Connie Stevens (born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia; August 8, 1938) is an American actress and singer. Born in Brooklyn, New York City to musician parents, Stevens was raised there until age 12, when she was sent to live with family friends in rural

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

after she witnessed a murder in the city. In 1953, at age 15, Stevens relocated with her father to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

, California. She began her career in 1957, making her feature film debut in '' Young and Dangerous'', before releasing her debut album, ''Concetta'', the following year. She subsequently had a supporting role in the musical comedy '' Rock-A-Bye Baby'' (1958) opposite

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in pop culture, Lewis was nickn ...

, followed by the drama film '' The Party Crashers'' (also 1958) opposite Frances Farmer. Stevens gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of "Cricket" Blake on the network television series ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian partner, Tom Lopaka (Robert Con ...

'', beginning in 1959. She garnered concurrent musical success when her single " Sixteen Reasons" became a radio hit, peaking at number 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in 1960. Stevens continued to appear in film and television throughout the 1970s and 1980s, as well as performing as a musical nightclub act. Stevens' later film roles include in the comedy '' Tapeheads'' (1988) and the drama '' Love Is All There Is'' (1996). In 2009, Stevens made her directorial debut with the feature film ''

Saving Grace B. Jones ''Saving Grace B. Jones'' is an independent feature written, produced, and directed by Connie Stevens. The film made its world premiere in the Philadelphia Film Festival/Cinefest on March 28, 2009, and screened in the 18th annual St. Louis Internat ...

'', which she also wrote and produced, based partly on elements of her own childhood.

Early life

Stevens was born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia in the

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

borough of New York City, United States, the daughter of musician Peter Ingolia (known as Teddy Stevens) and singer Eleanor McGinley. Stevens is of Italian, Irish, German-Jewish and Polish-Jewish descent.Biography
tcm.com; accessed April 3, 2017. She adopted her father's

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

of Stevens as her own. Her parents divorced and she lived with her grandparents and attended

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

boarding schools. Actor John Megna was her half-brother. At the age of 12, she witnessed a murder while waiting at a bus stop in Brooklyn. The event traumatized Stevens, and she was sent to live with family friends in

Boonville, Missouri Boonville is a city and the county seat of Cooper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,964 at the 2020 census. The city was the site of a skirmish early in the Civil War, on July 17, 1861. Union forces defeated the Missouri Stat ...

. Coming from a musical family, Stevens joined the singing group called The Fourmost with Tony Butala, who went on to fame as founder of The Lettermen. Stevens moved to

with her father in 1953.

Career

Early films

Her first notable film role was in '' Young and Dangerous'' (1957) with Mark Damon, a low budget teen movie. She also was in '' Eighteen and Anxious'' (1957); and an episode of ''

The Bob Cummings Show ''The Bob Cummings Show'' (also known in reruns as ''Love That Bob'') is an American sitcom starring Bob Cummings, which was broadcast from January 2, 1955, to September 15, 1959. The program began with a half-season run on NBC, then ran for ...

'' ("Bob Goes Hillbilly"). In December 1957 Stevens signed a seven-year contract with Paramount starting at $600 a week going up to $1,500 a week.

saw her in '' Dragstrip Riot'' (1958), and cast her as his love interest in his 1958 production of '' Rock-A-Bye Baby'', giving Stevens her first big break. Stevens made another film with Damon, '' The Party Crashers'' (1958), before Paramount dropped her.

Warner Bros. and ''Hawaiian Eye''

Robert Conrad Connie Stevens Hawaiian Eye 1960

Robert Conrad Connie Stevens Hawaiian Eye 1961

James Garner Connie Stevens Maverick 1959

In May 1959, she signed a seven-year contract with Warner Bros. starting at $300 per week. Like many Warners contract players, Stevens was kept busy guest-starring on their regular TV shows such as '' The Ann Sothern Show'', '' Maverick'', ''

Tenderfoot Tenderfoot or The Tenderfoot may refer to: * Tenderfoot Scout, the second rank in Scouts BSA * A guest at a guest ranch, also known as a "dude" * "Tenderfoot", a song by Tom Morgan on the Lemonheads album ''Car Button Cloth'' * ''The Tenderfoot'' ...

'', ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was on ...

'' and ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian languages, Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized tribe, federally recognize ...

''. Stardom came when she was cast as Cricket Blake in the popular television detective series ''

'' from 1959 to 1963, a role that made her famous; her principal costar was

Robert Conrad Robert Conrad (born Conrad Robert Falk; March 1, 1935 – February 8, 2020) was an American film and television actor, singer, and stuntman. He is best known for his role in the 1965–1969 television series ''The Wild Wild West'', playin ...

. First televised on December 23, 1960, she appeared (uncredited) in "The Dresden Doll", Episode 15 of Season 3 of ''77 Sunset Strip'' as her character from ''Hawaiian Eye'', Cricket Blake. In a televised interview on August 26, 2003, on CNN's ''

Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles ...

'', Stevens recounted that while on the set of ''Hawaiian Eye'' she was told she had a telephone call from

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. "She didn't believe it, but in fact it was Elvis, who invited her to a party and said that he would come to her house and pick her up personally"; they subsequently dated.

Music career

Stevens' first album was titled ''Concetta'' (1958). She had minor single hits with the standards "Blame It on My Youth" (music by

Oscar Levant Oscar Levant (December 27, 1906August 14, 1972) was an American concert pianist, composer, conductor, author, radio game show panelist, television talk show host, comedian and actor. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for reco ...

and lyrics by

Edward Heyman Edward Heyman (March 14, 1907October 16, 1981) was an American lyricist and producer, best known for his lyrics to " Body and Soul," " When I Fall in Love," and " For Sentimental Reasons." He also contributed to a number of songs for films. Bi ...

), "Looking for a Boy" (music by

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

and lyrics by

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the ...

), and "

Spring Is Here "Spring is Here" is a 1938 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the musical '' I Married an Angel'' (1938), where it was introduced by Dennis King and Vivienne Segal. Rodgers and Hart had previously writte ...

" (music by

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most well-known American ...

and lyrics by

Lorenz Hart Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include " Blue Moon", " The Lady Is a Tramp", "Manhattan", " Bewitched, ...

). She appeared opposite

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including '' The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's ''The Ameri ...

in a comedy episode of the TV

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

series '' Maverick'' titled "Two Tickets to Ten Strike," and after making several appearances on the Warner Bros. hit TV series ''

'', she recorded the hit novelty song " Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)" (1959), a duet with one of the stars of the program, Edd Byrnes, that reached #4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She and Byrnes also appeared together on ABC's '' The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom''. She had hit singles as a solo artist with " Sixteen Reasons" (1960), her biggest hit, reaching #3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, (#9 in the UK) and a minor #71 hit "Too Young to Go Steady" (1960) (music by

Jimmy McHugh James Francis McHugh (July 10, 1894 – May 23, 1969) was an American composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he is credited with over 500 songs. His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, J ...

and lyrics by

Harold Adamson Harold Campbell Adamson (December 10, 1906 – August 17, 1980) was an American lyricist during the 1930s and 1940s. Early life Adamson, the son of building contractor Harold Adamson and Marion "Minnie" Campbell Adamson, was born and raised i ...

). Other single releases were "Apollo","Why'd You Wanna Make Me Cry?", "Something Beautiful," "Mr. Songwriter," "Now That You've Gone," "

La-La (Means I Love You) "La-La (Means I Love You)" is an R&B/soul song by American vocal group The Delfonics. Released on January 26, 1968, by Philly Groove Records, the song was written by Thom Bell and William Hart, and produced by Bell and Stan Watson. Background Th ...

" (originally performed by The Delfonics), and "Keep Growing Strong" (which was remade by the

Stylistics Stylistics, a branch of applied linguistics, is the study and interpretation of texts of all types and/or spoken language in regard to their linguistic and tonal style, where style is the particular variety of language used by different individu ...

under the title " Betcha by Golly, Wow").

Film stardom and theatre

Stevens' popularity on the small screen and as a recording star encouraged Warner Bros. to try her in films. She starred in three films for the studio, all opposite Troy Donahue: ''

Parrish Parrish may refer to: Places in the United States * Parrish, Alabama * Parrish, Florida * Parrish, Illinois, a town destroyed in 1925 by the infamous Tri-State Tornado * Parrish, Wisconsin, a town * Parrish (community), Wisconsin, an unincorp ...

'' (1961), as a rural girl; ''

Susan Slade ''Susan Slade'' is a 1961 American Technicolor drama film directed by Delmer Daves and starring Troy Donahue, Connie Stevens, Dorothy McGuire and Lloyd Nolan. Based upon the 1961 novel ''The Sin of Susan Slade'' by Doris Hume, concerns a well-t ...

'' (1962), playing the title role, an unwed mother; and ''

Palm Springs Weekend ''Palm Springs Weekend'' is a 1963 Warner Bros. bedroom comedy film directed by Norman Taurog. It has elements of the beach party genre (AIP's ''Beach Party'' became a smash hit in July, while Warner Bros. was still putting this film together) ...

'' (1963), a teen romantic comedy. In 1962 Warner Bros. suspended her briefly for refusing to go on a publicity tour. She performed in ''Wizard of Oz'' on stage in Kansas. When ''Hawaiian Eye'' ended Stevens guest-starred on ''

Temple Houston Temple Lea Houston (August 12, 1860 – August 15, 1905) was an American attorney and politician who served from 1885 to 1889 in the Texas State Senate. He was the last-born child of Margaret Lea Houston and Sam Houston, the first elected presi ...

'' and '' The Red Skelton Show''. She played the lead in the horror film ''

Two on a Guillotine ''Two on a Guillotine'' is a 1965 American horror film produced and directed by William Conrad and starring Connie Stevens. The screenplay by John Kneubuhl and Henry Slesar is based on a story by Slesar. The movie would be the first in a series o ...

'' (1965), for Warners. Stevens later starred as Wendy Conway in the television sitcom '' Wendy and Me'' (1964–1965) with George Burns, who also produced the show with Warner Bros. and played an older man who watched Wendy's exploits upstairs on the TV in his apartment. She had a percentage of the show, and had three and a half years left on her contract with Warners. She said "I've done the teenage epics... and want to move up into something like ''

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born ...

'' or '' Any Wednesday''. I want to be a big star but do I have to throw tantrums and behave badly to get there? Can't I just be talented and work hard and be happily married?" Stevens had the juvenile lead in '' Never Too Late'' (1965), released by Warner Bros. She signed a new contract with Warner Bros. to make one film a year for six years. She reprised her stage performance of ''Wizard of Oz'' at Carousel Theatre, California, then followed it with ''Any Wednesday'', at Melodyland, Anaheim California. Stevens was reunited with Lewis in '' Way... Way Out'' (1966).

Broadway and nightclubs

Stevens in 1966 starred in the Broadway production of

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...

's '' The Star-Spangled Girl'' with

Anthony Perkins Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor, director, and singer. Perkins is best remembered for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's suspense thriller ''Psycho'', which made him an influential ...

and

Richard Benjamin Richard Samuel Benjamin (born May 22, 1938) is an American actor and film director. He has starred in a number of well-known film productions, including '' Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), based on the novella by Philip Roth; ''Catch-22'' (1970), f ...

. While she continued to appear in television series such as '' ABC Stage 67'', ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians D ...

'', and '' Love, American Style'', Stevens enjoyed performing live, so in 1968 she also began appearing regularly in nightclubs in Las Vegas, where her shows were well received by both audiences and entertainment critics.

TV movies

Stevens had a small role in a TV movie ''

The Littlest Angel ''The Littlest Angel'' is an American children's book by Charles Tazewell. It was first published in 1946, illustrated by Katherine Evans. It was reissued with different illustrators in 1962 and 1991. All the versions were published by Children's ...

'' (1969). She made ''

Mister Jerico ''Mister Jerico'' is a 1970 British crime comedy film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring Patrick Macnee. Originally made for TV, it was released theatrically in the U.K. and some other territories. Smooth conman Dudley Jerico plots to relieve ...

'' (1970) for British TV and had a supporting role in '' The Grissom Gang'' (1971). Stevens starred in the TV movies '' Call Her Mom'' (1972), '' Playmates'' (1972), ''

Every Man Needs One ''Every Man Needs One'' is a 1972 made-for-television romantic comedy film. It was first shown December 13, 1972, on ABC as an ABC Movie of the Week.TV Guide, North Carolina Edition, December 9–15, 1972, pg A-64 Some of the film was filmed on l ...

'' (1972), and ''

The Sex Symbol ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'' (1974). She turned down the Valerie Perrine role in '' Lenny'' because of its nudity. She had the lead in a feature '' Scorchy'' (1976). In the 1970s, Stevens started singing the ''Ace Is the Place'' theme song on Ace Hardware TV commercials in Southern California, and was a guest on ''

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast ''The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast'' is a series of television specials hosted by entertainer Dean Martin and airing from 1974 to 1984. For a series of 54 specials and shows, Martin and his friends would " roast" a celebrity. The roasts were patte ...

'' a few times. In the spring of 1977, Stevens appeared in a first-season episode of ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two television pilot, pilot episodes produced by Henson for American Broadcasting Company, ABC in 1974 and 1975. ...

''.

1980s

She was in ''

Love's Savage Fury ''Love's Savage Fury'' is a 1979 American TV film. Plot In the American Civil War, a Southern belle survives a Union prison. Cast *Jennifer O'Neill *Raymond Burr *Perry King *Robert Reed *Connie Stevens *Ed Lauter Production Jaclyn Smith was me ...

'' (1979), '' Murder Can Hurt You!'' (1980), ''

Scruples Conscience is a cognitive process that elicits emotion and rational associations based on an individual's moral philosophy or value system. Conscience stands in contrast to elicited emotion or thought due to associations based on immediate sens ...

'' (1980), '' Aloha Paradise'', ''Side Show'' (1981), '' Harry's Battles'' (1981), and '' Grease 2'' (1982). Stevens guest starred on ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo ...

'', ''The Love Boat'', ''Hotel'', ''

Detective in the House Detective in the House is an American procedural drama television series that aired on CBS on Friday nights from March 15, 1985 to April 19, 1985. This series was a midseason replacement for '' The Dukes of Hazzard''. Premise Press Wyman, a suc ...

'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The ser ...

'' and ''Tales from the Darkside''. She had supporting roles in '' Rowdies'' (1986), '' Back to the Beach'' (1987), '' Tapeheads'' (1988), and '' Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis'' (1988). She also was seen numerous times on the

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

USO specials, including his Christmas Show from the Persian Gulf (1988). In 1988, Stevens said "I still want to make movies with Marlon Brando. But first I've got to get hot. That's what I'm trying to do - get hot. I'm still waiting for the big role. I haven't peaked yet." She elaborated:

I'm a big star all over the world except in Hollywood. I play (nightclubs in) Japan and Hong Kong every Christmas and New Year's... I don't have a hit TV show, I don't have a hit record, I don't have a hit movie, but I created something that people still love. I invented Cricket. There was barely a part written for me. Half the time, I said whatever I wanted. I was everybody's daughter. I was every boy's fantasy girlfriend. Girls wanted to be like me. That good feeling still exists. That's why I'm a big business, with 17 people working for me. I may not be the richest woman in the world, but I do okay. But Hollywood is a different story... There's something wrong when an actress can come off a 'Dynasty' or a 'Falcon Crest' and get a production deal (to star in a mini-series or TV movie) and I can't.

Stevens had a regular role on the sitcom ''

Starting from Scratch Start can refer to multiple topics: *Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air *Starting lineup in sports *Standing start, and rolling start, in an auto race Acronyms *Str ...

'' (1988). She said at the time, "TV is not my favorite medium; the work is hard, you don't have any life, and I feel like I've already been a champion in it, but the economics of the business is you need momentum to get hot. I'm using this to get me into movies." The show only lasted one season.

1990s onwards

Stevens’ later appearances include ''Ellen'', '' Love Is All There Is'', ''Baywatch'', ''Clueless'', '' James Dean: Race with Destiny'' (1997), ''

Returning Mickey Stern ''Returning Mickey Stern'' is a 2002 comedy film written and directed by Michael Prywes. It stars Joseph Bologna, Tom Bosley, Renée Taylor, Connie Stevens, and Joshua Fishbein and was shot almost entirely on Fire Island, off the coast of Long I ...

'', ''Titus'', ''Wild Card'', ''

8 Simple Rules ''8 Simple Rules'' (originally ''8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter'') is an American sitcom television series originally starring John Ritter and Katey Sagal as middle-class parents Paul and Cate Hennessy, raising their three ch ...

'', '' Fat Actress'', ''

The Wedding Album The Wedding Album may refer to: * '' Wedding Album'', a 1969 album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono * ''Wedding Album'' (Leon and Mary Russell album), 1976 * ''Duran Duran'' (1993 album), also known as ''The Wedding Album'' * ''The Wedding Album'' (T ...

''. In 1997, Stevens wrote, edited, and directed a documentary entitled ''

A Healing A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''ae ...

'', about

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

nurses who served during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. The following year it won the title of Best Film at the Santa Clarita International Film Festival. She also co-wrote and directed the thriller ''

'' (2009); it was shot in Boonville and is based on true events that Steven's witnessed there, as a child. She also was in '' Double Duty'' (2009), '' Just Before I Go'' (2014), and ''

Search Engines A search engine is a software system designed to carry out web searches. They search the World Wide Web in a systematic way for particular information specified in a textual web search query. The search results are generally presented in a l ...

'' (2016), co-starring daughter Joely Fisher.

Other projects

In 1969, Stevens toured with the Bob Hope USO tour to Guam and Southeast Asia. In 1987, she,

Barbara Eden Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and producer best known for her starring role as Jeannie in the sitcom ''I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965-1970). Other notable roles include Roslyn Pierce oppo ...

and

Lee Greenwood Melvin Lee Greenwood (born October 27, 1942) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He also plays the saxophone. Active since 1962, he has released more than 20 major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the '' Billbo ...

toured with Bob Hope on his USO tour to the Persian Gulf. Among her charitable works, she founded the Windfeather project to award scholarships to Native Americans, and supports CancerGroup.com. In 1991 Stevens received the Lady of Humanities Award from Shriners Hospital and the Humanitarian of the Year Award by the Sons of Italy in Washington, D.C. Stevens developed her own cosmetic skin care product line, Forever Spring, and in the 1990s opened the Connie Stevens Garden Sanctuary Day Spa in Los Angeles. In 1994, accompanied by her two daughters, she issued her first recording in several years, ''Tradition: A Family at Christmas,'' She made

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

appearances and headlined in major

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...

showrooms.

Awards and recognition

Stevens has a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by la ...

, a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

at 6249 Hollywood Boulevard in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a metonymy, shorthand reference for the Cinema of the United States, U.S. film industry and the people associated with i ...

, and a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. On September 23, 2005, Stevens was elected secretary-treasurer of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

, the union's second-highest elected position. She succeeded

James Cromwell James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940) is an American actor and activist. Some of his best-known films include '' Babe'' (1995), '' Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), '' L.A. Confidential'' (1997), '' The Green Mile'' (1999), '' The Queen ...

, who did not seek re-election. On June 29, 2013, the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution's President General, Merry Ann Wright, presented Stevens with the Founder's Medal for Patriotism, for her 40+ years of work with the USO.

Personal life

Connie Stevens at 2007 SAG Foundation Awards

Stevens dated actor Glenn Ford in the early 1960s. Stevens was married twice during her twenties: her first husband was actor James Stacy from 1963 until their 1966 divorce, and her second husband was singer Eddie Fisher from 1967 until their 1969 divorce. She is the mother of actresses Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher, and the former stepmother of Todd Fisher and late actress

Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983). She reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last ...

Discography

Filmography

Films

Television

* ''

'' (1958) * '' The Ann Sothern Show'' (1958) * ''

'' (1958–1960) * ''

'' (1959) * ''

'' (1959–1963) * '' Maverick'' (1959) * '' Wendy and Me'' (1964–1965) * ''The Littlest Angel'' (1969) * '' Love American Style'' – Episode: "Love and the Legal Agreement" (1969) * ''

'' (1970) * '' Kraft Music Hall Presents The Des O'Connor Show'' (1970-71) * ''Call Her Mom'' (1972) * '' Playmates'' (1972) * ''

'' (1972) * ''The Sex Symbol'' (1974) * ''

'' (Episode 102) (1976) * ''

'' (1979) * ''

'' (1980) (miniseries) * '' Murder Can Hurt You'' (1980) * ''Side Show'' (1981) * ''

'' – Season 5 Episode 5: "Show Me A Hero" (1982) * '' The Love Boat'' – Episode: "Same Wavelength" (1982) * ''

'' – Season 6 Episode 19: "The Beautiful Skeptic" (1982) * ''

'' – Episode: "Murder Digs Deep" (1985) * '' Tales from the Darkside'' – Episode: "Unhappy Medium" (1986) * ''Starting from Scratch'' (1988–1989) * ''Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis'' (1988) * ''

'' – Episode: "The Big Show of 1965" (1990) * '' Baywatch'' – Episode: - "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1996) * ''James Dean: Race with Destiny'' (1997) * ''

Becoming Dick ''Becoming Dick'' is a 2000 comedy movie-made-for-television starring Harland Williams and directed by Bob Saget. Plot Richard Breggs (Harland Williams) is a struggling actor living in an apartment with his girlfriend. After a conversation with ...

'' (2000) * ''

'' – Episode: "Daddy's Girl" (2004) * '' Fat Actress'' – Episode: "Crack for Good" (2005)

References

External links

Fisher·Stevens Beauty (formerly Forever Spring)
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Connie 1938 births Living people Actresses from California Actresses from New York City American entertainment industry businesspeople American women pop singers American film actresses American women film directors American writers of Italian descent American stage actresses American people of Irish descent American television actresses Bell Records artists California Republicans Actresses from Beverly Hills, California Musicians from Brooklyn American women screenwriters 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Film directors from California Warner Bros. contract players American people of Polish-Jewish descent American people of German-Jewish descent Film directors from New York (state) Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from California American film directors of Italian descent United Service Organizations entertainers