Connie Francis died yesterday in Pompano Beach at the age of 87. She was the celebrity most associated with Fort Lauderdale; though she grew up in New Jersey, she made the city famous (long before Chris Evert) with the 1960 song, and movie, Where the Boys Are.
I saw her years ago at an event on the beach for one of the film’s anniversaries (the 50th perhaps?). I believe she sang the trademark song, but my most vivid memory is of the crowd that surrounded her as she somewhat shakily made her way back to her limo. She looked frail and overwhelmed. A man in the crowd shouted “We love you Connie!” and I remember being struck not just by the passion of his declaration but by his use of the first-person plural.
