'Pretty Little Baby' singer's pal discusses her final days

Connie Francis’ friend Ron Roberts, who confirmed the news of her passing on Thursday, has opened up about her final days.

Speaking with People Magazine, Ron says, “We were expecting it.”

The Pretty Little Baby singer died at the age of 87 after being hospitalized for “extreme pain.”

Ron told the outlet, “unfortunately … they couldn't locate where the pain was exactly.”

He added that Connie thought it was some trouble with her hip that she’d been “having for some time.”

Ron Roberts, a former journalist and current president of the musician’s label Concetta Records, met Connie Francis in 1962 when he was working for the Daily Express. He said, “From that moment on we became friends for life.”

Sharing about the songstress’ final days, Ron said, “it's been two months of the most extreme high then the most extreme low,” adding that Connie admitted to feeling “absolutely terrible.”

He said, “She slipped away peacefully,” adding, “She was obviously in pain and she was very weak. She'd been in hospital a good week by that time. She was tired. [Having all the tests done] is debilitating.”

Acknowledging the fact that the songstress made headlines in recent month after her 1962 track Pretty Little Baby went viral on TikTok after 63 years of its release, Ron said, “That is the incredible story, I think: That she left this world as big a star [as she ever was].”

“There was no bigger-selling female on the planet at that time. In 1960, she had outsold every recording artist ... truly amazing,” Ron Roberts added of Connie Francis.