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
Believe In Me
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when you smiled at me,
In my heart I felt a thrill you see,
That it was love at sight and
I was right to love you as I do.
Still I never dreamed that you could love me too.
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
You're telling ev'ry one I know
I'm on your mind each place we go
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
I have always placed you far above me.
I just can't imagine that you love me.
And after all is said and done,
To think that I'm the lucky one.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
Skies are gray. I'm blue each day
When you are not around.
Ev'ry thing goes wrong, my dear I've found
But when you're by my side I fill with pride
For I'm so proud of you
It all seems too good to me to all be true
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
I never knew what they could do.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
You're telling ev'ry one I know
I'm on your mind each place we go
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
I have always placed you far above me.
I just can't imagine that you love me.
And after all is said and done,
To think that I'm the lucky one.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
The lyrics to Connie Francis's song "Believe In Me" depict the overwhelming joy and disbelief that the singer experiences upon realizing that their love interest reciprocates their feelings. The song begins by recounting the moment when the love interest smiled at the singer, instantly creating a thrilling sensation in their heart. The singer confesses that they had always loved the love interest, but never expected that the feeling would be mutual.
The admiration for the love interest's eyes of blue and their tender kisses is expressed, highlighting the singer's previous unawareness of the impact they would have on them. It is emphasized that the singer struggles to believe that the love interest truly loves them. The love interest frequently proclaims their love for the singer to others, which leaves everyone around in disbelief.
The singer admits to always seeing themselves as inferior to the love interest and finds it hard to comprehend that the love interest genuinely loves them. Despite this, the singer reflects on the fortunate position they find themselves in, being the recipient of the love that they never thought they would receive.
Overall, "Believe In Me" captures the singer's astonishment and deep gratitude for finding love with someone they hold in such high regard. It portrays the overwhelming emotions that come with the realization that love is reciprocated, even when it seems unexpected.
Line by Line Meaning
Yesterday you came my way,
A significant event happened when you entered my life, changed my perspective and started something new.
And when you smiled at me,
Your smile brought joy and happiness to my heart.
In my heart I felt a thrill you see,
I experienced an intense excitement and joy deep within me.
That it was love at sight and
That instant connection made me realize it was love at first sight.
I was right to love you as I do.
My feelings towards you are justified and true.
Still I never dreamed that you could love me too.
Despite my love for you, I never imagined that you could feel the same way about me.
Your eyes of blue, your kisses too,
I am captivated by the beauty of your blue eyes and the affectionate kisses we share.
I never knew what they could do.
I never fully understood the impact your eyes and kisses could have on me.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
It's hard for me to comprehend that you have genuine feelings of love towards me.
You're telling ev'ry one I know
You're openly expressing your love for me to everyone we know.
I'm on your mind each place we go
Wherever we go, you constantly think about me and show that I'm important to you.
They can't believe that you're in love with me.
Others find it hard to believe that you have deep feelings of love for me.
I have always placed you far above me.
I have always considered you to be of a higher value or worth than myself.
I just can't imagine that you love me.
It's difficult for me to comprehend that you actually have love for me.
And after all is said and done,
Even when everything has been thought through and concluded,
To think that I'm the lucky one.
I feel fortunate and privileged to be the one that you love.
Skies are gray. I'm blue each day
When you are absent, my world seems dull and sad.
When you are not around.
In your absence, I feel a void and longing.
Ev'ry thing goes wrong, my dear I've found
Everything seems to go awry and problematic when you're not here.
But when you're by my side I fill with pride
In your presence, I feel a sense of accomplishment and confidence.
For I'm so proud of you
I admire and take pride in who you are as a person.
It all seems too good to me to all be true
My joy and happiness with you feels too perfect and surreal to be real.
I can't believe that you're in love with me.
It's hard for me to fathom that you truly have deep feelings of love towards me.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Word Collections Publishing, Capitol CMG Publishing, Spirit Music Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CLARENCE GASKILL, JIMMY MC HUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jim kreider
One of her best before Who's Sorry Now. Some of them were really duds but some were good. Thanks God for Dick Clark or we will never have heard of this dynamite singer.
Italian American Golden Era
Thanks for listening
Gladys Betancourt
LINDA PERSONA MARAVILLOSA VOZ
Italian American Golden Era
Grazie