Connie Stevens has come a long way as an actress and singer in a career that lasted for over 6 decades. The Brooklyn-born is notable for translating roles in Hawaiian Eye, Rock-A-Bye, and 77 Sunset Strip. Considering that she has enjoyed the fame that comes with a successful career, her love life has continued to draw attention to her private life. It turns out that the global entertainment icon has been married and divorced twice. Her first marriage with James Stacy lasted from 1963 to 1966. Following this, she got married to her second husband, Eddie Fisher whom she shares two children, Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher.
Aside from her publicized marriages, she has also been linked to men like Elvis Presley and Glenn Ford. Here is all we found out about her.
The 86-year-old was Born in Brooklyn to Parents who were Entertainers
Connie was born in Brooklyn but her story only gets interesting. Her real name is Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia and she was born on August 8, 1938, to the musician Peter Ingolia and Eleanor McGinley. Her father was a musician who went by the professional name Teddy Stevens, while her mother was a singer. Like her father, Connie also chose the name Stevens as her surname.
Aside from this, she is of Italian, Irish, German-Jewish, and Polish-Jewish ancestry.
Moving on, Connie’s parents divorced while she was still growing up. As a result, she grew up mostly with her father after they moved to Los Angeles.
Her mother got married to Ralph W. Megna. Through this marriage, she became the half-sister to the actor John Anthony Megna.
Connie Stevens Has Been Married Twice
Connie has been married to two men who were both entertainers. Besides, both marriages ended in a divorce.
She got married to her first husband, the actor James Stacy in 1963. Notably, they did not welcome any children before their divorce in 1966.
Shortly after her first marriage ended, Stevens walked down the aisle with Eddie Fisher on February 9, 1967. Like Connie, Eddie is also a creative who is into singing. Notably, they welcomed two daughters, Joely Fisher, and Tricia Leigh Fisher before they parted ways in 1969.
Connie Revealed She Once Dated Elvis Presley
According to a 2003 interview, the television star revealed that she dated Elvis Presley back in the day. Based on her account, he had called her while she was on the set of Hawaiin Eye. When she picked up the call, Elvis promised to pick her up from her house.
The event was quite shocking to the rising actress at the time but when it turned out to be true, they took things seriously by entertaining a romantic relationship. Though Elvis never said anything about the relationship, it is generally believed that it lasted for two years. Moreso, Connie revealed that her father chose Elvis among other suitors.
Other Details About Connie Steven’s Life That Will Blow Your Mind
1. She Witnessed a Murder when She was 12 Years Old
She had a traumatic experience at the age of 12 when she experienced a murder. As the story goes, the incident occurred at a bus stop in Brooklyn. Though she was lucky not to be a victim of such a gruesome crime, she suffered the long-term effects of it. In fact, her parents are said to have sent her to Missouri to stay with some family friends.
2. The Brooklyn-born Started her Acting Career in the Late 50s and has Appeared in Several Movies and TV shows
Considering that Connie went as far as moving to another state to pursue her entertainment dreams, it’s not surprising that she soon got involved in the industry in the late 50s. She is said to have appeared in two low-budget films in 1957; they are Young and Dangerous and Eighteen and Anxious. While these productions were described as teen dramas, they helped to launch her into acting.
Moving on, she has since appeared in many television shows and films. Many followers of shows like Hawaiian Eye and 77 Sunset Strip may remember her as one of the interesting actors who helped to unravel the storyline. Also, she has remained an active actress right through the 2010s. According to IMDB, her last credited role was as Geena in the 2016 movie, Search Engines. The source also credits her with a role in an upcoming work.
Connie Steven’s Selected Filmography
- Just Before I Go as Nancy-2014
- Double Duty as Irma-2009
- The Wedding Album-2006
- Wild Card as Queen Bea-2004
- Returning Mickey Stern as Dr. Eloise Vanderwild 2002
- Baywatch as Shelley Sands-1996
- Love is All There Is as Miss Deluca-1996
- The Sex Symbol-1974
- Two on a Guillotine-1965
- Palm Spring Weekend-1963
- Rock-A-Bye Baby-1958
3. Steven Began her Singing Career with the Foremost
According to available records, Connie’s singing career began with a group called The Foremost, but this was not the end of it. Over time, the group went through changes which eventually led to its becoming The Lettermen and then The Three Debs.
However, it was her solo career that drew attention to her talent as a singer. She released her first self-titled album, Concetta in 1958. As a singer, she has released hit singles like;
- Blame It on My Youth
- Looking for the Boy
- Sixteen Reasons
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4. She Welcomed Two Children
Connie is the mother of two daughters who are both actors and singers. She had them with her second husband, Eddie Fisher. She became a mother for the first to her oldest daughter, Joely Fisher on October 29, 1967. This was followed in less than a year when she had Tricia Leigh Fisher on December 26, 1968.
After Stevens and their father parted ways, Connie raised her daughters single-handedly.
From a young age, Stevens carried her children along. Soon enough, they also started performing on stage with their mother. Apart from this, both have made a name for themselves as actors in their own right. On her own Joely is notable for Ellen while Tricia is notable for the 1985 crime drama, Slick. Also, Connie is the grandmother to six children through her daughters.
5. She Is Often Compared to Connie Francis
For most of her life, Stevens has often been compared to another entertainer Connie Francis who coincidentally shares some similarities with her. Starting from their names, they are both of Italian origin and also share the birth name Concetta.
Though they are both from Brooklyn, each made her mark professionally. On her part, Connie Stevens was more successful as an actress while Connie Francis was more successful as a singer.
