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
You'll Never Know
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll never know just how much I care
And if I tried, I still couldn't hide my love for you
You ought to know, for haven't I told you so
A million or more times?
You went away and my heart went with you
I speak your name in my every prayer
I swear I don't know how
You'll never know if you don't know now
(You went away and my heart went with you
I speak your name in my every prayer)
If there is some other way to prove that I love you
I swear I don't know how
You'll never know if you don't know now
You'll never know if you don't know now
The lyrics of Connie Francis's "You'll Never Know" lament the loss of a loved one and express the depth of the singer's feelings. The first two lines express the singer's sadness at the distance between herself and the object of her affection. The next two lines acknowledge the impossibility of hiding her love for this person, as she has told them "a million or more times."
The following verse communicates the extent to which the singer misses her beloved, stating that her heart left with them when they departed. She speaks their name in every prayer, indicating that they are constantly on her mind. The final stanza refocuses on the singer's desire to prove her love and expresses her frustration at not knowing how to do it. She implores her beloved to acknowledge her feelings, stating that they will "never know if you don't know now."
Overall, the lyrics of "You'll Never Know" convey a sense of longing and unrequited love, with the singer lamenting her separation from the object of her affection and expressing her desire for them to know the depth of her feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
You'll never know just how much I miss you
I miss you more than words can express.
You'll never know just how much I care
I care about you more than anyone else could.
And if I tried, I still couldn't hide my love for you
No matter how hard I try, I can't hide my love for you.
You ought to know, for haven't I told you so
I have told you countless times how much I love you.
A million or more times?
Even a million times may not be enough to fully express my love for you.
(You went away and my heart went with you
When you left, you took a piece of my heart with you.
I speak your name in my every prayer)
I think of you constantly, even in my prayers.
If there is some other way to prove that I love you
If there's anything else I can do to show you how much I love you.
I swear I don't know how
I honestly don't know how else to prove my love for you.
You'll never know if you don't know now
If you don't realize my love for you now, you may never fully understand it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mack Gordon, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank Perri
One Of the greatest singers of all time.. When she starts singing something comes over me, she touches my soul. LOVE YOU CONNIE
jakre10
If you can, try to get a copy of this entire album "Award Winning Motion Hits". One of Connie's best. She is the greatest female singer of all time, always the best phrasing and arrangments.
Gerald Wion
Beautiful song by Connie!
Joe Guzman aka Joey Josephs
This was recorded in 1961 and re orchestrated and released 1963
Raffaele Leone
bellissimo video fotomontaggio x la dolcissima CONNIE di mia realizazione
Gladys Betancourt
🇨🇱😗