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
My Heart Has A Mind Of It's Own
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But then I hear your voice and something stirs inside of me
Somehow I can't dismiss the memory of your kiss
Guess my heart has a mind of its own
No matter what I do
No matter what I say, no matter how I try
I just can't turn the other way
Guess my heart has a mind of its own
You're not in love with me, so why can't I forget
I'm just your used to be?
It's wrong and yet
I know forgetting you would be a hopeless thing
For I'm a puppet, and I just can't seem to break the string
I say I'll let you go, but then my heart says no
Guess my heart has a mind of its own
Guess my heart has a mind of its own
Connie Francis's song, My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own, speaks of the struggle with trying to let go of someone who holds a significant emotional connection. From the beginning of the song, we can sense the heartache and internal conflict present in the lyrics. The singer explains how telling her heart that their love would never work, yet when she hears the voice of her lover, she is immediately transported back to the memories of their past. This stanza alone speaks volumes about the power of love and how we cannot always control it, no matter how hard we try.
The chorus reveals how the singer is not able to move on from the relationship and how her thoughts are always focused on her past lover. She says, "no matter what I do, no matter what I say, no matter how I try, I just can't turn the other way." It is evident from the lyrics that she is trying to convince herself to move on, but her heart is not allowing her to do so. The internal conflict the singer is facing is perfectly captured through the song's lyrics. The bridge illustrates how the singer acknowledges the relationship is over, but her heart is not able to forget the love she shared. The phrase, "I'm just your used to be," emphasizes how the relationship is in the past, but it is difficult to move on from it.
Line by Line Meaning
I told this heart of mine our love would never be
I convinced myself that we could never be in love.
But then I hear your voice and something stirs inside of me
However, hearing your voice triggers something within me that I cannot ignore.
Somehow I can't dismiss the memory of your kiss
Despite my best efforts, I cannot forget the memory of our kiss.
Guess my heart has a mind of its own
Perhaps my heart does not follow my rational thinking.
No matter what I do
It does not matter what I try.
No matter what I say, no matter how I try
Even if I try to reason with myself, it is fruitless.
I just can't turn the other way
I cannot ignore my heart's desire.
When I'm with someone new, I always think of you
Even when I am with a new person, my thoughts always drift back to you.
Guess my heart has a mind of its own
Once again, it seems my heart has a will of its own.
You're not in love with me, so why can't I forget
Despite knowing that you do not love me, I cannot let go.
I'm just your used to be?
Am I merely a thing of the past for you?
It's wrong and yet
Even though logically it is incorrect.
I know forgetting you would be a hopeless thing
I realize that it is impossible for me to forget about you.
For I'm a puppet, and I just can't seem to break the string
I feel as though I am being controlled by some outside force that keeps me from moving on.
I say I'll let you go, but then my heart says no
I try to convince myself that I can move on, but it seems my heart will not let you go.
Guess my heart has a mind of its own
It appears that my heart has full control over my emotions and actions.
Lyrics © Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: HOWARD GREENFIELD, JACK KELLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lalhriatpuia Sailo
After 62 years, we are still out here listening and feeling it. Art doesn't die.
Odee Dillon
Thankfully it doesn't die, and keeps our minds young. 👍👍
Peter Ellerman
I'm 75 and I still believe that Connie has one of the best voices of All the girls
mashmakhan zp.ua
BEAUTIFUL ! CONNIE FRANCIS FOREVER !
Ariki Padlie
What a voice. One of my mums fave artists…and mine.
Tommy Antz
Hey Classic Hits, thank you for providing these upscaled performances. It’s great to see these classic gems with such clarity! Connie Frances…what more can you say.
qwer123211
The true "Queen of Rock n' Roll". Simply look at the number of top 10 hits and million seller records and compare them to ANY of the female artists that are said to hold that title. God bless Connie!
David Thompson
love it
AZCHICK
Angel voice ❤️❤️❤️💋
Tom
Thank you so much for a video of Connie's biggest hit.