Here’s a summary of the provided text about Connie Francis:
Connie Francis, a pioneering American singer and the first woman to top the Billboard Hot 100, has died at the age of 87. Her death occurred shortly after her 1962 song “Pretty Little Baby” (known in Spanish as “Linda Muchachita”) unexpectedly went viral on TikTok and Instagram, a phenomenon she expressed surprise and delight about in a recent interview.
Francis, a contemporary of Elvis Presley and brenda Lee, was a highly successful artist in the 1950s and early 1960s, wiht numerous top 10 hits like “Who’s Sorry Now?” and “My Heart Has to Mind of Its Own.” Her death was confirmed by her friend and president of Concetta Records, Ron Roberts.
The singer had recently been hospitalized due to “extreme pain” but had reported feeling better a few days prior. However, her health apparently deteriorated, leading to her passing.Born Concetta Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, Francis began her career at age 4. After initial struggles, her career took off with the recording of “Who’s Sorry Now?” which became a hit after a performance on American Bandstand. She went on to become one of the moast successful singers of her era, recording in multiple languages and selling an estimated 200 million records worldwide.
Beyond her professional success, Francis’s personal life was marked by notable hardship, including a rape in 1974, temporary voice loss after surgery, the murder of her brother in 1981, mental health struggles, and a suicide attempt.