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
Don't Ever Leave Me
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For somebody to love just me
I'm so happy now that I found you
I'll stand by you till eternity
Don't ever leave me, don't ever let me go
I wouldn't know what to do, I wouldn't know where to go
Don't ever leave me, I'm giving you my heart
Baby, tell me how much you love me
And I have something to say to you
I will always make you happy
And I promise that I will be true
Don't ever leave me, don't ever let me go
I wouldn't know what to do, I wouldn't know where to go
Don't ever leave me, I'm giving you my heart
And it would break in two if we should ever part
Don't ever leave me, don't ever let me go
I wouldn't know what to do, I wouldn't know where to go
Don't ever leave me, I'm giving you my heart
And it would break in two if we should ever part
Baby, Baby - don't ever leave me
Don't ever leave me...
In Connie Francisโs song โDon't Ever Leave Me,โ the lyrics speak to the deep and intense feeling of love and devotion towards another person. The song is a plea from one partner to the other to never leave, expressing the fear and uncertainty of what life would be like without the other person. The lyrics begin with the phrase โBaby, Baby โ Iโve been waiting,โ which sets the stage for the singerโs profound emotions. The singer then goes on to express their happiness for finally finding someone who will love them for who they are and vows to stand by their side forever.
The chorus repeats the plea for the person never to leave, as the singer believes that they would be lost without the other person. They promise to devote their heart and be true to the other person, making them happy, and asking for love in return. The line โAnd it would break in two if we should ever partโ encapsulates the emotional bond that the singer feels with the other person.
Overall, โDon't Ever Leave Meโ is a timeless song that speaks to the very essence of love and the fear of losing it. The lyrics are powerful, expressing profound feelings that anyone who has been in love can relate to, making it a classic in the world of love songs.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, Baby - I've been waiting
For somebody to love just me
The singer has been looking for a lover who will only love them, and they have finally found someone.
I'm so happy now that I found you
I'll stand by you till eternity
The singer is thrilled to have found their perfect match and promises to stay with them forever.
Don't ever leave me, don't ever let me go
I wouldn't know what to do, I wouldn't know where to go
The singer is deeply afraid of losing their lover and doesn't know how to live without them.
Don't ever leave me, I'm giving you my heart
And it would break in two if we should ever part
The artist is offering their heart to their lover, and they believe that if they were to split, their heart would shatter.
Baby, tell me how much you love me
And I have something to say to you
The artist wants to hear their lover's feelings for them and has a message of their own to share.
I will always make you happy
And I promise that I will be true
The singer vows to keep their lover content and loyal to them.
Baby, Baby - don't ever leave me
Don't ever leave me...
The singer repeats their desperate plea for their lover to never leave them.
Lyrics ยฉ BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ELLIE GREENWICH, JEFF BARRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@saljuliano201
I bought this records when it came out in 1964, and it was the first 45 I had ever bought by Connie Francis. It's a great record, and yes, it should have been a bigger hit, terrific tempo for the year the Beatles hit America.
@conniefrancis4743
Hi dear๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น
Thanks for your love and support that has brought me this far, it has been a hard time for me going through this but your love and support keeps me going and standing strong in this difficult times. I do read your heartwarming comments and I truly appreciate all youโve done for me throughout the years.
Itโs a season of love๐โค๏ธโค๏ธ for me and so I decided to put a smile on the faces of my fans by going through my YouTube channel am checking out on my fans, so I can get to communicate with my fans better through discussion of depth and humor listening to o and criticism of my career.๐๐๐๐๐
@mistery-ed7900
This should have been a bigger hit. IMHO it's one of her best.
@conniefrancis4743
Hi dear๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น
Thanks for your love and support that has brought me this far, it has been a hard time for me going through this but your love and support keeps me going and standing strong in this difficult times. I do read your heartwarming comments and I truly appreciate all youโve done for me throughout the years.
Itโs a season of love๐โค๏ธโค๏ธ for me and so I decided to put a smile on the faces of my fans by going through my YouTube channel am checking out on my fans, so I can get to communicate with my fans better through discussion of depth and humor listening to o and criticism of my career.๐๐๐๐๐
@douglasallen9428
Bought this one and "Young And In Love" by Chris Crosby on the same trip to my local thrift store... two of the most underrated songs of the sixties (imo).
@conniefrancis4743
Hi dear๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น
Thanks for your love and support that has brought me this far, it has been a hard time for me going through this but your love and support keeps me going and standing strong in this difficult times. I do read your heartwarming comments and I truly appreciate all youโve done for me throughout the years.
Itโs a season of love๐โค๏ธโค๏ธ for me and so I decided to put a smile on the faces of my fans by going through my YouTube channel am checking out on my fans, so I can get to communicate with my fans better through discussion of depth and humor listening to o and criticism of my career.๐๐๐๐๐
@tinydancer6949
I agree.
@JohnMiller-ob2qj
Love Connie Francis ๐๐ถโค๐ถ๐
@conniefrancis4743
Hi dear๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น๐น
Thanks for your love and support that has brought me this far, it has been a hard time for me going through this but your love and support keeps me going and standing strong in this difficult times. I do read your heartwarming comments and I truly appreciate all youโve done for me throughout the years.
Itโs a season of love๐โค๏ธโค๏ธ for me and so I decided to put a smile on the faces of my fans by going through my YouTube channel am checking out on my fans, so I can get to communicate with my fans better through discussion of depth and humor listening to o and criticism of my career.๐๐๐๐๐
@toddthomas8385
Cโคnnie Francis, my favorite singer