Died On This Date (September 7, 2012) Dorothy McGuire / The McGuire Sisters
themusicsover Dorothy McGuire
February 19, 1928 – September 7, 2012
Dorothy McGuire who, along with her sisters, Phyllis McGuire and Christine McGuire, performed as the McGuire Sisters, a very popular singing group during the 1950s and ’60s. It was back in 1935, when youngest sister, Phyllis was just four years old, that the girls began singing together. Before they knew it, they were singing at weddings, church revivals, and military bases. In 1952, the McGuire Sisters appeared on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts and were hired by Godfrey to perform at his shows for the next seven years. They also signed a recording contract with Coral Records that same year. Throughout their recording career, the McGuire Sisters scored six gold records and had hits with songs like “Sincerely” and “Sugartime.” They were immensely popular guests on television shows hosted by the likes of Dean Martin, Milton Berle, Andy Williams, and Ed Sullivan. They performed for Queen Elizabeth II as well as Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush. The group retired in 1968 after reportedly being blacklisted from many venues due to Phyllis’ relationship with mobster, Sam Giancana. They reunited in 1986 and performed in Las Vegas and beyond well into 2000s. In later years, they opened McGuire’s Pub near Sarasota, Florida. Dorothy McGuire was 84 when she passed away on September 7, 2012.
What You Should Own
Music pioneer Archie Bleyer served many purposes in the music industry. He was a musician, band leader, recording artist and producer, but will likely be most remembered for his label, Cadence Records. He was leading his own big band by the mid-’30s and throughout the ’40s and ’50s he was leading the orchestra for Arthur Godfrey’s TV show. Bleyer started Cadence Records in 1952 where he helped develop the careers of Andy Williams, Julius LaRosa and the Chordettes. In the mid-’50s he struck gold by signing the Everly Brothers and producing many of their biggest hits. As American musical tastes changed in the early ’60s, Cadence had trouble competing with the bigger labels who were having huge successes with the likes of the Beatles. Bleyer closed Cadence in 1964 and sold the masters to Andy Williams. Archie Bleyer passed away on March 20, 1989 from Parkinson’s Disease.