed and thrilled by the worldwide explosion of my 1962 recording of 'Pretty Little Baby.' It's overwhelming to think that a song I recorded 63 years ago is capturing the hearts of so many new generations of listeners," she said.

In a recent press release, Tracy Gardner, TikTok's head of music business development, described the song's spread as "a testament to the power of music discovery" on the platform. He added, "Thanks to the TikTok community, a relatively unknown song from the 1960s has been given a new life, introducing Connie Francis and her extensive catalog to a new audience both on and off the platform."

Singer Connie Francis and Universal Music Enterprises CEO Bruce Resnikkoff pose with a plaque commemorating the success of "Pretty Little Baby" on TikTok. Photo: Erick Quituizaca

Born Concetta Franconero in 1937 in New Jersey, Francis was one of the most popular singers of the 1950s and 1960s, alongside Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee. Her hit singles include "Who's Sorry Now," "My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own," "Where the Boys Are," and "Don't Break The Heart That Loves You." In 1960, Francis became the first female artist to top the Billboard 100 with "Everybody's Somebody's Fool."

According to People, her fame extended beyond the US, partly due to recording her music in multiple languages. She also appeared in films like the 1960 teen romantic comedy Where the Boys Are. Her career slowed in the late 1960s due to changes in the music industry.

In later years, Francis faced several tragedies. In 1974, she was assaulted in a Long Island hotel room. Three years later, she lost her singing voice after nasal surgery. In 1977, her brother was murdered. That same year, her career saw a resurgence but was hampered by mental health struggles. Her father repeatedly had her committed to psychiatric hospitals. In 1984, she survived a suicide attempt and published her first memoir, Who's Sorry Now?.

Speaking to the Village Voice in 2011, she said, "Throughout the 1980s, I was forcibly committed 17 times in nine years, across five states. I was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, ADD, ADHD, and a number of other illnesses that science had never heard of. Years later, I was diagnosed with PTSD after the traumatic events in my life."

Throughout her life, Francis was a social activist. People reported that she worked with the Reagan administration on a task force against violent crime and advocated for assault victims. In 2010, she partnered with Mental Health America to raise awareness about trauma and its treatment. In 2017, she released her second memoir, Among My Souvenirs.

Early in her career, she was romantically involved with Bobby Darin, a relationship her father discouraged. Darin, whom she considered the love of her life, died at 37, she told People in 1984. Francis was married four times and had one adopted son, Joseph Garzilli Jr. In a 2017 interview, she expressed her desire to be remembered not for her "mountaintops" but for the "valleys" she had traversed.

Phuong Thao (via People)