Bye, bye Annette

Shelley Fabares and Annette Funicello
Shelley Fabares and Annette Funicello

Annette Funicello’s popularity as a Disney girl was so great that to this day all you have to say is “Annette” and everybody knows who you’re talking about. Sadly, the inevitable has happened and Multiple Sclerosis has claimed Annette.

Doreen Tracey, Annette Funicello, Shelley Fabares
Doreen Tracey, Annette Funicello, Shelley Fabares

I’m too young to have been an Annette fan in the original run of The Mickey Mouse Club, and when watching re-runs as a kid I was a Cheryl Holdridge fan, but I certainly appreciate why Annette was such a hit. Annette’s best friend forever is Shelley Fabares, who was also on the Disney payroll for a time.

SHELLEY FABARES, ANNETTE FUNICELLO

After she grew up, Annette was in the Beach Party movies for American International, of course, but she also returned to work for Disney, as seen here with the Beach Boys, singing a song by the Sherman brothers, who wrote the music for Mary Poppins. How great is that??

2 thoughts on “Bye, bye Annette”

  1. Tom and I are so sad, but Annette’s up in heaven now, singing and dancing again! I haven’t seen a tribute by Shelley yet, but I can just imagine how devastated she is.

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