Annette Funicello - Teen Idol - Star
Ranked #2,215 in Culture & Society, #50,976 overall
American Idol and Sweetheart - Annette Funicello
I grew up watching anything and everything Disney created, including The Mickey Mouse Club. I adored Annette. She was so pretty, could sing, dance and got to be with all the cute boys. Her story is truly a part of the American Dream! I hope you will enjoy a look into the life of Annette Funicello.
Graphics Credit: Graphics Plus ANNETTE FUNICELLO was born October 22, 1942 in Utica, New York, which later her family relocated in southern California. As a child, to overcome shyness, Annette took dancing and music lessons.
At the age of 12 (1955), Annette was performing in a dance recital of Swan Lake, when she was discovered by Walt Disney. Based on this appearance, she was cast an one of the original "Mouseketeers".
Annette appeared in many episodes (1955 to 1959) of the Mickey Mouse Club program, including: sketches and dance routines; several series such as Spin and Marty serials, The Further Adventures of Spin and Marty, and The New Adventures of Spin and Marty; as well as several Walt Disney Presents specials. After the Mickey Mouse Club, Annette went on to do several episodes in the Zorro series.
Top Stories
LATEST NEWS OF ANNETTE
FANS SPEAK OUT. THEY MISS HER!
Thought it would be fun to check out current new (12/2009 update) from fans. As many know, Annette is suffering from MS, however, is being cared for well.Fans Speak Out About Annette
Send Annette a card:
Annette Funicello
16102 Sandy Lane
Encino, CA
91316
USA
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Annette Funicello Foundation
Flames engulf Annette's LA home
Update March 11, 2011
The 68-year-old is best known for her years on 'The Mickey Mouse Club' and later as Frankie Avalon's bikini-clad co-star in a spate of beach movies in the early 1960s.
Read more: Annette - hospital
Annette Ok After Fire
The fire was put out in less than half an hour. Funicello, who is 68 and has multiple sclerosis, was at home at the time with her husband and nurse, the Associated Press quoted her ex-husband Jack Gilardi as saying. No one was seriously injured.
Continue Annette Ok After Fire
ANNETTE DISCOVERED
Annette Funicello was 13 years old when she was discovered by studio head Walt Disney dancing in an amateur production of Swan Lake in Fullerton, CA.
A DREAM IS A WISH YOUR HEART MAKES
Annette's Own Story
Annette first noticed her MS symptoms in l987 when she was making the movie Back to the Beach, a friendly spoof of her early sand-and-surf films that received both public and critical acclaim. In l989, Annette did a year-long concert tour to cheering crowds with Frankie Avalon, her long time friend and movie co-star. Annette resides in California with her second husband Glen Holt, a race horse breeder.
In l992, when rumors and gossip began to surface in the press after Annette's MS symptoms became increasingly pronounced, she decided to go public with her condition.
For more about Annette and MS go to MS
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS): the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. The damage caused by MS creates lesions or "scars" that can be seen on your brain and spinal cord. The process of developing lesions is called "sclerosis." So, MS actually means "many scars."
Credit: Understand MS
TEDDY BEARS TO HUG
Annette Funicellos's TEDDY BEARS
Annette has partnered with some of the world's most talented teddy bear artists to create these precious pieces exclusively for her company. Seriously ill with multiple sclerosis (MS), Annette donates a portion of the profits from the sale of her bears to MS research.
SONGS AND MOVIES
REMEMBER "TALL PAUL"
"Chalk on the sidewalk (chalk on the sidewalk)'nitials on a tree ('nitials on a tree)
Ev'rybody knows it (ev'rybody knows it)
Paul loves me"
SONGS AND FILM CREDITS
BEST OF ANNETTE
GREAT FINDS ON AMAZON
“Her fan mail (by the end of the first season) had ballooned to 6,000 letters a month.”
FEEDBACK FROM MY READERS
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AgingIntoDisability
May 13, 2012 @ 1:00 am | delete
- I watched the old Mickey Mouse Club just to see Annette. My mother got me interested in the show, and I got hooked too. Wish her all the best.
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sellhousefastusa
Apr 9, 2012 @ 7:07 pm | delete
- Wow...I also grew up watching her and the mickey mouse club brings me back - thanks for taking me back M I C K E Y M O U S E - I just sang it in my head :)
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davespeed
Mar 28, 2012 @ 9:21 pm | delete
- I remember watching Annette on The Mickey Mouse Club. If she appeared on the show from 1955 to 1959, the shows I watched must have been reruns. I was born in 1956 and watched the show in the 1960s. I didn't know about her recent house fire. I'm glad she's okay. Thanks for sharing this lens with us.
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MaxReily
Sep 2, 2011 @ 2:25 pm | delete
- I grew up watching Annette as a Mouseketeer, too. I think she was what every little girl wanted to be. Thanks for the memories! So nice of you to include an address for well wishers to send Annette a card. It's so sad for anyone to be stricken with MS. Beautiful lens!
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Cop-Speak Aug 2, 2011 @ 10:20 pm | delete
- I had such a crush on her when I was a teenager...
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WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE MOUSEKETEER?
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ANNETTE FUNICELLO STORY
A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes, My Story
Amazon Price: $61.96 (as of 05/27/2012)
An inspiring story about the career with fame that fell in her lap. She talks of her marriage, her thoughts of hearing about Walt Disney passing away, her diagnosis of MS and continue fight of the disease.
Baby Annette 50th Anniversary Tiny Tot
Disney Marie Osmond Baby Annette 50th Tiny Tot Doll
Amazon Price: (as of 05/27/2012)
Disney Marie Osmond Baby Annette 50th Tiny Tot Doll Marie Osmond Annette Funicello doll made in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Mickey Mouse Club. Dressed in a recreation of Annette's original Mouseketeer costume is "Baby Annette 50th Anniversary Tiny Tot". Discovered by Walt Disney himself, Annette quickly became the most beloved Mouseketeer from 1955 to 1959, and was affectionately known as "America's Sweetheart" in the 50s and 60s. From her pleated skirt and her white sweater top to her famous mouse ears and embroidered name, "Baby Annette 50th Anniversary Tiny Tot" reflects the nostalgia of an innocent and magical era. The "Baby Annette - 50th Anniversary Tiny Tot" is a collectible doll sculpted by Jo Ann Pohlman. She has been hand-crafted with the special attention to detail that is the hallmark of all Marie Osmond dolls. "Baby Annette - 50th Anniversary Tiny Tot" is hallmarked on the back of her neck with Marie's signature and is hand numbered. "Baby Annette - 50th Anniversary Tiny Tot" is approximately 5" tall, seated Porcelain Doll The Doll measures 5 seated Individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity Trademark Charm Bracelet The doll is brand new in original box.
