Connie Francis' friend tells PEOPLE about the final days before her death, saying she'd be 'smiling' knowing she 'left this world as big a star' as ever

C onnie Francis was a giant of 1950s and '60s sugary-sweet pop, notching more than a dozen hits. In the months leading up to her death, announced Thursday, she experienced one more in “Pretty Little Baby,” which has become a viral hit on TikTok six decades after its release.