Phyllis McGuire – the soloist and last remaining member of the popular trio of the 1950s, the McGuire sisters – died at the age of 89.
The native of Middletown, Ohio, passed away on Tuesday at his luxurious Las Vegas property, although no cause of death was reported, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
The singer took her first big break in 1952, when Phyllis and older sisters Christine and Dorothy McGuire were signed to Coral Records, Variety reported. In the same year, they won first prize in the “Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts” contest.
The talented trio then took the field of music by storm, toured around the country and frequently participated in the “Ed Sullivan Show” and other variety shows, Wrap reported. The McGuire sisters will continue to sing for five presidents and even for Queen Elizabeth II throughout their illustrious careers.
The group is best known for their hit singles, namely the pop cover of Moonglows’ 1954 hit “Sincerely” and their 1955 performance “Sugartime”. Both topped the US Billboard chart and sold over a million copies, as did their 1956 song “Picnic”.
Unfortunately, healthy thieves – known for perfectly styled hairstyles and synchronized dance moves – had a somewhat dirty image in the 1960s, after reports that Phyllis had an affair with Chicago gangster Sam Giancana. The vocalist claimed that their relationship was simply platonic, although the 1995 film “Sugartime” followed a different path.
In 1965, Phyllis testified before a grand jury that she knew Giancana was a murderer, but she did not know about her specific activities.
The group took a temporary break in 1968, during which time Phyllis began a solo career. They reunited in 1985, when they sang for nearly two more decades, culminating in a large-scale final appearance on the 2004 PBS special, “Magic Moments: The Best Pop of the 1950s,” when Phyllis was 70 years old.
The McGuire sisters were inducted into the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1994.
Dorothy died in 2012 at the age of 84, and Christine died in 2018 at the age of 92.
“I’m not afraid to live and I’m not afraid to die,” Phyllis told Vanity Fair in 1989. “You only live once and I will live to the fullest until I leave. And I will continue to sing as long as someone wants me. “