Return To 60’s Main Menu Recording Artists Of The 60s
CONNIE STEVENS
“SIXTEEN REASONS“
(Bill and Doree Post)
Warner Bros. 5137
No. 3 May 2, 1960
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She was born Concetta Rosalie Ann lngolia, in Brooklyn, on August 8, 1938. After dollin’ up Monroe-
style, platinum hair and all, and winning several talent contests, Concetta made a name change and a
number of brief TV appearances (“The Bob Cummings Show”, “Sugarfoot”). She also played innocent
roles in teen flicks like Young and Dangerous (1957), Rock-a-Bye-Baby (1958), and The Party
Crashers (1958).
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While under contract to Warner Bros. Studios, Connie was chosen to appear opposite “77 Sunset Strip”
star EDD BYRNES on “Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb),” his much-ballyhooed debut as a rock
and roll singer.” Like the TV series itself, “Kookie’ Byrne’s vinylventure was a winner.
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Hoping to score again, “77 Sunset Strip'”s executive producer and other studio operatives quickly
developed a TV series called “Hawaiian Eye”–according to Mike Bego of Modern Screen, an “island
version of ’77′” Connie played Cricket Blake opposite two ever-vigilant and virile detectives, Lopaka
(Robert Conrad) and Steele (Anthony Eisle). When not singingat the Hawaiian Village Hotel, Stevens
would sashay about as a table-to-table photographerand snoop.
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“Hawaiian Eye” ran from 1959 to 1963, and was a boob-tube hit. Like Edd Byrnes, Stevenswas offered a
shot at making a pop record. “Sirtteen Reasons” was not bad for her label debut–unlike the insipid
“Why Can’t He Care For Me,” a limited-release single she cut for ABC-Paramount in 1958. Four more
45s made the listings — “Too Young To Go Steady” (#71, 1960), “Why’d You Wanna Make Me Cry”
(#52, 1 962), “Mr. Songwriter” (#43, 1962), and “Now That You’ve Gone” (#53, 1965)–but by mid-
decade, Ms. Stevens’ recording career was almost history.
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Connie has voyaged frequently on “The Love Boat,” worked regularly on TV, and appearedin a number
of movies: Parrish (1961), Susan Slade (1961), Palm Springs Weekend (1963),Two on a Guillotine
(1965), Never Too Late (1965), Way Way Out (1966), The Grissom Gang(1971), The Sex Symbol (1974),
Scorchy (1976), and in 1987 Connie was back with Edd Byrnes in the Frankie and Annette comeback
Back to the Beach (1987); the following year the noted TV production of Bring Me The Head Of Dobie
Gillis.
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Sixteen years later, Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams– recording as those lovable brewery bimbos,
LaVerne & Shirley–recharted (#65, 1976) with their tender reading of Ms. Stevens’golden glory.
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Following Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor, Ms. Stevens was also crooner Eddie Fisher’s third
wife–for a moment.