Connie Francis

Artist: Connie Francis

LP: Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites
Song: "Do You Love Me Like You Kiss Me?"
[ listen ]
Song: "Ciao, Ciao, Bambina"
[ listen ]

Here's a nifty little pair of tunes from Connie Francis' first Italian-themed LP, one of a handful of records she released in 1959. Connie was born in an Italian neighborhood in New Jersey in 1938, she had an overprotective father, was married four times, has recorded in 13 different languages—including Japanese—and she performed to sold out crowds at San Francisco's Castro Theater as recently as 2007. Ms. Francis has weathered some pretty horrible shit over the years, but you'll have to read her Wikipedia page to get details, since I can't seem to mention them here without sounding flippant. I've always loved the gorgeously haunting, trumpet-like voice of this graduate of Miss Masciola's Music School, and it's wonderful to hear that she's still performing. Maybe one day soon I'll get to see her in concert!

Connie was all of four years old, dressed in a starched
rosepink party dress with matching lace ruffles, when she
first performed in public. The occasion? An amateur hour
at Olympic Park in Irvington, New Jersey. Connie was slated
to play her miniature accordion and sing O Sole Mio.

Nobody believed she could do it. Even the slick master
of ceremonies tried to take her out of the show. "She'll
panic," he told Connie's father, "and she'll bawl,
and we'll have a mess on our hands."

But Mr. Franconero insisted his Connie remain in the
amateur hour line-up. There were other students
from Miss Masciola's Music School who were scheduled
to perform. One by one they went out on the bandstand,
and, more often than not, one by one they walked off,
unable to sing or play because of stage fright.

Finally came Connie's turn. The tall master of ceremonies
announced her name, and dollbaby Connie walked out on
that podium in her puffy pink party dress, ran her fingers
down the black-and-white keyboard of her miniature
accordion and began playing and singing O Sole Mio,
one of the songs her daddy taught her.

In the background dick Stabile's orchestra played softly
for fear they might drown out young Connie's voice.
But they needn't have worried. For Connie, at the age
of four, sang and played like a trouper and her voice
could be heard in the last row of the huge audience.
Backstage, in the wings, her faterh cried; and, many
years later, he confessed to Connie that he didn't hear
all of her song because of his tears. Had she gone flat
he wouldn't have noticded it because he nearly burst
from the papa-proudness in his heart.

The reception from the audience that summer day was
tumultuous. There was thunderous applause, an endless
chorus of bravos, much stomping of feet on the floor.

Little Connie, in her bell-shaped party dress, ran out to
take a bow. But the ovation was so strong the audience
wouldn't allow her to leave the stage. She had
to play another chorus of her song.

This is how Connie's exciting life in the show-business
world began. To this day Connie holds the song O Sole
Mio dear in her heart—for that matter, all the
songs of her colorful Italian heritage.

Even now that she has become a big singing star,
Connie loves to sit around the fireplace in the
Franconero living room with her family to sing
the romantic songs of Italy.

Listen to Connie sing her Italian favorites in this album.
It's difficult, if you ask me, to imagine these timeless
Italian ballads phrased and sung more beautifully!

Notes by George Christy—Mayor, Teen Town

[ Connie Francis ]