The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame debuted in 1986. Since then, it has become somewhat of a shrine to the performers, writers, musicians, producers, disc jockeys, etc. who have made rock and roll history by their collective talents and efforts. But like the Oscars. Emmys, Tonys and Grammys, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has fumbled the ball many times by snubbing artists who belong in the hall. Here, in 2025 with their announcement of this year’s inductees, most of which I have no problem with, they once again ignored one of the great rock and roll era performers of all time, as they have since 1986 and with no explanation why.

Yet Mariah Carey is a nominee for this year and she is NOT rock and roll and has no business even being a nominee when others more deserving get snubbed. For example, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Badfinger, J. Geils Band, Alice in Chains, Grand Funk Railroad  are just a few who are a hell of a lot more deserving of a nomination than Ms. Carey. I am not a happy camper and truly hope she does not get enough votes to be inducted. But money talks!

So, who is this performer that has been shut out since the very beginning and should been part of the very first group of inductees? I am speaking of the very first female rock and roll era star, Connie Francis.

If there is anyone who deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame it is Ms. Francis. She was not just a one hit wonder in the 50’s, she was a singer with record after record on the charts, best selling albums, TV appearances, movies, worldwide fame and a career that lasted all the way into the 1970’s. I began my radio career in 1954 and when rock and roll came along in 1956, and Connie Francis made her debut, the studio phones never stopped ringing with requests for Connie Francis. Even though there was Elvis, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, etc., the kids wanted to hear more and more from Connie. Granted her first couple of releases were not rock and roll per se, like the ballad “Who’s Sorry Now”, but there was no question she was making an impact. Teenage girls wanted to be like her, dress like her, wear their hair like her and they felt like she was a friend. Yes, her main appeal, in the beginning was more towards females, but once she began doing songs like “Stupid Cupid” and “Lipstick on Your Collar” the guys began joining in on the fandom for this tremendously talented singer, and studio phones kept ringing. Connie Francis was a major part of the growth of rock and roll in its early years and beyond, not only here in the U.S. but also as a major star worldwide.

Here is just a quick rundown of what this woman did at a time when the guys ruled the music charts in rock and roll. She had thirty-five sides reach the Billboard Top 40. Sixteen of those made the Top 10 and three topped that chart. In addition, between the 1950’s and 1970 she released over 40 LPs, many of them charting on Billboard. She provided the singing voices for actresses, including Jayne Mansfield, in three different films. Unlike any other rock and roll star, Ms. Francis recorded her songs in nine different languages and had her records hit the charts in the UK, Germany, Italy and France among others. She starred in several movies, did a number of TV specials, made numerous appearances on Ed Sullivan, amassed a number of gold and platinum records and continued performing into the 1970’s.

There is a lot more musically we could add, but I think you get the idea. This is one performer who has been snubbed and overlooked long enough. Ms. Francis is now 86 years young and deserves her place in the Hall, just as Cher finally got hers last year after being snubbed for so long. As someone who played the hell out of her hits on radio, I am appalled that Ms. Francis still sits outside the hall instead of inside where she deserves the seat of a legend, icon and the first female star of the rock and roll era. Connie Francis IS a Hall of Famer!

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AN