Conn grew up in
San Antonio, Texas and was married with a baby by 18. In 1968, Conn was the entrant sponsored by
KONO-FM in a national talent show hosted by
Ed Ames and
Aretha Franklin titled ''Super Teen: The Sounds of '68''. After winning best male vocalist, Conn was given a recording contract with
Capitol Records as the prize. In 1969, under the name Danny O'Connor, Conn recorded four songs for Capitol, including "Imaginary Worlds" and "Ridin' Red Hood." In March of that year, Capitol released a 45 with the
singles "Can You Imagine" and "If I Am Not Free." Following a suicide attempt, Conn made her transition at age 23. She found it difficult to get subsequent work, and she only had one contact with her son in 1972 following the breakup of her marriage. In 1974, she published
Canary: The Story of a Transsexual. A paperback version of her memoir was released following an appearance on
The Merv Griffin Show. Conn also appeared on
Tomorrow and
The Phil Donahue Show. She later discontinued her media appearances and founded a small business. ==Publications==