Mickey Rooney Jr. — son of the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” screen icon — has died. He was 77.
Rooney Jr. was the “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” star’s first of nine children and passed away on Saturday.
His longtime companion, Chrissie Brown, confirmed the news to the Hollywood Reporter. She noted that the musician died from unknown causes at his home in Glendale, Arizona.
Rooney Jr. was an original Mouseketeer who appeared on the “Mickey Mouse Club” in 1955 alongside his brother Tim.
He also was a born-again Christian, according to the Press-Enterprise, and performed in bands with singer Willie Nelson.
The Birmingham, Alabama, native appeared alongside Nelson on the silver screen in 1980’s “Honeysuckle Rose” and 1984’s “Songwriter.” His first film role was in the 1966 movie “Hot Rods to Hell.”
His former “Mickey Mouse Club” castmate Paul Petersen penned a tribute to Rooney Jr. on Facebook over the weekend.
“I first met Mickey, the oldest of nine siblings sired by his famous father when he and Timmy were hired by Disney to be Mouseketeers in 1955,” Petersen began.
“Mickey Junior was tall and talented. He could sing, dance and act … and get in trouble,” he joked of the fact that they were let go from the show after several episodes. “We three were fired for Conduct Unbecoming a Mouse!”
Peterson then described how Rooney Jr. was the “personification of ‘damaged goods.’ ”
“He gave all he could. I was born on the same day as Mickey’s father and ‘The Mic’ gave me, unsolicited mind you, the most useful advice I ever got. It is one of my greatest sorrows that he didn’t do the same for his son. Mickey Rooney Junior. Rest In Peace at last. We will see to your wishes,” he concluded.
Rooney Jr.’s mother was the “Andy Hardy” legend’s second wife, Betty Jane Baker.
The elder Rooney died in 2014 due to natural causes at the age of 93.
Rooney Jr. was previously married to Laura Hollander in 1986 and they were together until her death in 2006. Before that, he was married to Playboy Playmate of the Month Merci Montello from 1967 to 1986.
Rooney Jr. always had a passion for music and revealed in the Press-Enterprise interview that he played the guitar, keyboard, bass and drums, not to mention the harmonica.
“My grandmother, Nanny Rase, had a ukulele,” he told the newspaper at the time. “When I was 11-years old, she asked if I would like her to show me some chords. I could play the chords she showed me. I put those chords to use on a classical guitar, and I was hooked.”
