Legendary American singer Connie Francis has died at the age of 87.

 

According to reports, the news was confirmed by her close friend and label president, Ron Roberts, in a Facebook post on Thursday, July 16. He wrote that it was with a heavy heart and deep sadness that he shared the passing of his dear friend Connie Francis the night before.

 

Her death comes just weeks after Francis revealed that she had been hospitalized due to extreme pain and was undergoing medical tests.

 

Born Concetta Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, Connie Francis became a global music sensation in the late 1950s. She gained fame with hit songs such as “Who's Sorry Now?,” “My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own,” and “Where the Boys Are.” In 1960, she became the first solo female artist to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with the song “Everybody's Somebody's Fool.”

 

Francis expanded her fanbase by recording songs in multiple languages and appearing on major TV shows like American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show.

 

Her life, however, was marked by several personal tragedies. In 1974, she survived a rape incident. She also lost her singing voice temporarily due to nasal surgery. In 1981, her brother was murdered in a mafia-related case. These events led to mental health challenges, including multiple psychiatric hospital stays, which she later said were due to misdiagnosis.

 

Despite all these hardships, Connie Francis made several comebacks in her career. She worked with the Ronald Reagan administration to support victims' rights and partnered with Mental Health America to raise awareness about trauma and recovery.

 

Francis was married four times and adopted a son, Joseph Garzilli Jr. In a 2017 interview, she shared that she hoped people would remember her not just for her success but for the strength she showed through her struggles. She is survived by her son.