Birth name Annette Joanne Funicello
Born October 22, 1942 (1942-10-22) (age 65)
Utica, New York, U.S.
Years active 1959–1995
Spouse(s) Jack Gilardi (1965–1981; Glen Holt (1986–present)
Annette Joanne Funicello (born October 22, 1942) is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular Mouseketeer, and went on to appear in a series of beach movies.

Contents [hide]
1 Biography and career
1.1 Early life and early stardom
2 Actress and singer
2.1 Beach icon and spokesperson
3 Personal
4 Positions in Billboard
5 Filmography
6 Television work
7 Book
8 References
9 External links



[edit] Biography and career

[edit] Early life and early stardom
Born in Utica, New York to an Italian-American family, she took dancing and music lessons as a child to try to overcome shyness. Her family had moved to southern California when she was four years old.[1]

In 1955, the 12-year-old was discovered by Walt Disney as she performed as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake at a dance recital in Burbank, California. On the basis of this appearance, Disney cast her as one of the original "Mouseketeers". She was the last of them to be selected, and the only one picked by Walt Disney. She soon proved to be quite popular. By the end of the first season of Mickey Mouse Club, she was receiving 6,000 letters a month, according to her Disney Legends biography.

In addition to appearing in many of the Mouseketeers' sketches and dance routines, Funicello starred or co-starred in a number of serials on The Mickey Mouse Club. These included Adventure in Da