Born as Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero, she rose to fame in the music world with a series of memorable hits including “Pretty Little Baby,” “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” and “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own.” These songs made her a household name across generations.
Today (July 17), her longtime friend Ron Roberts took to Facebook to share the heartbreaking news: “It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that i inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night. I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.”
Although Connie hadn’t released any new tracks since the 1990s, her timeless tune “Pretty Little Baby” recently saw an unexpected comeback, gaining traction after going viral on TikTok.
One of the more well-known shares came from North West, which quickly caught on, inspiring a wave of TikTok users to follow her lead and feature the song in their videos too.
“The first I learned of it was when Ron [Roberts] called to advise me that I had ‘a viral hit’.”
“Clearly out of touch with present day music statistics terminology, my initial response was to ask: ‘What’s that?'”
Fans were quick to celebrate Connie’s viral success. They flooded her post with joyful messages and touching congratulations.
One fan commented: “Congratulations Connie, this is wonderful news, and a chance to introduce your fabulous music to today’s audiences, so they can hear for themselves your amazing voice.”
Someone else chimed in as well, saying: “Connie, I am so thrilled for you with this unexpected surprise! I don’t follow TikTok either, but it is so amazing that the younger crowd is learning all about your one of a kind songs and talent. Enjoy the recognition. Love you.”
In an update posted on July 4, Connie mentioned that she was feeling “much better” and took a moment to send her fans warm wishes for Independence Day.