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
fallin
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a star up in the blue,
Like I was fallin' off Niagara
In a paddle-boat canoe
I got to feelin' I'm a'fallin'
And it's all because of you
Like I was walkin' on a tightrope,
And though I try to keep my balance
Yeah I weaken in the knees
I got to feelin' I'm a'fallin'
Lover, help me please
Like a leaf falls from a branch,
Like a rock-slide avalanche,
Like the rain on a stormy day,
I never thought I'd fall this way
I thought that love could never touch me,
Yeah I was ridin' high
And then my ivory tower toppled
And I tumbled from the sky
I got to feelin' I'm a'fallin'
You're the reason why
Like Goliath when he met his foe,
Like the walls of Jericho,
Like Delilah's home in town
When Samson tore it down
I thought that love could never touch me,
Yeah I was ridin' high
And then my ivory tower toppled
And I tumbled from the sky
I got to feelin' I'm a'fallin'
And you're the reason why,
Uh you're the reason why,
Yeah you're the reason why,
Baby, lover you're the reason why
Yeah you're the reason why,
Uh you're lover you're the reason why
The lyrics to Connie Francis's "Fallin'" captures the idea of falling in love as a precarious and destabilizing experience. The first stanza uses vivid imagery to describe this feeling, comparing it to a star falling from the sky or a canoe plummeting over Niagara Falls. These metaphors convey a sense of both wonder and danger, suggesting that love makes the singer feel both exhilarated and vulnerable. The second stanza continues this theme, with the singer comparing herself to a tightrope walker who struggles to maintain her balance or a leaf that falls from a tree. Again, the language emphasizes the precariousness of this experience, suggesting that love is something that can easily get out of control.
The third stanza shifts slightly in tone, with the singer acknowledging that she had once believed that love could never touch her. She compares this feeling to being in an "ivory tower," a metaphor that conjures up images of luxury and isolation. However, this tower ultimately topples, and the singer finds herself tumbling from the sky like a fallen star. This final stanza emphasizes the powerlessness that comes with falling in love, suggesting that the singer has been swept off her feet in a way that she never anticipated.
Overall, the lyrics to "Fallin'" capture the whirlwind feeling of falling in love, with all its highs and lows. The imagery used in the song is both evocative and relatable, making it a powerful representation of the experience of falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
I got to feelin' I'm a'fallin'
I started feeling overwhelmed and unable to control my emotions
Like a star up in the blue,
Feeling like I'm falling uncontrollably, much like a star falling through the sky
Like I was fallin' off Niagara In a paddle-boat canoe
The feeling is so strong, that it is as if I am falling from a great height, like from Niagara Falls, with no means to control my descent
And it's all because of you
You are the cause of my overwhelming feelings of love and falling
Swingin' in the breeze, And though I try to keep my balance
My feelings are so chaotic and unpredictable, it's like walking on a tightrope or swinging in a breeze, and I am struggling to keep my composure
Yeah I weaken in the knees
My emotions are so overwhelming, they physically weaken me
Lover, help me please
I need your help to navigate and overcome these overwhelming feelings of love
Like a leaf falls from a branch, Like a rock-slide avalanche, Like the rain on a stormy day, I never thought I'd fall this way
I never expected to fall in love so hard and so quickly, like a leaf falling from a branch or a sudden rock-slide avalanche during an unexpected downpour
I thought that love could never touch me, Yeah I was ridin' high
I believed that I was immune to love's power and never thought that it could affect me
And then my ivory tower toppled And I tumbled from the sky
My beliefs and worldviews were shattered, and I fell from my high pedestal of self-confidence
And you're the reason why
You are the reason I fell in love so hard and lost control of my emotions
Uh you're the reason why, Yeah you're the reason why, Baby, lover you're the reason why
You are the sole reason for my emotional upheaval, uncontrollable love, and chaotic feelings
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Howard Greenfield, Neil Sedaka
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@KiraReminiec9399
When I was a little girl I said" All I want in the life is a jukebox that plays nothing but Connie Francis records !"
@babahslea2559
Um... who is Connie Francis?
@djjimmyantinone3070
Andreia Reminiec I wanted one when I was a kid it was a lifelong dream realized when 100 disk CD players were released
@kymbates465
Oh and this couch! I just have to have this couch 😍
@cyndie-anjellvernet4114
@@kymbates465 I said wrap it up and I'll take it right now... cash😊
@kymbates465
@@cyndie-anjellvernet4114 yes girl! 🙌
@BCoriginal1
Every song in this jukebox is by Connie Francis
@uhuraenterprise6372
BCoriginal1 Great movie
@kallistiX1
Um, who's Connie Francis?
@galenstone9097
"Listen and learn, Honey!"