Burgess was another one of the original red team Mouseketeers that was handpicked by Walt Disney. While he was enjoying his newfound success, he wound up making appearances on other shows, such as The Lawrence Welk Show, and The Donna Reed Show. But after his contract with Disney was over, he decided to pursue his degree from Long Beach State University, where he pledged Sigma Pi and began dancing with his longtime friend, Barbara Boylan.
Today, Burgess lives in the Hollywood Hills with his wife of many years, Kristie Floren, with whom he had four children. The couple actually got introduced while working together on Lawrence Welk and hit it off right away. Burgess still loves to dance, and does so while teaching at his own studio, or touring with partner Elaine Balden.
Annette’s Debut on the Show
Annette Funicello was scouted out by none other than Walt Disney, himself. Walt found Annette when he watched her performance as the Swan Queen in a recital of Swan Lake, at a bowling alley in California. At 12 years old, she quickly began her rise to fame, racking up over 5,000 fan mail letters every month – more than any of the other cast members. In fact, Funicello can be described as the single most famous of Walt Disney’s Mouseketeers. Over the span of her 7-year contract with Disney, she appeared on several of the show’s episodes, along with some of her own specials.
Along with specials like her stint on Walt Disney Presents: Annette Funicello, she made her way into some other shows during her years with Disney, such as Zorro. Disney loved working with Annette so much that he cast her as Mary Contrary in his 1961 musical film, Babes in Toyland. A few years into her contract, she found herself in the ranks of teen idols, and became one of the most famous actresses of her generation. Unfortunately, Annette Funicello’s life would take a turn for the worse…
Annette’s Fatal Diagnosis
In 1987, Funicello starred in the last of her 7-film Beach Party series with costar Frankie Avalon. The final film was dubbed Back to the Beach. But when she and Avalon reunited for the film’s promotion, she seemed to be suffering from some type of illness. In fact, some people initially attributed the strange signs to alcoholism, but it turned out to be something much worse. In 1992, she ended up going public with the news that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
In the spring of 2013, the beloved Disney star lost her life to the disease. But fans weren’t willing to let her go so easily. Aside from Annette leaving her own legacy, in the form of the Annette Funicello Fund for Neurological Disorders, she also has a restaurant named for her in Disneyland Paris and will forever reign as a Legend of Disney.
Lonnie Burr’s Rise of Fame
Lonnie Burr was a member of the original cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. But being on the show wasn’t Burr’s first experience with life in the entertainment industry. In fact, he grew up in it, with Vaudeville star parents, “Dot and Dash,” showing him the ropes. When he was just five years old, he got his first paid job in the business.
He slowly but surely began to rack up more and more experience on all sorts of radio and television shows. His smooth dance moves combined with his husky voice earned him the nickname of “Velvet Smog,” and also played a hand in him dating costar Annette Funicello. After his teenage years, he went back to school and earned a master’s degree from UCLA.
What Lonnie Burr is Up to Now
After Burr pursued his degree in Theatre Arts, he returned to his career in the entertainment industry. He continued to act throughout his adult life, appearing on an array of television shows and in some films. Burr appeared in Newsies in 1992 and Police Academy: Mission to Moscow, in 1994. He also played a guest role in an episode of Murder She Wrote. Over his years in acting, Burr appeared in more the 25 movies alone.
Aside from his roles in film and television, he also maintained a pretty stable career on Broadway. When Lonnie wasn’t on the stage or on set, he was spending his time writing. He published a few fairly successful books, along with writing multiple articles for different publications, like The LA Times.