Grand Funk Railroad Rock and Roll Super Star, Connie Hamzy has died after a brief illness .

Arkansas rock and roll super star, Connie Hamzy has died after a brief illness .

Immortalized as a rock groupie in the 1973 number 1 hit “We’re an American Band” by Grand Funk Railroad, “Sweet Sweet Connie” Hamzy has died at 66. Rock on, Connie, rock on.

Hamzy was the subject in the opening verses of Grand Funk Railroad’s hit, “We’re An American Band,” which spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on Sept. 29, 1973.

“Out on the road for 40 days/Last night in Little Rock put me in a haze.

”Sweet, sweet Connie, doin’ her act/She had the whole show and that’s a natural fact,” sang drummer Don Brewer, who also wrote the song.

“I was determined to become a famous groupie,” Hamzy told KTHV in 2019. Action News reported 

It is often said that celebrity deaths come in threes and the last few days has produced as disparate a trio as possible. Don Everly lived a long and celebrated life and passing at 84, we should celebrate him and his contributions to music history.

I just came to a realization that Sweet Sweet Connie would have had to have been an underaged child when she was a groupie with Grand Funk Railroad. They wrote that song about her in 1973... so things would have had to happen before then...the whole thing is sad, cleverly disguised in a song that glamorized it. 

As for Phil Valentine and Connie Hamzy (Sweet, Sweet Connie/Little Rock Connie), their lives ended in their 60's and there will be debate as to their choices in life. It should be noted that Phil did issue regrets for his choices prior to passing away and he should be remembered as such. As for Connie, I am not aware of any regrets that she had and it would be fair to say that her's was a colorful life.

I met her while I was on tour in the 90’s. A sweet lady. I declined her kind offer.

I had not heard about Connie. What a woman. First time I met her was in the parking lot behind Barton Arena in Little Rock, though don't remember the show. Truly legendary.

I met Connie backstage at Barton Coliseum during a soundcheck when she was 18 or 19, already something of a legend from bands’ word of mouth (!!) and the Grand Funk song. She had been pursuing her vocation for a couple of years at that point and was cute and rambunctious. She was also egalitarian, offering her skills to a guy who was just in the opening act. After I declined her sincere invitation, we had a nice conversation sitting on a road case.

RIP Connie. It’s sad that you’re gone, but maybe now I can get that title.

Interesting that Phil Valentine said he had regrets. I remember him as a rock dj with WRBQ here in Nashville.

I met her at a party once. She had a stack of polaroids she carried with her rock star "conquests". Definitely a one-of-a-kind!

Connie is legendary, and LR won't be the same without her. I'll never forget my first time meeting her for sure. Rest well, Connie. You've earned your peace.

I have a older buddy who worked security at all the concerts back in the day. He said he was always amazed at how easily she got past security.