The late Connie Francis’ romantic life was marked by passionate encounters, heartbreaking losses, and the enduring memory of her one true love, who slipped away.
Throughout her impressive career spanning the 1950s and 1960s, the legendary singer captivated millions with her voice, but her personal relationships proved far more complex than her chart-topping hits suggested. The Italian-American songstress experienced a series of marriages that never quite filled the void left by her greatest romance.
Born Concetta Maria Franconero, Francis experienced the ups and downs of romance while building an empire that would see her sell over 200 million records worldwide. Her love life often crossed paths with her career, creating a story of missed opportunities and what could have been.
The most significant relationship in Francis’s life began in the late 1950s when she encountered a young performer named Bobby Darin. Their early encounters were anything but romantic, marked by constant clashes and heated disputes over how songs should be arranged and performed.
However, their professional collaboration gradually blossomed into something deeper. The pair began exchanging love letters and seriously discussing the possibility of eloping together. Francis later revealed the depth of their connection, telling Closer in March 2022: “Bobby had everything: charisma, talent, he was brilliant. He had the greatest sense of humor in the world. I never felt quite the same about anyone the way I still feel about Bobby to this day.”
Their romance faced a formidable obstacle in Francis’s father, who disapproved of the relationship. The situation reached a dramatic climax when Darin appeared at “The Jackie Gleason Show,” where Francis was performing. “My father had a pistol in his back pocket, My manager saw it and screamed, ‘Run, Bobby, Run,'” Francis recalled.
The fear of her father’s potential violence ultimately drove Francis to end the relationship. “I was scared something might happen to him, my dad was obsessed with me and who I could be with,” she confessed. Despite Darin’s persistent attempts to reconnect, Francis maintained her distance, prioritizing his safety over their love.
Her Four Marriages and Why They Failed
Following her heartbreak with Darin, Francis embarked on a series of marriages that would span several decades. Her first husband, Dick Kanellis, was a public relations agent for Las Vegas hotels whom she married in 1964. Their union lasted merely three months before ending in divorce.
Francis’s second attempt at matrimony came in 1971 when she wed Izzy Marion, who owned beauty salons in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. This marriage proved equally brief, dissolving after just 10 months. Francis explained the reasoning behind their split in an October 1971 interview with the Courier-Post via Closer: “We tried to make a home for Izzy’s two children by his previous marriage. I gave up my career for the past eight months while we lived in New Jersey. There was just a clash of personalities.”
Her third marriage to restaurateur and travel agent Joseph Garzilli in 1973 lasted five years, representing her longest union. During this relationship, they adopted a son, Joseph Garzilli Jr., who would become an important part of Francis’s life. This marriage ended in 1978, though it provided Francis with the fulfillment of becoming a mother through the adoption of their son.
Francis’s final marriage to television producer Bob Parkinson in 1985 proved to be her shortest, lasting only 81 days. Parkinson had worked on projects including “Richard Pryor… Here and Now” and “I Challenge You,” but their brief union couldn’t overcome their fundamental incompatibility.
Bobby Darin: The One Who Got Away
Despite four attempts at marriage, Francis never forgot her first great love. Darin married actress Sandra Dee in 1960, causing Francis additional heartache as she watched from afar her former flame find happiness with someone else.
The tragedy deepened when Darin died in 1973 at the young age of 37 following heart surgery. Francis carried her love for him throughout the remainder of her life, stating years later to Closer: “I think of him every single day, I still play his music all the time.”
Reflecting on her romantic struggles, Francis had a self-awareness of her pattern of relationships. She once shared on her official website: “I could pick hit records, but not hit husbands. It’s like when you play poker: If you know you have a losing hand, you simply fold.”
The singer’s love life was further complicated by personal tragedies, including a brutal assault in 1974 that left her struggling with depression and PTSD. Francis also endured other hardships, including pregnancy losses and the death of an infant son who survived only a brief time after birth.
Despite these challenges, Francis maintained hope for love even in her later years. Despite experiencing numerous personal challenges throughout her life, Francis remained optimistic about finding love and hadn’t given up on romance even as she entered her eighties.
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Connie Francis’ Love Life Over the Years