Singer with a Golden Voice

This singer came into the world as Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero, born in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, on December 12, 1937. Francis was one of the very first American artists to record her hit songs in multiple foreign languages. She meticulously recorded tracks in German, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, French, and several other languages, allowing her to connect directly with audiences in their native tongues.

American singer and actress Connie Francis passed away on July 16, 2025 at the age of 87 but left us her music to enjoy for years to come.

“Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” was recorded by Connie Francis in 1962. The song rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as well as the Billboard Adult Contemporary chat. This song was written by Benny Davis and Murray Mencher (using the pseudonym Ted Murry). The song was a success for two artists in two different genres: Connie Francis in the pop field in 1962 and Margo Smith as a country version in 1978.

Connie Francis recorded a 1923 ballad “Who’s Sorry Now?”. The song became a huge success for her and charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went to number one on the UK Singles chart. The success of this song brought Francis into the limelight and made her a star.

"Among My Souvenirs" is a 1927 song with words by Edgar Leslie and music by Horatio Nicholls (a pseudonym for British composer Frederick Lawrence Wright). Connie Francis recorded her version in 1959 and it charted on the R&B and Billboard Hot 100 charts.

“Where the Boys Are” was written for the 1960 motion picture, in which Connie Francis co-starred, marking the first time the she appeared in a movie. The song charted on both the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles charts. The song was written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. It was written for and first recorded by Connie Francis, as the title track of the 1960 film of the same name in which she co-starred.

“My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own” became a number one hit for Connie Francis and topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box charts. The song was written by Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller. It became a song her fans really enjoyed.

Connie Francis recorded “Lipstick On Your Collar” in 1959. The song quickly too position on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts. It was also the first time Francis achieved a top ten hit in Australia where the song peaked in fourth place. "Lipstick on Your Collar" is a song written by Brill Building staff writers Edna Lewis (lyrics) and George Goehring (music). The recording became the most successful double-sided hit of Francis' career, as "Lipstick on Your Collar" – the first uptempo Connie Francis single to reach the US Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1959, while "Frankie" also got into the Top Ten. "Lipstick on Your Collar" sold over one million copies in the US.

In 1958 at the start of her career Connie Francis was a rising star and recorded the hit song “My Happiness” which became the best charting single she would have to date. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts. "My Happiness" is a pop music standard, made famous in the mid-20th century. An unpublished version of the melody with different lyrics was written by Borney Bergantine in 1933. The most famous version of the song, with lyrics by Betty Peterson Blasco, was published for the first time in 1948.

“Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” is a song that was among the greatest summer hits of all time. In 1960 it became a number one hit for Connie Francis on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her version also topped charts in other countries including Germany where Francis recorded it in German. "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" is a song written by Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield. The song also ranked on the R&B chart and was the only one of Francis's major hits to cross over to the C&W charts.

She recorded "Stupid Cupid" in 1958 and the song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as well as the Cash Box chart. The song was written by Howard Greenfield and Neil Sedaka that became a hit for Connie Francis in 1958.

Finally the one song that Connie Francis recorded which became a top favorite of mine is "Never on a Sunday". It is a song that once you hear her sing it you want to do a Greek dance. The song was part of a 1960 Greek comedy of the same name with starring, written by and directed by Jules Dassin. Connie Francis recorded her successful version and it is featured on the album Connie Francis sings "Never on Sunday" (full title as on cover: Connie Francis sings "Never on Sunday" and Other Title Songs From Motion Pictures) is a studio album of songs from motion pictures recorded by Connie Francis: