Darlene Gillespie

Darlene Faye Gillespie is a former child actress, most remembered as a singer and dancer on the original The Mickey Mouse Club television series from 1955 to 1958. Her Irish father and French Canadian mother were a former vaudeville dance team. When Darlene was two years old, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, where she became a naturalized American citizen in September 1956 at the age of fifteen.

Gillespie was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. At age ten, she started singing lessons with Glen Raikes, and eleven took dance lessons with Burch Mann, founder of the American Folk Ballet Company. She auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club in March 1955, was hired, and appeared on the program for all three seasons of its original run. She was the leading female singer and starred in the serial Corky and White Shadow during the first season. In the third season, she appeared in the serial The New Adventures of Spin and Marty with Tim Considine and David Stollery.

Source: Wikipedia