Yesterday, we reported that the legendary pop star Connie Francis, best known for her 1962 hit song “Pretty Little Baby,” died on Wednesday night. She was 87 years-old. Now, new details have emerged about Francis’ final days.
Francis Passes Away
Francis’ death was announced by her close friend Ron Roberts. He’s a former journalist who is the current president of Francis’ label Concetta Records.
“It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that I inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night,” Roberts revealed on Thursday morning.
“I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news,” he added. “More details will follow later.”
Backstory: Connie Francis, Legendary ‘Pretty Little Baby’ Singer, Dead At 87
Francis’ Final Days Of ‘Extreme Pain’
Roberts later opened up further about Francis’ death to give fans additional information. He pointed out that Francis had been hospitalized earlier this month with “extreme pain.” It seems that things quickly went downhill for her from there.
“We were expecting it, unfortunately … they couldn’t locate where the pain was exactly,” Roberts told People Magazine. He added that Francis just thought it was some trouble with her hip “that she’d been having for some time.”
Francis herself had taken to Facebook on July 2 to say that she was “back in hospital.” She revealed that she was “undergoing tests and checks to determine the cause(s) of the extreme pain I have been experiencing.”
Two days later, on the Fourth of July, Francis insisted in a follow-up post that she was “feeling much better after a good night” of rest. This would be her final communication with fans. Roberts stated that this was also the last day that he spoke with Francis.
Full Story: Legendary Singer Connie Francis, 87, Rushed To Hospital – ‘Extreme Pain…’
Francis Remained Positive To The End
Roberts met Francis way back in 1962, when he scored the “interview of a lifetime” with her at the height of her international fame.
“From that moment on we became friends for life,” he recalled.
Roberts wants Francis’ fans to know that she “absolutely” remained positive until the very end.
“It’s been two months of the most extreme high then the most extreme low,” he explained, adding that Francis had confessed to him that she was feeling “absolutely terrible” around the time of her July 4 post.
“She was obviously in pain and she was very weak,” Roberts recalled of their final conversation. “She’d been in hospital a good week by that time. She was tired. [Having all the tests done] is debilitating.”
Even so, Francis was a “fighter,” with Roberts saying that she even managed to leave the hospital for a few days before her death.
According to Roberts, Francis sadly began to “deteriorate” from there. She was “unconscious” in her final two days before her death, her friend revealed.
“She slipped away peacefully,” Roberts said.
Francis’ Career Resurgence
Though he misses her dearly, Roberts is happy that Francis went out on such a high. Indeed, she spent her final few months enjoying a career resurgence as her 1962 song “Pretty Little Baby” went viral on TikTok.
Over 3 million TikTok users have lip synced to the lyrics of “Pretty Little Baby.” As of early last month, the song had garnered over 10 billion views, sending it to No. 1 on both TikTok’s Viral 50 and Top 50 charts.
“That is the incredible story, I think: That she left this world as big a star [as she ever was],” Roberts said of Francis.
As for how Francis would like to be remembered, Roberts believes that she’d be satisfied with one line: “I hope I did okay.”
“She’d get a kick out of seeing that [written],” Roberts concluded.
While we’re devastated that Francis is gone, we can all find comfort in knowing that she’s no longer in pain.
Rest in peace, Connie Francis.
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