Part 6 of The Incomparable Connie Francis Interview

-JANUARY 2000

We continue with our interview from DISCoveries Magazine with Part 6. Enjoy!

CONNIE - I was going through my old press kits recently. I had all my fan club people here (in New Jersey) from Connecticut. They all came to help me make up a new press kit using some of the mountains and mountains of old press clippings. Among it is so much stuff about Elvis and myself that came out in the '50s and early '60s; all the polls and such. He and I topped the polls many times for top male and female singers. It was either myself or Brenda Lee.
DisCoveries - Any early memories of Elvis?
CONNIE - The first time I saw Elvis in person was shortly after his mother died. He was in the audience front row center at the Sahara in Las Vegas. Knowing that, I was just dying to meet him after the show. I sang Mama and he started to cry and left the showroom. That was it that night. The next day he sent me two dozen yellow roses with a note apologizing for leaving the show, but his mother had just died and that was the reason. He could not listen to Mama. Oh, one other thing about Elvis. He was always such a gentleman. I have to say that. With me and with everyone else I've known. On one of the anniversaries of his death, I don't remember what year it was, but I did a TV interview, and on the show was Joe Esposito. I asked Joe why someone didn't try to stop him. And I said, Joe, you were so close to Elvis and I know that you really loved him. And he said, if he had said anything, and he tried, he would have been out of Graceland, I think that is so sad.
DisCoveries - Many would agree. Your next single was a deviation because it was your first rocker, Stupid Cupid.
CONNIE - I'll tell you something about that. There wasn't an original rock and roll hit before by any white girl singer. Sure there were cover versions of things by Georgia Gibbs, etc,. but I don't think there were any original rockers by white girls before Stupid Cupid. Even the black girls, like Lavern Baker, who had pop hits were really rhythm and blues singers more than pop.
DisCoveries - Where did you get the soulful feeling that other white, female pop stars lacked at the time?

CONNIE - That's because in my shows from 1956 on I was doing I'm Walking and I Hear You Knocking, and other rockers. I did things by Fats Domino, Ray Charles, and others. I just love them so. Also, doing rock and roll was somewhat because of knowing Bobby Darin. When I met Bobby in '56 he was such a rock and R&B fanatic. We always tried to go to see James Brown at the Apollo. I became a rock and roll and rhythm and blues freak because of Bobby Darin. I knew there was no way I could ever sound like Lavern Baker or the others I liked. So I decided to just wing in on Stupid Cupid. I knew I had to come up with a smash hit on the third record. It was crucial. I listened to every publisher's song in New York, but nothing was hitting me. I said, "Why don't we do another standard, Daddy?" "No", he said. "Think of something else."
DisCoveries - How did Stupid Cupid find it's way to you?
CONNIE - Through a down-and-out singer named Don Kirshner. He had an office with a broken chair and desk in it. Also, though I was a big star with the kids, I was still living in this impoverished house because we didn't even have time to move from this shack. Anyway, Donnie says, "I've got two writers for you to see. One is an errand boy, a gopher at a publishing company, and the other one is an art student. These kids are the best." I agreed.
DisCoveries - Sounds like..............................

Well we all know who they were, don't we? If not, come back next update and find out who these writers were! Heck, even if you do know, come on back next update anyway for the whole story!

In the meantime, if you've missed any back chapters of this interview you can still check them out!


You are at PART 6	Go to: PART 01 PART 02 PART 03 PART 04 PART 05 PART 07 PART 08 PART 09 PART 10 PART 11 PART 12 PART 13 PART 14 PART 15

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