Forgotten 1950s singer turned viral TikTok sensation dies at 87

BarcelonaTikTok can achieve such unusual things as bringing out of oblivion an American singer who had been successful for more than sixty years and who hadn't recorded an album since 1969. This is the case of Connie Francis, who died this Wednesday at the age of 87 in Florida. Pretty little baby, a sweet ballad doo wop Francis's 1962 hit went viral in 2025. The song has accumulated over 84 million plays on Spotify and has been used in over 18 million TikTok videos, mostly depicting family scenes, animals, or declarations of love. Francis's death was confirmed via Facebook by his representative, Ron Robert.

Francis, born in New Jersey in 1937, was one of the great female voices of mid-20th-century American pop. She achieved her first success in 1957 withWho's sorry now?, and in 1960 she was the first solo female artist to reach number 1 on the Billboard charts withEverybody's somebody's foolFrancis paved the way with a clear, romantic voice. She sold more than 35 million records, recorded in a dozen languages, and explored genres such as country, jazz, and ethnic music. Throughout her career, she recorded more than seventy albums.

During the final months of her life, TikTok turned Francis into an unexpected icon. Pretty little baby has been trending thanks to celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian, who posted videos pretending to sing the song. sixty years after its release. On May 31st it reached number 13 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. The virality ofPretty little babyIt took Francis herself by surprise, as she joined the phenomenon last month and posted a video on TikTok singing her own song.

The song has taken on a life of its own on TikTok and people have made it their own: users not only make playback of the theme, but they also sing it and some introduce small modifications to the original lyrics. In a interview withThe New York Times, the singer was surprised by the success of Pretty little baby"It's an unknown song from an album I made; it wasn't even a single. It went unnoticed." He added: "It's a beautiful song. I didn't imagine it would have the effect it has on people all over the world; it's hard to believe. But I think it has a ring of innocence in these chaotic times, and that connects with people." Francis was able to resonate with a new generation. A hit that was out of time, but no less real.