After a slow career start, singer-actor Connie Francis became one of the top-charting female vocalists of the late 1950s and early '60s. On one hand, she enjoyed tremendous success; on the other, she endured immense tragedy including the violent death of her brother. In an interview, she said she wanted to be remembered for persevering through the worst times of her life.

She co-starred in the 1960 film "Where the Boys Are." To hear her sing the title song, you can go to this video or check out the 1978 disco version on the official Connie Francis YouTube channel.

The black and white photo in the thumbnail and chapters shows Francis in 1964. Credited to an unknown author, it's in the public domain and is available on Wikimedia Commons.

The color photo in the chapters is from 2011 and also in the public domain. Attributed to Davidatedenderivative work: TVJunkie, it's accessible here on Wikimedia Commons.

The art that frames two sides of the photo was created by Bob Jones.

Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 35 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

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This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Teen idol Bobby Sherman played the youngest brother, Jeremy Bolt, in the ABC series "Here Come the Brides" from September 25, 1968, to September 18, 1970. It didn't take long for him to become the network's most popular actor, judging from the stacks of fan mail he received every week.

During that time period, he also had a string of successful singles that included "Little Woman," a million seller.

In the chapters, you can see a photo of the "Here Comes the Brides" cast (clockwise from left: Sherman, Bridget Hanley, David Soul, Robert Brown, Joan Blondell). This shot, attributed to ABC Television, is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. View a larger version here or access it here.

You can go to YouTube to listen to Sherman sing "Little Woman."

Although he left show business in the 1970s for a career as a paramedic and deputy sheriff, Sherman did occasionally perform. He gave his last concert as a solo artist in August 2001.

As recently as the mid-2000s, he was ranked No. 8 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols," which appeared in the publication's January 23, 2005 issue.

The thumbnail for this episode shows Sherman in May 1969. This publicity photo, which also appears in the chapters, is attributed to Agency for the Performing Arts-APA (management). It's in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. You can see a larger version of it here or download a copy here.

The art that frames two sides of the photo was created by Bob Jones.

Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 35 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.

Singer-songwriter Lou Christie could have become a classical singer, his voice was that good. But his goal was to perform on "American Bandstand." He achieved that goal more than once. Here he is on that TV show performing his first hit, "The Gypsy Cried," which reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, along with "Have I Sinned," his latest release as of the episode's air date, Oct. 17, 1964.

Speaking of "American Bandstand," the show ran for more than three decades, and Dick Clark, its primary host and producer, played a major role in introducing rock and roll to Americans. His Wikipedia profile is a good indicator of his influence.

Anyway, back to Lou Christie, whose real name was Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco. After the success of "The Gypsy Cried," Christie served in the Army for two years. His absence from the spotlight didn't seem to hurt his career. Soon after he came back from the service, he recorded "Lightnin' Strikes," which went all the way to No. 1 on Feb. 19, 1966, Christie's 23rd birthday. Here, you can watch him sing his big hit on "The Midnight Special" in 1974.

The thumbnail photo is from April 1970 and shows Christie performing in the United Kingdom, where his song, "I'm Gonna Make You Mine," reached No. 2 a year earlier. The public domain photo is credited to the Evening Standard and is available on Wikimedia Commons. You can download a copy here.

The art that frames two sides of the photo was created by Bob Jones.

In the chapters, there's a color photo of Christie in 1966. It is credited to MGM Records and appeared in Billboard in June of that year. You can find this public domain photo on Wikimedia Commons. There's also a 1965 album cover in the chapters that's credited to MGM Records - joetroiano.wordpress.com. You can see it here.

Song of the Day creator Sheldon Zoldan researched, wrote and narrated this short story, one of 35 tributes to music stars who passed away in 2025. Song of the Day used to be a daily feature delivered to an email list of subscribers. Sheldon ended it in early 2026 which, I suppose, means that Song of the Day deserves a tribute of its own. The good thing is that the tributes to music makers live on. Each is a snapshot of the life of one music maker whose work made an impact on the lives of many.

Send us Fan Mail

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation®, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Audible.