Phyllis McGuire – the lead singer and the last remaining member of the popular 1950s trio, the McGuire Sisters – died at the age of 89.
The Middletown, Ohio native passed away on Tuesday at her luxurious Las Vegas property, although no cause of death was reported, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
The singer had her first big break in 1952, when Phyllis and older sisters Christine and Dorothy McGuire signed to Coral Records, Variety reported. In the same year, they won the first prize in the “Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts” competition.
The talented trio then took the musical sphere by storm, traveling around the country and getting frequent appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and other variety shows, Wrap reported. The McGuire Sisters would continue to perform for five presidents and even Queen Elizabeth II during the course of her illustrious career.
The group is best known for their hit singles, meaning their pop version of the 1954 hit “Sincerely” by the Moonglows and their 1955 version of “Sugartime”. Both topped the Billboard song chart in the United States and sold over a million copies, as did their 1956 song “Picnic”.
Unfortunately, healthy crooners – known for their perfectly coiffed hairstyles and synchronized dance moves – had their image somewhat tarnished in the 1960s, after reports emerged that Phyllis had an affair with mobster Sam Giancana from Chicago. The vocalist stated that their relationship was merely platonic, although the 1995 film “Sugartime” followed a different path.
In 1965, Phyllis testified before a grand jury that she knew that Giancana was a criminal, but did not know about her specific activities.
The group went on a temporary hiatus in 1968, during which Phyllis embarked on a solo career. They met in 1985, when they performed for almost two more decades, culminating in a large-scale final appearance on the 2004 PBS special, “Magic Moments: The Best of ’50s Pop”, when Phyllis was 70 years old.
The McGuire sisters were introduced to 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 it to the fullest, until I leave. And I will continue to sing as long as anyone wants. “