“Hey Mickey, you’re so fine; you’re so fine you blow my mind! Hey Mickey! Hey Mickey!”
Everyone knows the song “Mickey,” Toni Basil’s mega-hit from 1981. When the song first hit the airwaves, people couldn’t get enough of the catchy beat and spunky singer/songwriter. In the official music video, Toni dressed up as a cheerleader and put on an impressive display of athletic dancing, making this song one of the most iconic one-hit wonders in musical history.
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After making it big with “Mickey,” Toni Basil chose to take a step out of the limelight and focus on working behind the scenes as a choreographer, dancer, and filmmaker. She has worked alongside Broadway superstars like Bette Midler, whom she also considers one of her best friends.
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Bette recently shared a quick video of Toni dancing to Lady Alma’s “It’s House Music (Feel It Mix)” on her Twitter page. “Toni B is 74!” Bette wrote in her tweet. “Get up on your feet and put some joy back into your life!!!â€
The clip instantly blew up with hundreds of retweets and millions of views – no one could believe that Toni is 74 years old and still in such incredible shape!
Toni B is 74! Get up on your feet and put some joy back into your life!!! pic.twitter.com/tbBl9CHlep
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) August 28, 2018
Throughout her career, there’s one thing Toni never let slip: her physical fitness. Looking at her now, decades after that big #1 hit, Toni still looks as young, fit, and vibrant as she did when she was a peppy twentysomething shaking her pom poms.
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As for how she’s managed to stay so youthful over the years, Toni has a very simple answer: “Exercise is the fountain of youth,” she said. Years of working as a choreographer for Bette, Tina Turner, David Bowie, and The Talking Heads have kept her in shape.
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Two years ago, another video of Toni wowing a group of younger dancers surfaced on the web as well. In it, Toni’s feet seem to be working of their own accord as she demonstrates some seriously fancy footwork.
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For her part, Toni is grateful for the attention she’s receiving, stating, “It’s really thrilling for me. I think my age next to that video empowers people.”
It sure does, Toni! We can only hope to be this spry when we hit our 70s!
Take a look at Toni doing her thing in the video below, and don’t forget to share to inspire everyone to keep moving to access that “Fountain of Youth!”
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