Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (born January 19, 1944) is an
American actress and singer. Fabares is known for her roles as
Donna Reed's oldest child, Mary Stone, on
The Donna Reed Show (from 1958 to 1963), and as
Craig T. Nelson's love interest and eventual wife, Christine Armstrong Fox, on the
sitcom Coach. She also was
Elvis Presley's co-star in three films.
Early life and career
Born
Michele Ann Marie Fabares in
Santa Monica, California, she is the niece of
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 No. 1 on the
Billboard Hot 100 in April 1962 It sold over one million copies and was awarded a
gold disc. 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 movies:
Girl Happy (1965),
Spinout (1966), and......
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