Award-winning American singer Connie Francis, best known for her 1962 classic “Pretty Little Baby” and chart-topping hit “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool”, has passed away at the age of 87, her manager has confirmed.
“It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that I inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night,” wrote Ron Roberts, her copyrights and royalties manager, in a heartfelt post on social media. “I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.”
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Francis recently experienced a resurgence in popularity after “Pretty Little Baby” went viral on TikTok. The 1962 track became an unexpected internet sensation, featuring in more than 17 million videos and amassing over 27 billion global views on the platform. Following this newfound fame, the singer even joined TikTok to engage with the new generation of fans.
“Pretty Little Baby” appeared on her 1962 album Connie Francis Sings ‘Second Hand Love’ & Other Hits, which made it onto the Billboard Top LPs chart. Her other singles, “Together” and “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You”, both reached number one on the Easy Listening chart.
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Earlier this year, in May 2025, “Pretty Little Baby” broke into Spotify’s Global and U.S. charts for the very first time.
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Born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero on 12 December 1937 in Newark, New Jersey, Francis is estimated to have sold over 200 million records worldwide. She began singing on television shows at the age of nine and rose to stardom in 1958 with her breakout single “Who’s Sorry Now?”
At just 21 years old, she became the first female artist to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” in 1960. Over her extensive career, she scored 53 entries on the Billboard charts.
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In 1964, Francis was honoured with a special Golden Globe Award for her exceptional contributions to the music industry. Later, in 2001, her hit “Who’s Sorry Now?” was named one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.
