Post by Alice on Apr 8, 2013 11:33:21 GMT -8
Original Mousketeer and Beach Party star Annette Funicello has died. She was 70 years old.
Annette was one of the original Mousketeers, but she became an unexpected and very popular celebrity in her own right. She sang many songs, some of which were penned by the Sherman Bros (such as "Tall Paul"). Apart from the Mickey Mouse Club, she was slated to be featured in a Mouseketeer-studded Oz adaptation, The Rainbow Road to Oz. This would-be movie was announced by Walt Disney on television (along the Mousketeers), but it never came to be. Luckily, Annette had plenty of opportunities to star in actually-made Disney movies, such as The Misadventures of Merlin Jones and its sequel The Monkey's Uncle alongside Tommy Kirk, and Babes in Toyland with Ray Bolger, Tommy Sands, and Ed Wynn. She co-starred with Frankie Avalon in the 60s-defining Beach series.
Disney has long respected Annette. I can't remember the plot or the context, but in one episode of Darkwing Duck, DW and Launchpad were dropped on them and Launchpad exclaimed, "A net! And I don't mean Funicello!"
In 1992, Annette announced that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, although she admitted she had it for many years, and only announced her MS to combat rumors of her having trouble walking due to alcoholism.
By 2004 she lost her ability to walk. She lost her ability to speak in 2009, and by 2012 she required constant care in order to survive.
Apparently, she was in a coma prior to her death.
“She’s on her toes dancing in heaven… no more MS,” Funicello’s daughter Gina Gilardi said in a statement. “My brothers and I were there, holding her sweet hands when she left us.”
Annette Funicello was one of Disney's longest-standing celebrities. Despite MS giving her so much pain and suffering, she will be missed.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna listen to "How Will I Know My Love?" out of respect.
Sources:
xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/popcast/2013/04/08/original-mouseketeer-annette-funicello-dies-at-70/?cid=hero_media
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annette_Funicello
www.d23.com
