Throwback Thursday Musical Showcase: Connie Francis Sings "Mamele" in Yiddish

Connie Francis (Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero) was born to an Italian-American family, the first child of George and Ida (née Ferrari-di Vito) Franconero, spending her first years in the Crown Heights, Brooklyn area (Utica Avenue/St. Marks Avenue) before the family moved to New Jersey.

Francis, who had grown up in an Italian-Jewish neighborhood in Newark, spoke Yiddish fluently and was familiar with songs in Hebrew, which prompted her to record the songs either entirely in Yiddish or Hebrew or bilingually, with a few lines sung in English.

In 1960 she released an album titled Connie Francis Sings Jewish Favorites, on which she sang a dozen songs in Yiddish and Hebrew, including My Yiddishe Momme, Sheyn vi di Levone, Mayn Shtetele Belz, and Oyfn Pripetshik.

Connie is now 85 years old, has a Facebook page, and is planning her 86th birthday party in South Florida in December.

In this 1960 clip from The Ed Sullivan Show, Connie Francis Sings Mamele (Mother Dear).  Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

 

  #Throwback Thursday    #TBT