NJ native and music legend Connie Francis recovering after ICU hospitalization
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Connie Francis, the New Jersey native behind the 1962 hit “Pretty Little Baby” that recently went viral on TikTok, is recovering in the hospital following a recent health scare that forced her to cancel a planned July 4 radio appearance.
Francis, 87, shared on Facebook that she had been transferred out of an intensive care unit and into a private room after undergoing a series of tests at a Florida hospital.
“I am pleased to advise that following a series of tests and examinations in Intensive Care [Unit], I have now been transferred to a private room,” she wrote. “Thank you all for your kind thoughts, words and prayers. They mean so much!”
The pop legend had earlier announced her withdrawal from Bruce “Cousin Brucie” Morrow’s Independence Day special on New York’s 77 WABC due to ongoing medical issues.
“I am back in the hospital where I have been undergoing tests and checks to determine the cause(s) of the extreme pain I have been experiencing,” Francis wrote in a separate post. “I had hoped to take part in Brucie’s show for Independence Day, having had to cancel a previous slot a few weeks ago when receiving treatment on my hip.”
Francis, one of the most successful female pop singers of the late 1950s and early ’60s, has remained a beloved figure among fans. Her song “Pretty Little Baby” found a new generation of listeners after gaining traction on TikTok in recent months.
Francis was born Dec. 12, 1937 in Newark and spent part of her early childhood in Brooklyn before her family settled in Belleville. She graduated from Belleville High School in 1955.