ABOUT
Connie Stevens (b. August 8, 1938) is a veteran actress, director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor, businesswoman, and singer. Born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingoglia in Brooklyn, New York into a musical family, the effervescent TV and movie icon began her long career in show business at age 16 as a member of a vocal group known as The Three Debs. Her career both as an actress and a singer began taking off during the late 1950s when she co-starred and performed in such movies as the musical comedy, "Rock-A-Bye Baby" (1958). She became a star when she was cast in the role of Cricket Blake in the popular TV detective series, "Hawaiian Eye" (1959-1963). Her many TV roles also included several appearances on the hit series, "77 Sunset Strip," which co-starred Edd Byrnes.
Stevens made her debut in 1959 on the Pop/Rock charts with the mostly-spoken "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)." Performed with Edd Byrnes as a playful duet, this novelty song became a Top 5 hit and was included in Byrnes' album, "Kookie Star Of '77 Sunset Strip'" (1959). This smash was followed by "Apollo/Why Do I Cry For Joey" (1959) before Stevens had her biggest hit in 1960 with "Sixteen Reasons," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. She had several other hits through 1965 that included "Too Young To Go Steady" (1960), "Why'd You Wanna Make Me Cry" (1962), "Mr. Songwriter" (1962), and "Now That You've Gone" (1965).
As her popularity on the small screen continued to grow, she began concentrating mainly on acting beginning in the mid 1960s and has appeared in countless movies and TV shows to well into the 2000s. Her many projects also include Forever Spring, a cosmetic skin care product line she founded in the 1980s, and the Garden Sanctuary, a spa and boutique in Los Angeles she opened during the 1990s.
LINKS
- For more info on Connie Stevens and her current projects, visit conniestevens.com.
- Stevens describes her first meeting with Elvis Presley and shares fond memories of dating the King of Rock & Roll in an interview with David Adams on elvis.com.au (March 10, 2006).
SHOP EXCLUSIVE RECORDINGS FOR CONNIE STEVENS
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- Connie Stevens - CDs, vinyl, & more - Amazon.com
- Connie Stevens - Digital music - Amazon.com
- Connie Stevens - Rare vinyl, CDs, & more - MusicStack.com
SONGS
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Connie Stevens
- Sixteen Reasons 1960
(This song later also became a hit for LaVerne & Shirley (1976).)
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