Shelley Fabares

Shelley Fabares (born January 19, 1944) is an American actress and singer, primarily for her roles on movies, soap operas and television.

The naturally blonde-haired Fabares is best known for her roles as Donna Reed's daughter and oldest child, Mary Stone, on the long-running The Donna Reed Show (a role she played from 1958 to 1963), and as Craig T. Nelson's love interest and wife, Christine Armstrong Fox, on the long-running 1990s sitcom Coach.

Born Michele Ann Marie Fabares in Santa Monica, California, she is the niece of Nanette Fabray, who changed the spelling of her last name, though Shelley kept the original form.^[1] She got her big break in the role of the teenage daughter in the long-running television family sitcom, The Donna Reed Show. Her national popularity led to a recording contract and she had two "Top 40" hits including "Johnny Angel" that went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April of 1962. Fabares left the TV show for a career in film and starred in a number of motion pictures including three Elvis Presley movies: Girl Happy (1965), Spinout (1966) and Clambake (1967).

Fabares is Annette Funicello's best friend. Shelley and Annette have been friends since they were young teenagers, and Shelley was a bridesmaid at Annette's first wedding. Shelley also played herself in A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story. Fabares married Jan & Dean's record producer Lou Adler in June 1964 before separating in 1966. The couple would officially divorce many years later, in 1980.

In later years, she returned to television, most notably in the roles of Francine Webster on One Day at a Time and as Christine Armstrong Fox on the sitcom Coach. She has traveled extensively, speaking out and offering families support on behalf of the Alzheimer's Association.

She is married to actor Mike Farrell and is stepmother to his two children from a previous marriage. In October 2000, she received a life-saving liver transplant after being diagnosed with hepatitis. In early 2007, she joined her husband on a promotion tour for his autobiography.

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TV Work

• The Donna Reed Show (cast member from 1958-1963)
• The Twilight Zone - 1 January 1964 (Season 5, Episode 18)as Ellen Tillman in "Black Leather Jackets"
• Meet Me in St. Louis (1966) (unaired pilot)
• U.M.C. (1969)
• Brian's Song (1971)
• Two for the Money (1972)
• The Brian Keith Show (1972-1974)
• Sky Heist (1975)
• The Practice (1976-1977)
• Forever Fernwood (1977-1978)
• Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (cast member from 1977-1978)
• Pleasure Cove (1979)
• Donovan's Kid (1979)
• Highcliffe Manor (1979) (canceled after 4 episodes)
• Friendships, Secrets and Lies (1979)
• Gridlock (1980)
• Mork & Mindy (4 episodes 1980-1981)
• One Day at a Time (cast member from 1981-1984)
• Memorial Day (1983)
• The Canterville Ghost (1985)
• Run Till You Fall (1988)
• Coach (1989-1997)
• Deadly Relations (1993)
• The Great Mom Swap (1995)
• A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story (1995) (Cameo)
• Superman: The Last Son of Krypton (1996) (voice)
• Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)
• A Nightmare Come True (1997)
• Playing to Win: A Moment of Truth Movie (1998)

Filmography

• The Girl Rush (1955)
• Rock, Pretty Baby (1956)
• Never Say Goodbye (1956)
• The Bad Seed (1956)
• Summer Love (1958)
• Marjorie Morningstar (1958)
• Ride the Wild Surf (1964)
• Girl Happy (1965)
• Hold On! (1966)
• Spinout (1966)
• Clambake (1967)
• A Time to Sing (1968)
• Hot Pursuit (film) (1987)
• Love or Money (1990)
• Your Studio and You (1995) (short subject)

Discography

Albums

• Shelley! (1962) Produced by Stu Phillips, Colpix Records
• The Things We Did Last Summer (1962) Produced by Stu Phillips, Colpix Records
• Teenage Triangle (1963) Produced by Stu Phillips, Colpix Records
• Bye Bye Birdie (1963) Produced by Stu Phillips, Colpix Records (recorded with The Marcels, James Darren, & Paul Petersen)
• More Teenage Triangle (1964) Produced by Stu Phillips, Colpix Records
• The Best of Shelley Fabares (1994) on Rhino Records
• Shelley Fabares (1994) on Collectors Gold Vol. 47

Singles

• Colpix 620 "What Did They Do Before Rock 'n' Roll" b/w "Very Unlikely" (with Paul Peterson) (2/62)
• Colpix 621 "Johnny Angel" b/w "Where's It Gonna Get Me" (2/62) - Billboard #1
• Colpix 636 "Johnny Loves Me" b/w "I'm Growing Up" (5/62) - Billboard #21
• Colpix 654 "The Things We Did Last Summer" b/w "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (8/62) - Billboard #46
• Colpix 667 "Telephone (Won't You Ring)" b/w "Big Star" (12/62)
• Colpix 682 "Ronnie, Call Me When You Get a Chance" b/w "I Left a Note to Say Goodbye" (3/63) - Billboard #75
• Colpix 705 "Welcome Home" b/w "Billy Boy" (10/63)
• Colpix 721 "Football Season's Over" b/w "He Don't Love Me" (1/64)

• Vee-Jay VJ632 "I Know You'll Be There" b/w "Lost Summer Love" - The Fantastic Baggys play (uncredited) backing on Side One

• Dunhill D-4001 "My Prayer" b/w "Pretty Please" (10/65)
• Dunhill D-4041 "See Ya 'Round On The Rebound" b/w "Pretty Please" (8/66)

References

1. ^ http://www.geocities.com/shelleyfan/16mag.html Geocities.com