"1960s pop star Connie Francis had many firsts in the spotlight of the music industry. The striking starlet was the first performer to play an accordion on the television show Startime. She was also one of the first artists to donate proceeds from a record to charity, and was one of the first vocalists to record songs in other languages as well. Surpassing all these milestones, Francis set the bar high for female vocalists to follow, even battling Madonna for the biggest-selling female recording artist of all time.Connie Francis was born Concetta Rosemarie Franconero in Newark, New Jersey. Her father bought her an accordion at age three, and the instrument became a vehicle to her success. At age 10 she appeared on the television show Startime, a program highlighting child singers and performers, and her name was shortened to Connie Francis when a TV talent scout had trouble pronouncing her name. After performing on Startime for four years, Francis tried her hand at a solo career. Rejected by record labels left and right, she only scored a deal with MGM because one of the songs on her demo was ""Freddy,"" the same name of the president's son. The single was released in 1955, boosting the young vocalist into the spotlight with a series of following Top Ten hits. Turning down a pre-med scholarship to New York University for her singing career, Francis made her next big move with the hit single ""Who's Sorry Now.""In 1963 Francis recorded the hit song ""In the Summer of His Years,"" a tribute to the assassinated John F. Kennedy, and donated the proceeds to the families of policemen shot during the tragedy. Around this time, Francis started singing songs in various languages, and she tried to retire from the music industry but ultimately came back with 1973's ""The Answer."" After a series of misfortunes including being raped, undergoing nasal surgery, a divorce, her brother's murder and being diagnosed as a manic depressive, Francis again stepped out of the limelight, returning in 1989."
