Connie Stevens

Connie Stevens, born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingoglia on August 8, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, began her career in entertainment after co-forming the vocal group “The Three Debs.” Her early film roles included appearances in “Young and Dangerous” (1957), “Eighteen and Anxious” (1957), and “Dragstrip Riot” (1958). A significant turning point came in 1958 when Jerry Lewis cast her in his comedy “Rock-a-Bye Baby.” This led to a contract with Warner Bros. and her iconic role as Cricket Blake in the television detective series “Hawaiian Eye” from 1959 to 1963, establishing her as a teen idol. During her time on “Hawaiian Eye,” she also found musical success, with her single “Sixteen Reasons” reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960, and a duet with Edd Byrnes, “Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb),” charting at number 4.

Throughout the 1960s, Stevens continued to expand her acting portfolio with roles in films such as “Parrish” (1961), “Susan Slade” (1962), and “Palm Springs Weekend” (1963). She explored theatre, starring in the Broadway production of Neil Simon’s “The Star-Spangled Girl” in 1966, for which she received a Theatre World Award. Her career diversified further in the 1970s and 1980s, encompassing nightclub performances, USO tours with Bob Hope, and various television appearances. She starred in TV movies like “The Sex Symbol” (1974) and feature films including “Grease 2” (1982) and “Back to the Beach” (1987). Stevens’ career took an entrepreneurial turn in the 1990s as she launched her own successful skin-care and make-up product line, Forever Spring, becoming a self-made businesswoman.

Beyond her extensive acting and singing career, Stevens has taken on roles as a director and producer. She directed and wrote the feature film “Saving Grace B. Jones” (2009), drawing from her own childhood experiences. Her contributions to the entertainment industry and charitable endeavors have been recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and her election as secretary-treasurer of the Screen Actors Guild in 2005. She was also awarded the Founder’s Medal for Patriotism in 2013 for over 40 years of work with the USO. Despite suffering a stroke in 2016, she has made occasional film appearances, including “By the Rivers of Babylon” (2025) with her daughter Joely Fisher.