Annette Funicello

I was not prepared to live as a single parent.

— Annette Funicello

I've always found Mr. Disney to be somewhat of a shy person, a kid at heart

— Annette Funicello

Watching television in those days was not the same experience as it is today. After years of listening to radio, we found…

— Annette Funicello

Just learning that you have MS is such a devastating shock.

— Annette Funicello

Then, as now, the Disney studio buzzed with activity. You had a strong impression of being at the center of something very…

— Annette Funicello

My dear friend Jimmie Dodd was the heart and the soul of The Mickey Mouse Club.

— Annette Funicello

Of the many guests we welcomed to the Mickey Mouse Club, my absolute favorites were the Lennon Sisters.

— Annette Funicello

Dick Clark really didn't make rock 'n roll safe for America, as many people think.

— Annette Funicello

In 1993 my birthday present was a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

— Annette Funicello

To some, the '50s were a decade marked by the banal, the predictable.

— Annette Funicello

At the beginning of 1955 only about 60 percent of American homes had TVs.

— Annette Funicello

You don't have to pound your head after hearing a country song and wonder if you missed something.

— Annette Funicello

Mickey Mouse... is always there-he's part of my life. That really is something not everyone can call their claim to fame.

— Annette Funicello

The original Mickey Mouse Club, established in the '30s, was designed to attract children to movie theaters.

— Annette Funicello

Growing up in public is especially hard sometimes.

— Annette Funicello

The Lord has been with me throughout my life. He's never let me down.

— Annette Funicello

As I travel across the country speaking about MS, perhaps I can offer others comfort and hope.

— Annette Funicello

Of all the roles I've played, none has been as fulfilling as being a mother.

— Annette Funicello

As I grew older, I came to feel more responsible for any hardship or trouble my career caused my family.

— Annette Funicello

Animation did not become the dominant form of children's television until the '60s.

— Annette Funicello

When you are young and healthy, it never occurs to you that in a single second your whole life could change.

— Annette Funicello

Mr. Disney believed everyone was still a child deep inside.

— Annette Funicello

You have a deeper, wiser, loving self that you can always ask for help.

— Annette Funicello

Pain is a part of life...misery is an option.

— Annette Funicello

I still don't know precisely why The Mickey Mouse Club ended when it did.

— Annette Funicello