My First Crush Dies At 70: Annette Funicello

From Wikipedia.


ANNETTE FUNICELLO (1942-2013)

I was listening to The Surf, 94.9 FM from North Myrtle Beach, SC, when I heard the news that Annette Funicello  had died after a long battle with MS at age 70.

I remember rushing home from school to see her and the other Mouseketeers on that Mickey Mouse Club TV show back in 1st to 3rd grades in Raleigh N.C..  I see the show lasted only from 1955 to 1959.  Somehow, I thought it went on for longer than that, but everything back at that young age seemed to last forever.  Well, it was on every day Monday to Friday, perhaps that is why it seemed to go on so long.

I mean, though, that was one really cute girl and she always looked right at me.

Then, we both graduated to those Beach Party movies with Frankie Avalon, the lucky dog.  Going out with my gal.

Some history.

Annette was the only Mouseketeer chosen by Walt Disney himself.  By the end of the first year, she was the most popular Mouseketeer and receiving 6,000 letters a month (though I don't remember ever writing her).

She had several big hits with songs, especially "Tall Paul" and "Pineapple Princess."  I was watching the video of "I'll Never Change Him" on one of the sites, and remembered why I liked her.

Then, there were the Beach Party movies:
Muscle Beach Party
Bikinia Beach
Beach Blanket Bikini
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini

There Goes a Part of My Childhood.  --RoadDog