Betcha By Golly Wow...

...it's Miss Connie Stevens! (August 8, 1938)

This whipped cream blonde began her career as a chirpy, standard-issue girl-next-door starlet; she first gained fame as "Cricket" on the popular television series Hawaiian Eye (1959-1962) and also had a long run as a pop singer. In fact, La Stevens recorded a fairly astonishing number of singles from the late 50's through the early 70's; except for "Sixteen Reasons" (1960) and her novelty duet with Edd Byrnes, "Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" (1959), none were particularly successful, but they just kept on a-comin'. In fact, Connie recorded the original version of the future Philly Soul classic, "Betcha By Golly Wow (Keep Going Strong)" -- and yes, dear hearts, it will be included on a future playlist. Betcha by golly wow can't wait.

Our first memory of Connie Stevens is watching re-runs of her sitcom, Wendy & Me (1964-1965), co-starring George Burns. Lord only knows why this obscure, short-lived relic was being syndicated during the 1980's -- maybe the program director of our local station was a Connie Stevens queen. Anyway, we remember being completely charmed by Connie's natural beauty, comic timing, and absolutely fabulous sequined caftans and elaborate bouffant twists. Her films of this period ran the gamut from big budget trash (1961's Susan Slade) to mid-level trash (1963's Palm Springs Weekend) to Grade C trash (1965's Two on a Guillotine). If our memory serves us correctly, Connie also warbled the theme song to the latter. We'll get back to you on that one.



By the 1970's, Connie had taken her act to Vegas, and belatedly began cultivating a "sexier" image (perhaps taking her cue from her fellow 60's-starlet-turned-70's-hot-mama, Angie Dickinson); this led to such trash classics as Scorchy (1973) and The Symbol (1974), for which we are forever grateful.





Connie continued to win a cult of fans in the 1980's, with her knowing, ironic cameos in Grease 2 (1982) and Back to the Beach (1987), but is probably best known today for her hugely successful Forever Spring skin care line, probably being hawked on a home shopping network near you as we type this.



For surviving and thriving for nearly 50 years in the cuthroat business called show, we bow in humble admiration. Happy Birthday, Concetta Rosalie Anna Ingoglia!