Born: 12 December 1937, United States
Died: NA
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Concetta Marie Franconero
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero is a renowned American pop singer and actress who gained widespread recognition as Connie Francis during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Her remarkable talent and captivating vocals have made her one of the leading female artists of that era, with impressive global record sales exceeding 100 million copies.
Connie Francis was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Italian-American parents George and Ida Franconero. She spent her early years in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, before relocating to New Jersey. Growing up in a diverse Italian-Jewish community, she became proficient in Yiddish, ultimately recording songs in Yiddish and Hebrew.
In 1960, Connie Francis achieved unparalleled success, establishing herself as the foremost female artist in the United States, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and countless other nations where her records were sold. Furthermore, she became the first woman to claim the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.