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
Winter Wonderland
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the lane snow is glistening
A beautiful sight; oh, we're happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird
Here to stay is a new bird
He's singing a song as we go along
Well, in the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say, are you married? We'll say no man
But you can do the job when you're in town
Later on we'll conspire
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid of the plans that we made
Walking in a winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build a snowman
And pretend he's a circus clown
We'll have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman
Until the other kiddies knock him down
Oh, when it snows, ain't it filling
Though your nose gets a chilling?
We'll frolic and play the Eskimo way
Walking in a winter wonderland
(Wonderland wonderland)
The song "Winter Wonderland" by Connie Francis is a classic winter song that paints a picture of a joyful and romantic winter wonderland. The first verse sets the scene with sleigh bells ringing and snow glistening in the lane, bringing a sense of joy and enchantment. The second verse switches gears with the line "Gone away is the bluebird" which signifies the departure of summer and arrival of winter, and that we should embrace the change with the new bird singing a song as we walk in the winter wonderland. The third verse talks about building a snowman and pretending he's Parson Brown, and later, pretending he's a circus clown, which captures the childlike spirit and joy of playing in the snow.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleigh bells ring; are you listening?
Can you hear the sound of the sleigh bells? They are ringing loud and clear.
In the lane snow is glistening
The snow on the lane looks beautiful and shiny, sparkling in the light.
A beautiful sight; oh, we're happy tonight
The view of the snowy lane is a beautiful sight, and it's making us feel happy tonight.
Walking in a winter wonderland
We are walking in a place where the beautiful winter scenery surrounds us.
Gone away is the bluebird
The bluebird has left, as it usually does in winter.
Here to stay is a new bird
However, a new type of bird is here to stay for the winter.
He's singing a song as we go along
This new bird is singing a happy tune as we keep walking.
Walking in a winter wonderland
As we continue walking, we are lost in the beauty of this winter wonderland.
Well, in the meadow we can build a snowman
We can go to a meadow and use the snow to build a snowman.
And pretend that he is Parson Brown
We can make believe that the snowman is a clergyman named Parson Brown.
He'll say, are you married? We'll say no man
We can imagine that the snowman is asking if we are married, and we tell him we are not.
But you can do the job when you're in town
We tell the snowman that he can perform the wedding ceremony when he's back in town.
Later on we'll conspire
Later on, we'll make plans together and share secrets.
As we dream by the fire
As we sit by the fireplace and relax, we'll get lost in our imagination.
To face unafraid of the plans that we made
We'll be bold and look forward to enacting the plans we made, without any fear.
Walking in a winter wonderland
All the while, we'll still be walking in this winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman
Back to building the snowman in the meadow, this time pretending he's a circus clown.
We'll have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman
We'll enjoy spending time with Mr. Snowman, whether he's a clergyman or a clown.
Until the other kiddies knock him down
Unfortunately, the fun ends when other children come and knock down our snowman.
Oh, when it snows, ain't it filling
When it's snowing, doesn't it make you feel fulfilled and content?
Though your nose gets a chilling?
Even though your nose may feel cold from being out in the snow?
We'll frolic and play the Eskimo way
We'll play and enjoy ourselves the way Eskimos do in the winter.
Walking in a winter wonderland
And we'll still be walking in this beautiful winter wonderland.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
john Miselis
Voice of an Angel---Our family have listened to Connie's songs since the 60's
hioe meejoeng
Bravo Connie Francis , GOD has Blessed you with a beautiful fabulous voice
jakre10
That's my girl!! What a great version. I love this lady
Shrinksjp
The best version of this song.
Mason Duarte
YES!!!!
Betty Guest
Beautiful Collection
of Christmas songs!
Thank you Connie!:)♡☆♡
dave Millward
One of my first loves when I was young.
Joey Norris
This makes me think back to a random freak snowstorm Savannah GA had almost 2 yrs ago with my fiance. Everything was right. It was just beautiful. It was a winter wonderland. If only I can recreate that again 2 yrs after the fact. But he's such a narcissist it'll never happen. I want that one random perfect day back with him. I'll life was right that day. It was like seeing the big Macy's in Manhattan for Christmas again.