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
Happy Days And Lonely Nights
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wonderful nights we knew
When I made love to you until the dawn.
You left and to my surprise
I'm laughing with tear dimmed eyes
Because I realise
I can't go on my darling.
You took all my happy days
And left me lonely nights.
Morning never comes too soon
I can face the afternoon
But oh, those lonely nights.
I feel your arms around me,
Your kisses linger yet,
You taught me how to love you,
Now teach me to forget!
You broke my heart a million ways
When you took my happy days
And left me lonely nights.
The beautiful month of May
Without you is sad and grey,
Oh, how I hate the day, I let you go.
I find that my happiness,
Depends on your sweet caress
I thought I loved you less,
But now I know, my darling.
With the parting of the ways
You took all my happy days
And left me lonely nights.
Morning never comes too soon
I can face the afternoon
But oh, those lonely nights.
I feel your arms around me,
Your kisses linger yet,
You taught me how to love you,
Now teach me to forget!
You broke my heart a million ways
When you took my happy days
And left me lonely nights.
The lyrics to Connie Francis's song Happy Days and Lonely Nights are about a past love that ended with the main character being left heartbroken and alone. The first stanza reminisces about the happy times that the two spent together, making love until dawn. However, the second stanza details the heartbreak that occurred when the love ended. The singer remarks that they are "laughing with tear dimmed eyes" because they can't go on without their lover.
The third stanza further emphasizes how much the main character needs their lover's presence to be happy. They try to go on with life, but the absence of the lover leaves them sad and lonely. The final stanza is a plea to the lover to help them move on. Though the main character has been heartbroken by their lover, they still feel their kisses and love surrounding them, and they hope to forget the past and move on with the help of their lover.
Overall, the song captures the intense emotions of loss and heartbreak, as well as the deep desire for love and connection to someone else.
Line by Line Meaning
My memory takes me to
Remembering the times we were together
The wonderful nights we knew
The enjoyable nights we have spent together
When I made love to you until the dawn.
Describing the intimate moments shared with the other person
You left and to my surprise
Expressing the artist's feeling of shock after their partner left
I'm laughing with tear dimmed eyes
Contrasting the mixed emotions of feeling happy yet sad at the same time
Because I realise
The singer suddenly realizing that they can't move on
I can't go on my darling.
Admitting the inability to move on from the other person
With the parting of the ways
Acknowledging the separation from the partner
You took all my happy days
Attributing the lack of happiness to the partner's absence
And left me lonely nights.
Acknowledging the feeling of loneliness experienced by the artist
Morning never comes too soon
Expressing difficulty in starting a new day without the other person
I can face the afternoon
Maneuvering through the day is less challenging as compared to the morning when you have to face the day ahead
But oh, those lonely nights.
Describing the difficulty in coping with loneliness at night
I feel your arms around me,
Imagining the comfort that the other person's embrace brings
Your kisses linger yet,
The memory of the affection expressed via a kiss still lingers
You taught me how to love you,
Acknowledging the impact the other person had on shaping the artist's love and emotions
Now teach me to forget!
Expressing the need to find a way to let go of the other person
You broke my heart a million ways
Describing the effect of the partner's absence on the singer
When you took my happy days
Attributing the lack of happiness to the partner's departure
And left me lonely nights.
Acknowledging the feeling of loneliness experienced by the artist
The beautiful month of May
A reference to a time associated with new beginnings and optimism
Without you is sad and grey,
Expressing that the absence of the partner results in a bleak reality
Oh, how I hate the day, I let you go.
Regretting the decision to end things with the partner
I find that my happiness,
Making a connection between the other person and feeling happy
Depends on your sweet caress
Attributing the source of feeling happy to the physical touch and affection of the other person
I thought I loved you less,
Assuming that the singer was falling out of love with the other person
But now I know, my darling.
Realizing that the feelings of love for the other person are still present
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@barich3353
Sang with her whole heart as usual. What's not to love.. Sweet Connie..
@bmphillips15
i have this single with the flip side my happiness
@jakre10
A great song by a great singer.
@toddthomas8385
C❤nnie Francis, my favorite singer
@sstavsky
Also, the Fontane Sisters had a #18 Juke Box hit (on "Billboard") in 1954.
@jerrypriessen8137
In the Netherlands, this was the flip of My Happiness. Still think this is the better side.