Appeared in season 2 of Disney's The Mouse Mousketeer Club.
Laney was born in Los Angeles County on June 18, 1943. From a very early age he took dance lessons, including tap and jazz. Later he became a multiple instrument playing musician, (This was rumored to be one of the reasons he was brought on the cast.) During one of Disney's famous "cattle calls" where kids from all over were invited to audition, Charlie came down to give it a try out. Final elimination was settled by round after round of musical chairs.
Charley's first appearance was on the MMC's second season opening production number, All Alone at Coney Island. He did a brief walk-on bit in this unusual promotion for a non-Disney amusement park.
More rumor has it that "Cattle Call" was nothing more than a way to boost ratings for the show by bringing it to the attention of parents wanting to get their children into show business. Disney already had a solid cast of players he had no intention of replacing. Charlie sang and danced with groups of other Musketeers. Never really getting a chance to showcase his talent.
The studio lost track of him after 1956 (second season). It said he stayed in Southern California but no one in show business seemed to know him or anything of his whereabouts for the 20th Anniversary celebrations at Disneyland. Charley did however take part in the 25th Anniversary television program.
In the years between he married. He seemed very content with his life and children. He was working as a supermarket manager in the La Jolla area of San Diego, when he died unexpectedly on March 9, 1997. (contributed by 46770162)
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Dancer, musician, singer, and gymnast, Charley joined the Mickey Mouse Club for the second season as a Blue Team replacement. Though he had all the necessary talent, Charley was unable to break into the Red Team during his one season, and left show business behind with the club. A good family man, he passed away far too soon. Charley doesn't seem to have pursued a show business career after leaving the show in the fall of 1956. Indeed, for a long time the studio lost track of him, though he remained in Southern California. It was unable to find him for the 20th Anniversary celebrations at Disneyland in 1975, but did locate him in time for the 25th Anniversary. Charley took part in the televised program, the slender twelve-year old having become a bearded, muscular guy. Though little has been made public about his life after the show, it is known that he married and had several children to whom he was devoted. He was working as a supermarket manager in the La Jolla area of San Diego, when he died unexpectedly on March 9, 1997.
Message from a visitor...I knew Charley Laney from the early 90's up until his death and and wasn't even aware he was a former cast member until he gave me a picture of himself posed with Walt Disney from 1955 at Disneyland. The Charley Laney I knew worked in the management at a wholesale tire distributor that my auto dealership dealt with for many years in San Diego California, although he may have worked as a manger in a supermarket years earlier he never mentioned it to me. I learned of his death from his wife and being distraught over his sons death from a drug overdose he took his own life and was cremated. I have no reason to believe that he wasn't the Charley Laney he purported to be and the time of his death certainly coincides with all the information I have found on most of the MMC web sites.
Thank you for sharing druder996855
Laney was born in Los Angeles County on June 18, 1943. From a very early age he took dance lessons, including tap and jazz. Later he became a multiple instrument playing musician, (This was rumored to be one of the reasons he was brought on the cast.) During one of Disney's famous "cattle calls" where kids from all over were invited to audition, Charlie came down to give it a try out. Final elimination was settled by round after round of musical chairs.
Charley's first appearance was on the MMC's second season opening production number, All Alone at Coney Island. He did a brief walk-on bit in this unusual promotion for a non-Disney amusement park.
More rumor has it that "Cattle Call" was nothing more than a way to boost ratings for the show by bringing it to the attention of parents wanting to get their children into show business. Disney already had a solid cast of players he had no intention of replacing. Charlie sang and danced with groups of other Musketeers. Never really getting a chance to showcase his talent.
The studio lost track of him after 1956 (second season). It said he stayed in Southern California but no one in show business seemed to know him or anything of his whereabouts for the 20th Anniversary celebrations at Disneyland. Charley did however take part in the 25th Anniversary television program.
In the years between he married. He seemed very content with his life and children. He was working as a supermarket manager in the La Jolla area of San Diego, when he died unexpectedly on March 9, 1997. (contributed by 46770162)
----------
Dancer, musician, singer, and gymnast, Charley joined the Mickey Mouse Club for the second season as a Blue Team replacement. Though he had all the necessary talent, Charley was unable to break into the Red Team during his one season, and left show business behind with the club. A good family man, he passed away far too soon. Charley doesn't seem to have pursued a show business career after leaving the show in the fall of 1956. Indeed, for a long time the studio lost track of him, though he remained in Southern California. It was unable to find him for the 20th Anniversary celebrations at Disneyland in 1975, but did locate him in time for the 25th Anniversary. Charley took part in the televised program, the slender twelve-year old having become a bearded, muscular guy. Though little has been made public about his life after the show, it is known that he married and had several children to whom he was devoted. He was working as a supermarket manager in the La Jolla area of San Diego, when he died unexpectedly on March 9, 1997.
Message from a visitor...I knew Charley Laney from the early 90's up until his death and and wasn't even aware he was a former cast member until he gave me a picture of himself posed with Walt Disney from 1955 at Disneyland. The Charley Laney I knew worked in the management at a wholesale tire distributor that my auto dealership dealt with for many years in San Diego California, although he may have worked as a manger in a supermarket years earlier he never mentioned it to me. I learned of his death from his wife and being distraught over his sons death from a drug overdose he took his own life and was cremated. I have no reason to believe that he wasn't the Charley Laney he purported to be and the time of his death certainly coincides with all the information I have found on most of the MMC web sites.
Thank you for sharing druder996855
Appeared in season 2 of Disney's The Mouse Mousketeer Club.
Laney was born in Los Angeles County on June 18, 1943. From a very early age he took dance lessons, including tap and jazz. Later he became a multiple instrument playing musician, (This was rumored to be one of the reasons he was brought on the cast.) During one of Disney's famous "cattle calls" where kids from all over were invited to audition, Charlie came down to give it a try out. Final elimination was settled by round after round of musical chairs.
Charley's first appearance was on the MMC's second season opening production number, All Alone at Coney Island. He did a brief walk-on bit in this unusual promotion for a non-Disney amusement park.
More rumor has it that "Cattle Call" was nothing more than a way to boost ratings for the show by bringing it to the attention of parents wanting to get their children into show business. Disney already had a solid cast of players he had no intention of replacing. Charlie sang and danced with groups of other Musketeers. Never really getting a chance to showcase his talent.
The studio lost track of him after 1956 (second season). It said he stayed in Southern California but no one in show business seemed to know him or anything of his whereabouts for the 20th Anniversary celebrations at Disneyland. Charley did however take part in the 25th Anniversary television program.
In the years between he married. He seemed very content with his life and children. He was working as a supermarket manager in the La Jolla area of San Diego, when he died unexpectedly on March 9, 1997. (contributed by 46770162)
----------
Dancer, musician, singer, and gymnast, Charley joined the Mickey Mouse Club for the second season as a Blue Team replacement. Though he had all the necessary talent, Charley was unable to break into the Red Team during his one season, and left show business behind with the club. A good family man, he passed away far too soon. Charley doesn't seem to have pursued a show business career after leaving the show in the fall of 1956. Indeed, for a long time the studio lost track of him, though he remained in Southern California. It was unable to find him for the 20th Anniversary celebrations at Disneyland in 1975, but did locate him in time for the 25th Anniversary. Charley took part in the televised program, the slender twelve-year old having become a bearded, muscular guy. Though little has been made public about his life after the show, it is known that he married and had several children to whom he was devoted. He was working as a supermarket manager in the La Jolla area of San Diego, when he died unexpectedly on March 9, 1997.
Message from a visitor...I knew Charley Laney from the early 90's up until his death and and wasn't even aware he was a former cast member until he gave me a picture of himself posed with Walt Disney from 1955 at Disneyland. The Charley Laney I knew worked in the management at a wholesale tire distributor that my auto dealership dealt with for many years in San Diego California, although he may have worked as a manger in a supermarket years earlier he never mentioned it to me. I learned of his death from his wife and being distraught over his sons death from a drug overdose he took his own life and was cremated. I have no reason to believe that he wasn't the Charley Laney he purported to be and the time of his death certainly coincides with all the information I have found on most of the MMC web sites.
Thank you for sharing druder996855
Laney was born in Los Angeles County on June 18, 1943. From a very early age he took dance lessons, including tap and jazz. Later he became a multiple instrument playing musician, (This was rumored to be one of the reasons he was brought on the cast.) During one of Disney's famous "cattle calls" where kids from all over were invited to audition, Charlie came down to give it a try out. Final elimination was settled by round after round of musical chairs.
Charley's first appearance was on the MMC's second season opening production number, All Alone at Coney Island. He did a brief walk-on bit in this unusual promotion for a non-Disney amusement park.
More rumor has it that "Cattle Call" was nothing more than a way to boost ratings for the show by bringing it to the attention of parents wanting to get their children into show business. Disney already had a solid cast of players he had no intention of replacing. Charlie sang and danced with groups of other Musketeers. Never really getting a chance to showcase his talent.
The studio lost track of him after 1956 (second season). It said he stayed in Southern California but no one in show business seemed to know him or anything of his whereabouts for the 20th Anniversary celebrations at Disneyland. Charley did however take part in the 25th Anniversary television program.
In the years between he married. He seemed very content with his life and children. He was working as a supermarket manager in the La Jolla area of San Diego, when he died unexpectedly on March 9, 1997. (contributed by 46770162)
----------
Dancer, musician, singer, and gymnast, Charley joined the Mickey Mouse Club for the second season as a Blue Team replacement. Though he had all the necessary talent, Charley was unable to break into the Red Team during his one season, and left show business behind with the club. A good family man, he passed away far too soon. Charley doesn't seem to have pursued a show business career after leaving the show in the fall of 1956. Indeed, for a long time the studio lost track of him, though he remained in Southern California. It was unable to find him for the 20th Anniversary celebrations at Disneyland in 1975, but did locate him in time for the 25th Anniversary. Charley took part in the televised program, the slender twelve-year old having become a bearded, muscular guy. Though little has been made public about his life after the show, it is known that he married and had several children to whom he was devoted. He was working as a supermarket manager in the La Jolla area of San Diego, when he died unexpectedly on March 9, 1997.
Message from a visitor...I knew Charley Laney from the early 90's up until his death and and wasn't even aware he was a former cast member until he gave me a picture of himself posed with Walt Disney from 1955 at Disneyland. The Charley Laney I knew worked in the management at a wholesale tire distributor that my auto dealership dealt with for many years in San Diego California, although he may have worked as a manger in a supermarket years earlier he never mentioned it to me. I learned of his death from his wife and being distraught over his sons death from a drug overdose he took his own life and was cremated. I have no reason to believe that he wasn't the Charley Laney he purported to be and the time of his death certainly coincides with all the information I have found on most of the MMC web sites.
Thank you for sharing druder996855
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