Born in St. Louis, Frann was a child model and appeared in commercials for a local television station while she attended Nerinx Hall High School.

She went on to win the 1961 national title of America's Junior Miss and earned a college scholarship to study drama at Northwestern University.

[4][5] After a year, she dropped out of Northwestern and moved to Chicago where she co-hosted a morning show on an ABC affiliate.

[6] In 1964, Frann made her television debut in the Kraft Suspense Theatre episode "Once Upon a Savage Night", which was subsequently expanded into the TV movie Nightmare in Chicago.

In 1966, Frann made her feature film debut in the low-budget musical drama Nashville Rebel, starring Waylon Jennings.

[7] After receiving an offer to host another morning show, Frann realized she wanted to pursue a career as an actress rather than a broadcaster.

Shortly after her arrival, Frann won a role on the NBC crime drama series My Friend Tony.

In 1985, she co-starred in the TV movie Gidget's Summer Reunion,[14] and in 1988, she appeared in Dance 'til Dawn with Alyssa Milano, Christina Applegate and Kelsey Grammer.

[20] Her body was discovered by longtime boyfriend Jonathan Cookman, Jr.[13] An autopsy determined she died of a heart attack, and found myocardial scars suggesting earlier undiagnosed infarction.