Born in Utica, New York, American actress and singer Annette Joanne Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve, and rose to prominence as one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original Mickey Mouse Club.
As a teenager, Funicello transitioned to a successful career as a singer with the pop singles “O Dio Mio”, “Tall Paul” and “Pineapple Princess”, as well as establishing herself as a film actress, popularizing the successful Beach Party genre alongside co-star Frankie Avalon during the mid-1960s.
In 1992, Funicello announced that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She died of complications from the disease in 2013.
These rare photos that captured Funicello at Disneyland in 1955 and 1958. Take a look.
