Annette Joanne Funicello (born October 22, 1942) is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 singer and actress. She was Walt Disney

Walt Disney

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...

's most popular cast member of the original Mickey Mouse Club

Mickey Mouse Club

The Mickey Mouse Club is an American variety television show that began in 1955, produced by Walt Disney Productions and televised by the ABC, featuring a regular but ever-changing cast of teenage performers. The Mickey Mouse Club was created by Walt Disney...

, and went on to appear in a series of beach party film

Beach Party film

Beach party movies were an American 1960s genre of feature films created by American International Pictures with their surprise 1963 hit, Beach Party, and copied by virtually every other studio...

s.
Annette Joanne Funicello was born in Utica, New York

Utica, New York

Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....

, to Italian-Americans Joseph and Virginia Funicello. Her family moved to Southern California

Southern California

Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

 when she was four years old.
Funicello took dancing and music lessons as a child to overcome shyness.