In case you didn’t know, Connie Francis was the top female charting artist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Though that may sound like eons ago to you, Francis is still active today and has had a very illustrious career. However, despite all the time she has spent in the spotlight, there are still some things that many people don’t know about her. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Connie Francis. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: She Started Playing Music When She Was Three Years Old. In an interview with Larry King, Francis revealed that she began playing the accordion when she was just three years old. When she was four, she began singing.
Number Fourteen: She Was Close Friends With Dick Clark. Francis was one of the biggest stars ever featured on American Bandstand, which was hosted by Dick Clark. Though there were rumors swirling that Francis and Clark became romantic, Francis denies these rumors.
Number Thirteen: She Was Raped. And her rape became highly publicized. She was staying at a Howard Johnson’s motor lodge, and she went back to her room after performing one night, her husband left her for a brief period, and a man broke in and raped her. She became a public symbol for rape victims, but the experience was very traumatizing for her.
Number Twelve: She Took a Seven-Year-Long Hiatus. As a result of her rape, Francis didn’t take the stage again for another seven years. Since her experience, to this day, she refuses to stay in a room alone.
Number Eleven: She Lost Her Voice. As a result of an operation, Francis lost her singing voice and was worried she would never be able to recover it. Every time she would perform around air-conditioning, she would lose her singing voice.
Number Ten: Her Brother Was Killed by Hit Men. Francis’ brother, George, was killed by two hit men who believed he was talking too much.
Number Nine: She Was Hospitalized 11 Times. Francis admitted to being hospitalized 11 times due to psychiatric issues. On one of these occasions, she was even hospitalized by Dick Clark.