WRITTEN By Maggie Harbour
T
he still stunning singing sensation who topped the charts in the 1950’s and 60’s with such hits as Who’s Sorry Now, Lipstick on Your Collar, Stupid Cupid and My Happiness will be honored at Fort Lauderdale’s First American Beach party on Memorial Days weekend. Francis helped put Fort Lauderdale on the map in 1960, when she starred in the cult classic, Where The Boys Are – making the city THE place to go for spring break. And now, to commemorate the film’s 50th anniversary, she will have a town square named after her.
Photo: Bobby Bank/WireImage
“I am honored that they are naming the square after me,” says Francis, who now makes her home in Florida. “I fell in love with Fort Lauderdale the moment I arrived in 1960 and I only wish I would have moved here back then, instead of waiting almost 40 years to become a Florida resident.” And although Connie now has homes in both Coral Springs and West Palm Beach, she still travels the world performing her hits for fans. She’s very excited to step back on the Vegas stage May 21-23 with Dionne Warwick; performing some of their favorite songs. Connie, and Warwick, 69, famous for such mega hits as Do You Know the Way to San Jose?, and Don’t Make Me Over, will appear together for the first time at the Las Vegas Hilton in Eric Floyd’s Grand Diva’s of Stage. “Strangely enough, Dionne and I only met one time, about 45 years ago, and it was only for a couple seconds,” confesses Francis. “But it’s destiny that we are going to work together because we are both New Jersey Girls who attended the same Jersey High School, and we share the very same birthday… December 12. So I can’t wait for us to wow the crowds together later this month.”
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