Shelley Fabares

Early life and career

Fabares was born in Santa Monica, California. She is the niece of actress Nanette Fabray. Fabares began acting at age three, and at age 10 made her television debut in an episode of Letter to Loretta. After guest-starring on various television series, Fabares landed the role of Mary Stone in the long-running family sitcom The Donna Reed Show.

Her national popularity led to a recording contract and two "Top 40" hits, including "Johnny Angel," which went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1962, and peaked at number 41 in the UK. It sold over one million copies and was certified gold.

Fabares left The Donna Reed Show in 1963 (she would return periodically until its end in 1966) to pursue a film career. She appeared in a number of motion pictures, including three Elvis Presley movies: Girl Happy (1965), Spinout (1966) and Clambake (1967), the most by any one actress. In two other 1960s movies, she played the love interest of Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits in Hold On! and of a young Hank Williams, Jr. in A Time to Sing.

The Donna Reed Show: (clockwise from bottom left) Paul Petersen, Donna Reed, Carl Betz
and Shelley Fabares, 1958

During the 1970s, Fabares appeared on several television series, including Love, American Style, The Rockford Files, The Interns, Mannix, The Practice, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Fantasy Island. In 1971, she starred along with Billy Dee Williams and James Caan in the successful television movie Brian's Song, the true story of terminally ill Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo. Caan played Piccolo, and she played his wife, Joy. In 1981, Fabares played Francine Webster on the CBS sitcom One Day at a Time, a role she reprised throughout the series' run.

In 1989, she won the role of Christine Armstrong Fox on the ABC sitcom Coach. For her work, Fabares was nominated twice for a Primetime Emmy Award, and in 1994, she was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for her role as Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show. After Coach ended in 1997, Fabares voiced the role of Martha "Ma" Kent on Superman: The Animated Series. She reprised the role twice, once for a 2003 episode of Justice League and again for the direct-to-video film Superman: Brainiac Attacks (2006).

Personal life

Fabares was a lifelong friend of Annette Funicello, whom she met in the seventh grade.

Marriages

Fabares married record and movie producer Lou Adler in June 1964, separated in 1966, and was divorced in 1980. In 1984, she married actor Mike Farrell, and is stepmother to his two children, Erin and Michael.

Health issues

In October 2000, Fabares received a life-saving liver transplant after being diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis.

Filmography

Discography

Studio albums

• Shelley! -- Colpix CP-426 (Mono)/SCP-426 (Stereo) -- #106, 7/62
• The Things We Did Last Summer—Colpix CP-431/SCP-431 -- #121, 10/62
• Teenage Triangle—Colpix CP-444/SCP-444 -- #48, 5/63

• Bye Bye Birdie—Colpix CP-454/SCP-454—1963

• More Teenage Triangle—Colpix CP-468/SCP-468—1964

Soundtrack songs

• "Spring Fever" (1965) w/Elvis Presley from the movie Girl Happy (The soundtrack album only features Elvis' vocals)
• "Make Me Happy" (March 1966) from the movie soundtrack of Hold On! MGM Records
• "Next Time I Say Goodbye I'm Leaving" (1968) from the movie soundtrack of A Time to Sing (Music From The Original Soundtrack) MCA Records– MCA-1458

Compilations

• Rare Items And Big Hits Colpix (1989)
• The Best of Shelley Fabares Rhino R2 71651—1994
• Shelley Fabares Johnny Angel Collectables #9931 July 2005
• Shelley Fabares Meets Paul Petersen Collectables Records July 2009
• Growing Up-The 1962 Recordings Jasmine 2014

Singles

Awards and nominations