Born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark's Italian Down Neck or Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey neighbourhood, she is considered the most prolific and popular female rock 'n' roll hit-maker of the early rock era -- the late 1950s to the early 1960s. After an appearance on Startime, Francis was advised to change her name from Franconero to something more easily pronounceable, as well as to quit the accordion and focus on singing.
Francis' first single "Freddy" (1955) met with little success. Her next nine singles were also failures, and she began considering a career in medicine; however, "Who's Sorry Now" (a cover version of a 1923 song) launched her into super-stardom worldwide. Francis recorded the song at what was to have been her final recording session for MGM, as the label was about to drop her since her previous singles had generated little activity. She has said (paraphrased from The Billboard Book of Number One Singles by Fred Bronson) that she recorded it at the suggestion of her father, who convinced her it stood a chance of becoming a hit because it was a song adults already knew and that teenagers would dance to if it were released with a more contemporary arrangement.
The gamble paid off. In April 1958, "Who's Sorry Now" reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart (number four in the USA); in 2000, it was named one of the Songs of the Century. On January 1, 1958, she debuted it on Dick Clark's American Bandstand television show; by mid-year over a million copies were sold. This was followed by many other hits over the next decade, as Connie Francis became one of the most popular vocalists in the world.
Francis specialized in downbeat ballads delivered in her trademark "sobbing" style -- such as "My Happiness," "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry," "Among My Souvenirs," "Together," "Breakin' In a Brand New Broken Heart," and the Italian song "Mama," many of which were remakes of old standards. However, she also had success with a handful of more upbeat, rock-and-roll-oriented compositions, such as "Stupid Cupid," "Lipstick On Your Collar," and "Vacation." Among her other notable performances were "In the Summer of His Years" (a tribute to slain U.S. President John F. Kennedy) and Bert Kaempfert's "Strangers In The Night" (although the latter song is more identified with Frank Sinatra). Both "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" went to No.1 on the Billboard music charts in 1960. In 1962 she had another No.1 hit with "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You."
Francis recorded in nine languages during her career, including English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, and even Japanese, and remade many of her hits in foreign languages, including "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and her signature song, "Where the Boys Are." In fact, her biggest hit album in the U.S. was 1960's Italian Favorites, and she followed it with several more albums of Italian songs over the years, as well as collections of Spanish-language and Jewish songs, among others.
"Where The Boys Are," one of many Neil Sedaka/Howard Greenfield compositions Francis recorded during her career (others included "Stupid Cupid" and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool"), gained wide exposure through its inclusion in the 1960 motion picture with the same title. Francis had a role in the film and sang the title song. During the first half of the 1960s she starred in three additional films -- Follow the Boys (1963) (the title song of which became a No. 17 Billboard single for Francis), Looking for Love (1964) and When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965).
In 1960 Francis became the youngest headliner to sing in Las Vegas, where she played 28 days a year for nine years. In 1961 she was successful in starring in her own television special on ABC television sponsored by Brylcreem titled Kicking Sound Around, singing and acting along-side Tab Hunter, Eddie Foy Jr. and Art Carney. She appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on July 1, 1962 with French singing star Johnny Hallyday in a show that was taped at the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris, France. On July 3, 1963 she played a Command performance before Queen Elizabeth II at the Alhambra Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland. By 1967, she had 35 U.S. Top 40 hits, and three number ones.
Connie Francis has always been a great fan of country music and recorded several albums of country standards during her pop career. In 1969 she had a modest country hit with "The Wedding Cake" and made the country charts again in 1982 with "There's Still a Few Good Love Songs Left in Me." Several country singers found chart success remaking Francis' pop hits for the country market, including Marie Osmond ("Who's Sorry Now" in 1975), Susan Raye ("My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" in 1972), Margo Smith ("Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" in 1978), and Debby Boone.
During the height of the Vietnam War in 1967, Connie Francis performed for U.S. troops.
Francis ended her recording career in 1969. She returned in 1973 with "The Answer," a song written just for her, and soon began performing again. Her son Joey was born in 1974. Tragedies followed soon after. In 1974 she was sexually assaulted in a hotel following a performance in Westbury, New York. Nasal surgery to correct a sensitivity to air conditioning deprived her of her ability to sing professionally for four years. Her brother was murdered in 1981.
Francis' autobiography, Who's Sorry Now? was published in 1984. Francis was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental disease which includes severe depressions and manic highs. She uses the drug Lithium to balance out the emotional highs and lows caused by the disease. Connie Francis resumed her career in 1989 after discovering the drug and has continued singing and recording since then. Francis still holds a world-wide appeal shown through continued music sales and sold-out appearances.
Her latest CD The American Tour contains performances from recent shows. In late December 2004, Francis headlined in Las Vegas for the first time since 1989.
In March of 2007, Francis performed to a sold-out crowd -- composed of gay urbanites and conservative suburbanites -- in San Francisco. The "little diva" belted out versions of her "woebegone ballads . . . in full force," according to the San Franciso Chronicle's music critic.
Connie's fan club: www.conniefrancis.com
All the Way
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's no good unless he loves you, all the way
Happy to be near you
When you need someone to cheer you, all the way
Taller than the tallest tree is
That's how it's got to feel
Deeper than the deep blue see is
When somebody needs you
It's no good unless he needs you, all the way
Through the good or lean years
And for all the in between years, come what may
Who know where the road will lead us
Only a fool would say
But if you'll let me love you
It's for sure I'm gonna love you, all the way
All the way
Connie Francis's song "All the Way" is a love song about the depth and sincerity of true love. The opening line, "When somebody loves you, it's no good unless he loves you all the way," highlights the importance of being loved both deeply and completely. The singer stresses the necessity of being with someone who is happy to be near you and who can cheer you up when needed.
The next few lines use imagery to illustrate the depth of a true love that is felt all the way through. The lover should be so important that he is taller than the tallest tree and deeper than the deep blue sea. This imagery adds to the significance of the love being described in the song. Love is not just a superficial feeling but a profound emotion that runs deep.
The middle verses emphasize the importance of being needed all the way, even through the good and lean years, and everything in between. The final verse is a hopeful and romantic statement that expresses the uncertainty of where the future may lead, but with the promise of love and commitment, everything will be ok if the singer is allowed to love the other person all the way.
Overall, "All the Way" is a beautiful expression of the depth and power of true love, and the passionate desire to love someone completely, without reservation or question.
Line by Line Meaning
When somebody loves you
If someone loves you
It's no good unless he loves you, all the way
Their love needs to be complete and whole-hearted
Happy to be near you
Being close to your loved one makes you happy
When you need someone to cheer you, all the way
They will be there to support you through thick and thin
Taller than the tallest tree is
Their love is immense and unbreakable
That's how it's got to feel
Their love should feel this strong
Deeper than the deep blue see is
Their love is vast and all-encompassing
That's how deep it goes, if its real
True love is this deep
When somebody needs you
If someone truly needs you
It's no good unless he needs you, all the way
They should need you completely
Through the good or lean years
During good and bad times
And for all the in between years, come what may
Through everything else that happens around them
Who know where the road will lead us
They cannot know what the future holds
Only a fool would say
It would be foolish to make predictions about the future
But if you'll let me love you
If they allow the singer to love them
It's for sure I'm gonna love you, all the way
The singer will love them completely
All the way
The love will be whole-hearted and unbreakable
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER HOOK, GILLIAN LESLEY GILBERT, STEPHEN PAUL DAVID MORRIS, BERNARD (GB 2) SUMNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jakre10
This will always be Franks song but Connnie does really good
frankie hunter
Magical voice of Ms Francis. I prefer it to Frank Sinatra version.