Iconic Pop Star Connie Francis Dies at 87; TikTok-Fueled Classic Hits New Generation

New York: Connie Francis, the trailblazing pop singer of the 1950s and early 1960s famed for hits like “Who’s Sorry Now?” and “Pretty Little Baby,” passed away peacefully on July 16 at the age of 87, according to a statement by her close friend and publicist, Ron Roberts. 

Francis experienced a modern renaissance this year: her 1962 B-side “Pretty Little Baby” went viral on TikTok, appearing in millions of videos in TikTok and Instagram. I

Born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero on December 12, 1937, in Newark, New Jersey, Francis began performing as a child. She surged to fame in 1958 when “Who’s Sorry Now?” was featured on American Bandstand, launching a succession of hits including “Stupid Cupid”, “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own”, and the milestone “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool”—the first No. 1 by a solo female artist.

Her career, marked by over a dozen top-20 hits and international acclaim, was shadowed by personal tragedies and health struggles—including a 1974 assault, the murder of her brother in 1981, and battles with mental illness. Despite these hardships, she championed mental health awareness and crime victims during later years.

Francis was hospitalized in early July due to “extreme pain”, a result of a pelvic injury that led to her using a wheelchair. She remained upbeat in social media updates until her condition deteriorated.