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
Merv Conn was a Washington DC area accordionist and singer who entertained audiences big and small for several decades. Conn was still in his teens when he first learned to play the accordion, and in a very short time, he was playing parties and on local radio stations. During the mid ’40s, he opened an accordion school, which at its peak, employed five teachers and taught as many as 300 students a week. In 1964, he became the official live musician of the Washington Senators professional baseball team, entertaining crowds over the PA system between innings. Due to his proximity to the U.S. Capital, Conn often performed at embassy events and even played private shows for Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, and Harry S. Truman. Over the years, his repertoire swelled to over 1000 songs. Merv Conn was 91 when he died of complications of prostate cancer on December 20, 2011.