Connie Francis

"Connie Francis" is also a character in Victory Gundam, one of the five (of the six) original members of the Shrike Team who are named in homage to 20th century female singers. He was 61. In late December 2004, Francis headlined in Las Vegas for the first time since 1989. Terry Knight (Richard Terrance Knapp) was murdered in Killeen, Texas on November 1, 2004. No release date is set. Grand Funk Railroad reunited again in 1997 to record a benefit album called Bosnia. There's a major story there." Filming has not started on the yet untitled film. After disbanding a second time, Farner launched a solo career as a Christian recording artist, while Brewer and Frost joined Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band.

She has done a lot of things for victims' rights since her rape in the '70s . The band reunited in 1981 with the addition of Dennis Bellinger and released two failed albums. Estefan said, "She [Francis] isn't in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, and yet she was the first pop star worldwide, [she] recorded in nine languages. Farner began a solo career, while the rest of the band became Flint after adding Billy Ellworthy. Latin music great Gloria Estefan will produce and play the lead. After finishing Good Singin', Good Playin' (1976) with producer Frank Zappa, Grand Funk Railroad disbanded. The first draft of the screenplay for a movie based on Francis' life is done, and casting and other pre-production work is anticipated in 2005. After a pop-style album, All the Girls in the World Beware!!!, and a revert to "Grand Funk Railroad", the band's fortunes were at an end.

Francis was diagnosed as manic depressive but resumed her career in 1989 and has continued singing and recording since then. This was followed by two huge hit singles, "We're an American Band" (off We're an American Band) and "The Locomotion" (written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin for Little Eva). Her brother was murdered in 1981. After recruiting Craig Frost (keyboards), Grand Funk Railroad released Phoenix in 1972, then shorted their name to Grand Funk. Nasal surgery to correct a sensitivity to air conditioning deprived her of her ability to sing professionally for four years. In 1972, Grand Funk Railroad fired Knight, who sued for breach of contract, resulting in a protracted legal battle. In 1974 she was raped in a hotel following a performance in Westbury, New York. Knight launched an intense advertising campaign to promote Closer to Home, a multi-platinum, smash hit album that was slammed by virtually all music critics.

Tragedies followed soon after. Even with critical pans and lack of radio airplay (at first), the group's first eight albums, released in three years, were successful. Francis ended her recording career 1969, returning in 1973 with The Answer, a song written just for her, and soon began performing again. That record still stands today. Francis' autobiography, "Who's Sorry Now?" was published in 1984. A year later, they went on to break The Beatles' record at Shea Stadium, selling out in just 71 hours. Her latest CD "The American Tour" contains performances from recent shows. In that same year they had a hit single "Closer To Home," a song that was closer in style to the old Terry Knight & The Pack than it was to GFR.

In 1960 Francis became the youngest headliner to sing in Las Vegas, where she played 28 days a year for nine years. In 1970 they had sold more albums than any other American band. troops. After a free performance at the 1969 Atlanta Pop Festival, the band was signed by Capitol Records. During the height of the Vietnam War in 1967, she performed for U.S. Terry Knight soon became their manager and named the band after the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, a famous rail line in Michigan. She has a grown son, Joey, born in 1974, who is a flight instructor. Mark Farner (vocals, guitar) and Don Brewer (drums), former members of a local band together, Terry Knight & the Pack, recruited Mel Schacher (bass) from ? & the Mysterians.

In the first half of the 1960s she starred in three additional films -- "Follow the Boys" (1963), "Looking for Love" (1964) and "When the Boys Meet the Girls" (1965). In spite of near-constant critical denigration (Rolling Stone once called them the world's worst rock band), Grand Funk Railroad managed to keep a career going for several years based on constant touring, a loud, simple take on the blues-rock power trio, and strong working class appeal and managed to reach the top of the charts on several occasions. She appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on July 1, 1962 with French singing star, Johnny Hallyday in a show that was taped at the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris, France. They are sometimes considered as the first great American Hard Rock outfit and the original "American Band", due to their hit song "We're an American Band". She recorded her songs in nine languages and became an international star in the late 50s. Grand Funk Railroad was an American Rock and Roll band in the 1970s, originally from Flint, Michigan. From 1958 until 1963, Francis had 25 singles that were top 100 hits in the United States. Official Site (http://www.grandfunkrailroad.com/).

Kennedy), Strangers in the Night and Where the Boys Are, her signature song, (from the movie of the same name), which became one of the first pop songs to be recorded in foreign languages. Trunk of Funk - (2001). This was followed by Don't Break the Heart That Loves You, Everybody's Somebody's Fool, Stupid Cupid, In the Summer of his Years (written after the assassination of John F. Classic Masters - (2002). However, Who's Sorry Now (a cover version of a 1923 song) launched her into super-stardom worldwide. On January 1, 1958, she debuted it on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" television show; by mid-year over a million copies were sold. Very Best Grand Funk Railroad Album Ever - (2001). Francis' first single Freddy (1955) was a failure and she began considering a career in medicine. Rock Champions - (2001).

After an appearance on Startime, Francis was advised to change her name from Concetta Rosemarie Franconero to something more easily pronounceable, as well as to quit the accordion and focus on singing. Super Best - (1999). Born on December 12, 1938 in the Italian Seventh Avenue neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, she is considered the most prolific female rock 'n' roll hit-maker of the early rock era -- the late 1950s to the early 1960s. Thirty Years of Funk : 1969 - 1999 - (1999). Connie Francis is an American singer. Collectors - (1993). Heavy Hitters - (1992).

Capitol Collectors Series - (1991). The Best of Grand Funk - (1990). Hits - (1977). Grand Funk Hits - (1976).

Mark, Don and Mel : 1969 - 71 - (1972). Grand Funk / Live Album - (1970). Thirty Years of Funk : 1969 - 1999 - (1999). Bosnia - (October 1997).

Caught in the Act - (August 1975). Live Album - (November 1970). What's Funk? - (January 1983). Grand Funk Lives - (July 1981).

Good Singin', Good Playin' - (August 1976). Born To Die - (January 1976). All the Girls in the World Beware!!! - (December 1974). Shinin' On - (March 1974).

We're An American Band - (July 1973). Phoenix - (September 1972). E Pluribus Funk - (November 1971). Survival - (April 1971).

Closer To Home - (July 1970). Grand Funk (The Red Album) - (December 1969). On Time - (August 1969).