Doreen Tracey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doreen Tracey
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Tracey in Mickey Mouse Club (1957)
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| Born |
Doreen Isabelle Tracey
April 3, 1943 |
| Died | January 10, 2018 (aged 74) |
| Nationality | British–American |
| Occupation | Actress, performer |
| Years active | 1953–2018 |
| Spouse(s) |
Robert Washburn
(m. 1961; div. 1962) |
| Children | 1 |
Doreen Isabelle Tracey (born April 13, 1943 – died January 10, 2018) was a talented performer from both Britain and America. She became famous as one of the original Mouseketeers on Mickey Mouse Club TV show, which aired from 1955 to 1959.
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Her Early Life
Doreen Tracey was born in St Pancras, London, England. Her parents, Sidney Tracey and Bessie Hay, were a dance team who performed for soldiers during World War II. Her father's family had moved to the United States from Russia when he was a baby.
When Doreen was four years old, her family moved back to the United States. Her father first ran a nightclub, then opened a dance studio in Hollywood, California. Doreen learned to dance and sing from a young age. Many teachers and performers worked at her father's studio, helping her learn.
Becoming a Star
Doreen's first professional job was a small singing and dancing part in the movie The Farmer Takes a Wife in 1953. When she was twelve, she tried out for Disney's Mickey Mouse Club. She was hired and appeared in all three seasons of the show's first run.
In 1956, Doreen was in the Disney western movie Westward Ho, the Wagons!. In the third season of the Mickey Mouse Club, she also had a role in a TV story called Annette. She was even cast as a character named Scraps, the Patchwork Girl, for a musical part of a movie that was planned but never made. This was shown on the Disneyland TV show in 1957.
Life After the Mickey Mouse Club
When the Mickey Mouse Club TV show ended in 1958, Doreen started singing live. She performed at concerts and teen nightclubs. She also appeared on other TV shows, like "April Fool" on ABC's The Donna Reed Show in 1959.
Later, Doreen performed lead vocals for a rock group called "Doreen and the Invaders". They toured and performed for soldiers at military bases.
Her Later Years
Doreen Tracey also worked as a publicist at Warner Bros. Records. In this job, she helped promote music artists like Frank Zappa and the Doobie Brothers. For a time, she also enjoyed weightlifting as a hobby.
In 2001, a part of her personal stories, called Confessions of a Mouseketeer, was published in a book.
Personal Life
Doreen Tracey married Robert Washburn and they had one son. Their marriage later ended. Doreen passed away on January 10, 2018, at the age of 74, after battling cancer.
