Any Connie Francis fans here?

[Prairie Dog]

I just read that Gloria Estefan has been working on a biopic of the life of the tragic but gifted singer Connie Francis. For those of you that are not familiar with her, she launched her career with the old vintage Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, Ted Snyder gem, "Who's Sorry Now".

At the height of her chart popularity in the late '50s and early '60s, Connie Francis was unique as a female recording artist, amassing record sales equal to and surpassing those of many of her post-rock era male contemporaries. She branched into other styles of music — big band, country, ethnic, and more. It's amazing that to this day she still challenges Madonna as the biggest-selling female recording artist of all time.

After reading about the film, I did some research into her career and discovered this site with all her vintage album covers. I didn't know she did a few country albums. Even one devoted to Hank Williams.
http://www.freewebs.com/conniefrancis/conalb.htm

The trailer for her most famous film, 1960's "Where The Boy's Are",
a very dated but enjyable spring break romp.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KQUKAAD14ds

Connie in her prime.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hr1OPjMMOb8

Multilingual Connie.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=W69i9G-YeFs&feature=related

And a great performance from two legendary singers, Connie and Bobby Darin
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Sv7d97ZgIvQ&feature=related

 

[kpreed]

I have been a big fan of hers for many years. I think a story of her life would make a great project.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I have been a big fan of hers for many years. I think a story of her life would make a great project.

An interesting aside to the Bobby Darin & Connie Francis video I posted:
It was from "The Ed Sullivan Show", circa 1960.

The reason why this video is important is it documents the love affair that Connie and Bobby where having at that time. Connie's dad hated Bobby and in this clip you'll see Bobby puts his arm around Connie's waist and kisses her at the end. Connie's dad flipped out in the control room and chased him off with a shot gun!

 

[cherry lips]

I love Connie Francis! I don't know anything about her private life though. It's funny that she had a romance with Bobby Darin, I'm a fan of his too. Besides being a singing bird from heaven I think she was beautiful. It annoys me when the girls I like the best have to play the ugly duckling parts in films. Connie had a hard time getting boys in "Where the boys are" compared with the taller blonds because of her looks, which confused me. (Not to mention Judy Garland's character Betsy Booth in the Andy Hardy flics...) Connie's looks remind me of Jackie O.

 

[Harley Quinn]

My late Uncle Alan was a great fan of Connie Francis. My mother inherited his collection when he died.

She's virtually unknown in the UK

 

[Harley Quinn]

And looking over wiki, Miss Francis would stand out as unfortunate in a plot by Euripides

Francis has been married four times. She married Dick Kanellis against her father's wishes on August 15, 1964. She divorced him three months later after he abused her.[2] She then married hairdresser Izadore "Izzy" Marion on January 16, 1971. They divorced the following year. She then married Joseph Garzilli in September 1973. Together they adopted a son, Joseph Garzilli Jr, "Joey," born in 1974. After the marriage ended, she later married television producer Bob Parkinson, on June 27, 1985. She later divorced him also. She had a brief affair with a man named Maxwell J. Odenthal in June of 1986.[citation needed]

Early in her career, Francis dated singer Bobby Darin, much to the displeasure of Connie's father. When Darin suggested the two elope, Francis' father chased after him with a gun telling him to never see his daughter again.[3] The two broke up shortly after. Francis still says that not marrying Darin was the biggest mistake of her life.[4]

On November 8, 1974 Francis was raped in the Jericho Turnpike Howard Johnson's Lodge following a performance at the Westbury Music Fair in New York. After returning to the room some time after the attack she discovered the broken lock and torn screen had not been repaired by facility management. She subsequently sued the motel chain for failing to provide adequate security. She reportedly won a $3 million judgment, at the time one of the largest such judgments in history. She did not perform again for seven years afterwards.[5] She has stated that it was because of the rape that she divorced Joseph Garzilli.

Nasal surgery to correct previous surgery caused a sensitivity to air conditioning and deprived her of her ability to sing professionally for four years.

In 1978, she attempted a comeback by appearing with her friend Dick Clark on his ABC-TV variety show Dick Clark's Live Wednesday. Unknown to the audience, the still-fragile Francis lip-synched to a pre-recorded disco medley of her hit Where the Boys Are.

Her brother was murdered in 1981.

Francis was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She has long suffered from continuing mental impairments that developed as a result of her rape,[6] including drug dependencies and suicide attempts. She uses lithium to treat the illness.[7]

She resumed her career in 1989.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

I liked Connie Francis when I first heard her back in the late 50's through the early/mid 60's -- always liked her singing. When she dropped away from the hit parade, I missed her songs but did not follow her career from there.

Sad about Bobby Darin. It seems her father was a most possessive man, either that or he wanted to cash in on her income. Or both.

karol

 

[Flivver]

Listening to Connie Francis records today is a time machine back to my childhood. Reminds me of listening to her on a portable radio at the beach around 1960, tuned to either WBZ-Boston or WINS-New York.

I have many of her great albums.

 

[blacklagoon]

connie francis is agnetha faltskog's favourite singer.

 

[Antje]

Connie Fancis is so sweat I love to hear her sing my Happines

 

[Cred100]

My late Uncle Alan was a great fan of Connie Francis. My mother inherited his collection when he died.

She's virtually unknown in the UK

Virtually unknown in the UK? That surprises me as she recently came in third in a poll of female singers on a major radio station there, right behind Madonna and Britney. Considering that Connie has not recorded in some time, that is quite a feat, I would think., In addition, she was very well rceived on a recent radio interview in the UK and I believe the interviewer was a guy named Hall. Don Black also spoke to her during that interview. She was fawned upion.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Virtually unknown in the UK? That surprises me as she recently came in third in a poll of female singers on a major radio station there, right behind Madonna and Britney. Considering that Connie has not recorded in some time, that is quite a feat, I would think., In addition, she was very well rceived on a recent radio interview in the UK and I believe the interviewer was a guy named Hall. Don Black also spoke to her during that interview. She was fawned upion.

Depends which 'major radio station' (Probably BBC Radio 2) and which program...

UK radio is an odd thing...

 

[Cred100]

Depends which 'major radio station' (Probably BBC Radio 2) and which program...

UK radio is an odd thing...

It was BBC Radio 4 that the poll occurred. The interview was on The Jamison's on another station. I believe the man interviewing her was eric Hall.

 

[Harley Quinn]

That sounds about right for the demographic..