Connie Francis Concetta Maria Franconero, December 12, 1937, born into an ItalianAmerican family, in an Italian neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. Frank Sinatra and Connie Francis were born on the same day 23 years apart, but they remain together as a part of NJ music history forever.

Growing up in an ItalianAmerican household, we celebrated two sacred "Trinities." One was "The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit," the other was "Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Tony Bennett." It seems their music was always playing somewhere in the ItalianAmerican community, The undisputed female counterpart to those guys was Connie Francis.

* The ItalianAmericans majority hailed largely from central and southern parts of Italy, where They settled in major urban centers like New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston and San Francisco. The rich musical heritage that the Italian immigrants brought with them has had a major impact on shaping United States musical culture as a whole; Italian Americans and Italian nationals who have played an important role in both classical and popular music in the United States. Enrico Caruso was a main attraction at American opera houses in the early twentieth century, paving the way for singers of Italian heritage born in the United States. Singing stars such as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Al Martino, Louis Prima, Vic Damone, Connie Francis, Dion Dimucci and Lou Monte (just to mention a few) have garnered millions of American fans for their easygoing vocal style and charisma, with their Italian heritage and influence came through their EnglishLanguage recordings. These are not just songs of ItalianAmerican crooners — it's an intimate account of ItalianAmerican life, a history of an enduring art form, a tribute to family, an evocation of the power of song, and a deeply personal reckoning with the music itself.

From Bon Jovi to Frank Sinatra, many of today’s millennials are unaware of the talent Italian Americans brought to the music industry. With a culture like no other, it’s no wonder why Italian Americans have made such an impact in the music scene through the years. Some of these artists almost gave up on their dreams, fought in the wars, fought on the streets, fought in the ring, and all risked everything they had to become the people they came to be. *

Italian American Golden Era

*** From my own cd and vinyl collection
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