Connie Francis dominated the music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s with hits like Stupid Cupid, Pretty Little Baby and Don't Break the Heart That Loves You.
The pop star, author and actor has died at 87, and will be remembered for recording the soundtrack songs of post-World War II America.
An early life of music
Francis was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, to Italian immigrant parents. At a very early age, Francis was encouraged to take accordion and singing lessons, compete in talent shows, and later she would perform occasionally on the children's production Star Time Kids on NBC, remaining there until she was 17.
Within these early recordings you can hear her style begin to develop: her tone, great pitching, her versatility in vocal range. Her vocal delivery is technically controlled and stylistically structured, often nuanced – and even at this early stage demonstrating such power coupled with an adaptability for a broad range of repertoire.
At 17, Francis signed a contract with MGM Records.
One of her early recordings was the song Who's Sorry Now?, written by Ted Snyder with lyrics by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby in 1923. Her version was released in 1957 and struggled to get noticed.
The following year, Francis appeared with the ballad on American Bandstand . This performance exposed Francis' talent for interpretation and her ability to bridge the teen and adult fanbase.
The song would become a hit.
It's useful to listen to the original version to gain more insight into Francis' vocal approach and styling. The original is an instrumental song of its time, with light whimsical call and response motives in a foxtrot feel.
But in Francis' version , she demonstrates her ability to revitalise a late 1950s pop music aesthetic. In an emotional delivery she croons her own rendition, with the country styling elements of Patsy Cline.
The voice of a generation
Following Who's Sorry Now?, Stupid Cupid (1958), Where The Boys Are (1960, the titular song of a feature film starring Francis) and Lipstick on Your Collar (1959) became the soundtrack songs of post-war America.
Francis was supported with songs penned by the some of the best songwriters from the Brill Building , a creative collective in Manhattan that housed professional songwriters, working with staff writers Edna Lewis and George Goehring.
In 1960, Francis released her hit Everybody's Somebody's Fool written by Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield. It was a teeny-bopper classic, and she became the first women to top the Billboard Hot 100.
Styled after some of the other greats of the time – such as Frank Sinatra (1915–98), Dean Martin (1917–95) and Louis Prima (1910–70) – Francis' performance on the Ed Sullivan show highlighted her connection to her Italian heritage and ability to draw from a broad repertoire.
On the show, she performed Mama and La Paloma . Each performance is very carefully styled, a thoughtful approach to dynamics, sung in both English and Italian.
Don't Break the Heart That Loves You , a number one hit from 1962, features Francis' gorgeous crooning harmonies. Then, the song breaks down into an earnest spoken part and finishes with a powerful belted vocal part of long notes.
The song is full of confidence and hope.
