October 1, 1955 – Mickey Mouse Appears on the Cover of TV Guide
“Mickey And His Club”
On October 1, 1955, to promote the new show Mickey Mouse Club, a picture of Mickey in his bandleader outfit, along with some snapshots from the show, graced the cover of TV Guide. The guide covered the week of October 1 – October 7. The show was scheduled to premiere that week on October 3rd on ABC.
April 24, 1989 – The Serial Teen Angel Premieres on the Mickey Mouse Club
On April 24, 1989, the serial Teen Angel premiered on the 1989 reboot of the Mickey Mouse Club. Similar to the serials of the original program (such as Annette and Spin and Marty), this was a limited serial that aired only twelve episodes. It told the story of Buzz Gunderson, who had been killed in a car crash in 1959 and brought back as a guardian angel. Buzz is tasked to help hapless Dennis Mullen through various tasks that, when completed, will allow him to get into heaven. The series starred Jason Priestly as Buzz, Adam Biesk as Dennis Mullen, and Renee O’Connor as Nancy Nichols. The series was popular enough to warrant a sequel serial called Teen Angel Returns.
January 9, 1977 – The New Mousketeers Perform at Super Bowl XI
“Ladies and gentlemen, the entire audience of Super Bowl XI presents from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, a greeting to the world of peace, joy, and love.”
On January 9, 1977, Super Bowl XI was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. This halftime show was produced by Disney, and was used to promote the revamp of the Mickey Mouse Club by featuring the New Mousketeers performing alongside the LAUSD All-City Band. The presentation centered around the theme of the it’s a small world attraction, including the themes of “peace, joy, and love.” For the first time in a halftime show, the audience of the game was invited to participate through the waving of colored placards.
November 23, 1993 – The Final Album by The Party is Released Through Hollywood Records
On November 23, 1993, the farewell album by the pop group The Party, titled The Party’s Over…Thanks for Coming, was released through Hollywood Records. The band was comprised of five members of the Mickey Mouse Club: Albert Fields, Tiffini Hale, Chase Hampton, Deedee Magno, and Damon Pampolina; they had released three albums up to this point to lukewarm sales. This farewell album was a compilation of outtakes from the recording sessions for the Free album, as well as songs that had been previously recorded yet unreleased.
September 17, 1991 – In the Meantime, In Between Time is Released by The Party
“In my dream it’s still the same, your love is strong, it still remains.”
On September 17, 1991, the second album by the pop group The Party, titled In the Meantime, In Between Time, was released through a joint production between Hollywood Records and Elektra Records. The group was formed by Disney, featuring five members of the 1989 revival of the Mickey Mouse Club (also known as the MMC): Albert Fields, Tiffini Hale, Chase Hampton, Deedee Magno Hall, and Damon Pampolina. The album fared better than its self-titled predecessor, peaking at number 77 on the Billboard chart. Two singles were released to promote the album: “In My Dreams,” and “Private Affair;” the former was a cover by the heavy metal band Dokken, and peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 8, 2017 – The Digital Series Club Mickey Mouse Premieres
“Tell me who’s the original, I mean everything literal, only one individual, the greatest ever, did you know?”
On September 8, 2017, the newest incarnation of the Mickey Mouse Club, known as Club Mickey Mouse, premiered as a digital series on the social media platforms Instagram and Facebook. The Mouseketeers create their own music and stories, which feature modern choreography and musical styles, as they navigate through friendships and life. The new cast of Mouseketeers feature Regan Aliyah, Jenna Alvarez, Ky Baldwin, Gabe De Guzman, Leanne Tessa Langston, Brianna Mazzola, Sean Oliu, and Will Simmons.
March 28, 1910 – Host of The Mickey Mouse Club and Disney Legend Jimmie Dodd is Born
“Why? Because we like you!”
On March 28, 1910, Jimmie Dodd was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Gifted with musical talent, Dodd attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville before attending the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the Schouster-Martin School of Dramatics. He supported himself with various music gigs, starting with performing for a radio show in St. Petersburg, Florida. While unable to fight during World War II due to a heart condition, Dodd made his contribution to the war effort through performances with the USO along with wife, dancer Ruth Carroll. It was during his USO stint that he met Jinx Falkenburg, who was instrumental in giving Dodd his first television appearance on Arthur Godfrey’s program; he later appeared on Falkenburg’s own program. Dodd’s career with Disney began in the 1950s, when he was asked by old friend Bill Justice to help compose a song for Disney’s television program. Walt was so impressed with Dodd’s song that he hired Dodd to be the MC for a new children’s program: The Mickey Mouse Club. Dodd not only performed on the show, but wrote several songs for it, including the “Mickey Mouse Club March.” Dodd stayed with the show until its cancellation in 1959, and then accompanied several cast members on a Mickey Mouse Club tour of Australia. On November 10, 1964, Dodd passed away in Honolulu, Hawaii. For his work with The Mickey Mouse Club, Dodd was honored as a Disney Legend in 1992.
August 31, 1990 – The Party Releases Eponymous Debut Album
“Gotta break away from this day to day, gotta get away, on this summer vacation.”
On August 31, 1990, the eponymous debut album of pop recording group The Party was released through Hollywood Records; it was one of the label’s first releases since its formation in 1989. The Party featured Mickey Mouse Club members Albert Fields, Chase Hampton, Deedee Magno Hall, Damon Pampolina, and Tiffini Hale. The album featured three singles: “Summer Vacation,” “I Found Love,” and “That’s Why.” Overall, the album peaked at #116 on the Billboard 200.
August 25, 1992 – The Album Free by Mickey Mouse Club Band The Party is Released
“I wanna be free to do whatever I want to, free like a bird in the sky.”
On August 25, 1992, the second studio album by the band The Party was released through Hollywood and Elektra Records. The band was comprised of five members of the Mickey Mouse Club: Albert Fields, Tiffini Hale, Chase Hampton, Deedee Magno, and Damon Pampolina. The album, named Free, had the band working with the likes of record producer Teddy Riley, Dr. Dre, and E-Smooth. The album was more mature in sound and lyrics than the first album, and had two singles: “Free” and “All About Love.” The band promoted the album alongside the band Color Me Badd, as well as on an episode of the hit show Blossom. The album was not as successful as its predecessor, and the group would disband in 1993.
December 31, 1940 – Actor and Disney Legend Tim Considine is Born
“[Spin and Marty] was great for us because usually, when you’re a kid actor, you work on a dark soundstage, and here we were out in the sun playing with horses and friends…it was almost like not working other than the fact that every once in a while we had to stop playing to make a movie.”
On December 31, 1940, Timothy Daniel Considine was born in Los Angeles, California, to a family steeped in the performing arts. His first role was in the 1953 film The Clown playing Red Skelton’s son. In 1955, Considine was cast as Spin Evans in the Mickey Mouse Club serial “Spin and Marty,” playing alongside friend and fellow Disney Legend David Stollery’s Marty Markham. The serial went on to great popularity, which Considine attributed to being the only live-action series on television geared towards children. “Spin and Marty” would be followed with two further sequels, “The Further Adventures of Spin and Marty” and “The New Adventures of Spin and Marty.” After the first serial, Considine was cast as Frank Hardy in a serial based on the detective novels “The Hardy Boys” alongside Tommy Kirk’s Joe Hardy, and wasgiven a role in the “Annette” serial. In 1959, Considine starred in the Disney live-action film The Shaggy Dog. In the 1960s, he starred on the classic series My Three Sons with fellow Disney legend Fred MacMurray. After a few roles in the 1970s, Considine created a new career for himself by becoming an author and photographer, writing about sports and automotive history. He continues to work as a contributing editor for Road & Track magazine, with his photographs being used in several media pieces.
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