Pop icon Connie Francis, the voice behind timeless classics like “Who’s Sorry Now?” and “Where the Boys Are,” passed away at the age of 87. The news was confirmed early Thursday, July 17, 2025, by her longtime friend and label head, Ron Roberts. Just two weeks before, fans learned she had been hospitalized due to extreme pain. Though she posted that she was feeling better on the 4th of July, her health sadly declined again shortly after.
Born Concetta Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, in 1937, Connie was a performer from the start. With her father’s encouragement, she sang and played accordion in talent shows by the age of four. By the 1950s, she was a pop star, becoming the first woman to score a solo number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” in 1960. Despite initial setbacks, including a near-drop from her label, her father convinced her to record “Who’s Sorry Now?” which became her breakthrough and gave her another hit.
‘Pretty Little Baby’ singer Connie Francis has passed away at the age of 87. pic.twitter.com/hF7p4OVSrl
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 17, 2025
Her personal life had its ups and downs. She was married four times and had a son, Joseph Jr., with her third husband. Her romance with singer Bobby Darin was famously blocked by her father, something she deeply regretted. Connie once said she hoped to be remembered ”not so much for the heights I have reached, but for the depths from which I have come… I hope I did okay…”. With a voice that touched generations, Connie Francis is leaving behind an unforgettable legacy.
