Connie Francis (born 12 December 1937 in Newark, New Jersey, USA) is an Ame… Read Full Bio ↴Connie Francis (born 12 December 1937 in Newark, New Jersey, USA) is an American pop singer best known for international hit songs such as "Who's Sorry Now?," "Where The Boys Are", and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool".

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

Valentino
Connie Francis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Curly hair dangling down on his forehead
Eyes that glow like a fire in the night
Dressed in black, leather jacket trimmed in silver
Never want to hide or run from any fight.

Oh, Valentino, Valentino
Are you lonely deep inside
Valentino, Vakentino

Have your dreams all been denied.

Tough as nails in a rumble or a show down
With his gang he's a terror in the night
But alone by himself he's sort of quiet
You begin to see him in a different light.

Then one day to this Valentino
Came a love that meant everything to him
But he knew he could never hope to win her
For she'd have no part of violence and sin.

Oh, Valentino, Valentino
What has fate in store for you
Valentino, Vakentino
Is there nothing you can do
Must you go on and never more be free

Valentino, Valentino
What is your destiny?...

Overall Meaning

In this song, Connie Francis describes the character of a man named Valentino. With curly hair and striking glowing eyes, Valentino exudes confidence and never shies away from confrontation, dressed in black and silver leather. However, despite his tough exterior, the song suggests that Valentino has a hidden loneliness and desire for deeper connection. The lyrics also hint at his conflicting emotions about his violent lifestyle and desire for love and acceptance.

As the song progresses, we see Valentino's character develop and become more complex. The chorus poses questions about his fate and destiny, suggesting that Valentino faces a difficult decision and that his actions will greatly impact his future. The final verse introduces a love interest for Valentino, but as he tries to pursue her, he realizes that his violent tendencies will push her away. The song ends with a sense of uncertainty and sadness about Valentino's future.

Overall, this song is a poignant reflection on the human desire for acceptance and love, even in the face of violence and tough exteriors.

Line by Line Meaning

Curly hair dangling down on his forehead
Valentino had curly hair that hung on his forehead.

Eyes that glow like a fire in the night
Valentino's eyes shine brilliantly in the dark of the night.

Dressed in black, leather jacket trimmed in silver
He wore black clothes and adorned with a silver trim jacket made of leather.

Never want to hide or run from any fight.
Valentino never backed down from any fight and would not hide or run from one.

Oh, Valentino, Valentino
The song addresses Valentino.

Are you lonely deep inside
The song questions whether Valentino is lonely at his core being.

Valentino, Vakentino
The song repeats Valentino's name.

Have your dreams all been denied.
The song asks whether Valentino's wishes and expectations have all gone unfulfilled.

Tough as nails in a rumble or a show down
Valentino was highly resilient and strong in a physical fight.

With his gang he's a terror in the night
He was part of a gang that would cause terror during nighttime.

But alone by himself he's sort of quiet
Valentino was a bit of a silent and quiet person when alone.

You begin to see him in a different light.
People who saw Valentino alone would see him differently than when he was with his gang.

Then one day to this Valentino came a love that meant everything to him
Valentino found someone he loved deeply.

But he knew he could never hope to win her
However, he knew he could not win her heart since she did not like violence and sin.

For she'd have no part of violence and sin.
The person Valentino loved would not tolerate negative or violent behavior.

What has fate in store for you
The song questions what will become of Valentino due to his circumstances.

Is there nothing you can do
The song suggests that Valentino might be helpless.

Must you go on and never more be free
The song presents a question: will Valentino ever be free?

Valentino, Valentino
The song repeats Valentino's name.

What is your destiny?
The song queries what might happen to Valentino.

Contributed by Cameron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

DCGaming

3y↑2

A strange little thing. I've always loved this song since I was about 5. Many years later, more recently, I read a book about the Sicilian Mafia (particularly N'Drangeta) and there was a story that was literally the story of this song's lyrics. Now, of course, most likely the only way these two are connected (no pun intended) is that the story is a common one in the poorer areas of Italy and Sicily, but I remember reading that story and being reminded of this song, which up to that point I'd always thought was just a darkly romantic song/story, such as with Leader of the Pack and the so-called 'Death Ditties' that were popular for a time in the 1960s. On a side-note, in the story within that book, they also killed the girlfriend as well, in order to tie up any loose ends.