The McGuire Sisters

The McGuire Sisters
Origin	Middletown, Ohio, United States
Genres	Traditional pop
Years active	1952–1968
Past members
Christine McGuire, Dorothy McGuire, and Phyllis McGuire

The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: Christine McGuire (born July 30, 1929), Dorothy McGuire (born February 13, 1928), and Phyllis McGuire (born February 14, 1931). Among their most popular songs are "Sincerely" and "Sugartime".^[1]

History

The McGuire sisters were born in Middletown, Ohio^[2] and grew up in Miamisburg where their mother, Lillie, was an ordained minister of the Miamisburg First Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) and let them sing in the church as young girls. They sang at weddings, funerals and church revivals. When they started in 1935, the youngest sister, Phyllis, was only four years old. Eventually, they sang at occasions other than church-related ones and, by 1949, they were singing at military bases and veterans' hospitals. They incorporated a more diverse repertoire for those events, expanding into more than the usual hymns they had sung at church.

Career

In 1952, they appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and, as a result, Godfrey hired them for his other shows, where they remained for seven years. They performed for five Presidents of the United States (Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush) and for Queen Elizabeth II.

The sisters maintained a busy television schedule, making frequent appearances on popular variety hours hosted by Ed Sullivan, Dean Martin, Danny Kaye, Milton Berle, Andy Williams, Perry Como and Red Skelton. The trio was dressed and coiffed identically and performed their synchronized body movements and hand gestures with military precision. Their recordings of "Sincerely," "Picnic," and "Sugartime" all sold over one million copies.^[2]

In 1968, they retired from public performance. Phyllis McGuire continued to perform solo for a time. Since then, the sisters have made occasional public appearances. In 1994, they were inducted into the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame. In 2001, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. They have also been inducted into the Coca-Cola Hall of Fame and the Headliners' Hall of Fame.^[3] In 2004, they reunited to perform in a PBS special Magic Moments: Best of '50s Pop.^[4]

In 1958 their mother, Lilly McGuire, appeared as a guest challenger on the television game show To Tell the Truth.

In 2009, the McGuire Sisters were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

After their careers were winding down, they opened a restaurant in Bradenton, Florida (on the west coast in Manatee County) and called it McGuire's Pub.

Discography

Year	Single	Chart positions
		US	US AC	UK[5]
1954	"Pine Tree, Pine Over Me"	26	-	—
	"Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite"	7	-	—
	"Muskrat Ramble"	10	-	—
	"Lonesome Polecat"	28	-	—
	"Christmas Alphabet"	25	-	—
1955	"Sincerely"	1	-	14
	"No More"	17	-	20
	"It May Sound Silly"	11	-	—
	"Doesn't Anybody Want Me?"	flip	-	—
	"Something's Gotta Give"	5	-	—
	"Rhythm 'n Blues"	flip	-	—
	"He"	10	-	—
	"Give Me Love"	95	-	—
1956	"Missing"	44	-	—
	"Picnic"	13	-	—
	"Delilah Jones"	37	-	24
	"Weary Blues"	32	-	—
	"In the Alps"	63	-	—
	"Ev'ry Day of My Life"	37	-	—
	"Endless"	52	-	—
	"Goodnight, My Love, Pleasant Dreams"	32	-	—
1957	"Sugartime"	1	-	14
	"Ding Dong"	25	-	—
1958	"Volare"	80	-	—
1959	"May You Always"	11	-	15
	"Summer Dreams"	55	-	—
	"Peace"	85	-	—
1960	"Livin' Dangerously"	97	-	—
	"The Last Dance"	99	-	—
1961	"Just For Old Time's Sake"	20	-	—
	"Tears On My Pillow"	59	12	—
	"Just Because"	99	-	—
1962	"Sugartime Twist"	107	-	—
1964	"I Don't Want To Walk Without You" (Phyllis solo)	79	13	—
1966	"Truer Than You Were"	-	30	—

Songs recorded

• "Achoo-Cha-Cha" (flip side of "May You Always") (1958)
• "Are You Looking for a Sweetheart" (flip side of "You Never Know Till Monday") (1953)
• "Around the World" (flip side of "Interlude") (1957)
• "Baby Be Good to Me" (flip side of "My Baby's Got Such Loving Ways") (1956)
• "Banana Split" (flip side of "Sugartime") (1957)
• "Beginning to Miss You" (flip side of "Rock Bottom") (1957)
• "Blue Skies" (flip side of "He's Got Time") (1957)
• "Candy Heart" (flip side of "Dear Heart") (1964)
• "Christmas Alphabet" (flip side of "Give Me Your Heart for Christmas") (1954)
• "Cling to Me" (flip side of "Pine Tree, Pine over Me") (1954)
• "Compromise" (flip side of "Red River Valley") (1959)
• "Cordially Invited" (flip side of "Summertime (Is the Time for Love)") (1963)
• "Dear Heart" (flip side of "Candy Heart") (1964)
• "Delilah Jones" (flip side of "Theme from Picnic") (1956)
• "Ding Dong" (flip side of "Since You Went Away to School") (1958)
• "Doesn't Anybody Love Me" (flip side of "It May Sound Silly") (1955)
• "Don't Take Your Love from Me" (date unknown, flip side unknown)
• "Do You Love Me Like You Kiss Me" (flip side of "Volare") (1958)
• "Drowning in Memories" (flip side of "Please Don't Do That To Me") (1957)
• "Endless" (flip side of "Ev'ry Day of My Life") (1956)
• "Ev'ry Day of My Life" (flip side of "Endless") (1956)
• "Forgive Me" (flip side of "Kiss Them for Me") (1957)
• "Give Me Love" (flip side of "Sweet Song Of India") (1955)
• "Give Me Your Heart for Christmas" (flip side of "Christmas Alphabet") (1954)
• "Goodnight My Love" (flip side of "Mommy") (1956)
• "Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite" (flip side of "Heavenly Feeling") (1954)
• "Goody-Goody"
• "Grazia" (flip side of "Truer Than You Were") (1966)
• "Have a Nice Weekend" (flip side of "Some of These Days") (1959)
• "He" (flip side of "If You Believe") (1955)
• "Heart" (flip side of "Young and Foolish") (1955)
• "Hearts of Stone" (flip side of "Naughty Lady of Shady Lane") (1954)
• "Heavenly Feeling" (flip side of "Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight") (1954)
• "He's Got Time" (flip side of "Blue Skies") (1957)
• "Hey Mr. Cotton Picker" (flip side of "Tell Us Where The Good Times Are") (1953)
• "Honorable Congratulations" (flip side of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town") (1957)
• "I Can Dream, Can't I?" (flip side of "Time") (1961)
• "I'd Like to Trim a Tree with You" (flip side of "Littlest Angel") (1955)
• "I Do I Do I Do" (flip side of "Just Because") (1961)
• "I Don't Know Why" (flip side of "To Be Loved") (1960)
• "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" (flip side of "That's Life") (1964)
• "If It's a Dream" (flip side of "Kiss Me and Kill Me with Love") (1955)
• "If You Believe" (flip side of "He") (1955)
• "I Give Thanks" (flip side of "The Unforgiven") (1960)
• "I'll Think of You" (flip side of "Sweetie Pie") (1958)
• "I'll Walk Alone" (flip side of "Ticket to Anywhere") (1965)
• "Interlude" (flip side of "Around the World") (1957)
• "In the Alps" (flip side of "Weary Blues") (1956)
• "I Really Don't Want to Know" (flip side of "Mama's Gone Goodbye") (1962)
• "It May Sound Silly" (flip side of "Doesn't Anybody Love Me") (1955)
• "Just Because" (flip side of "I Do I Do I Do") (1961)
• "Just for Old Time's Sake" (flip side of "Really Neat") (1961)
• "Kid Stuff" (flip side of "Without Him") (1957)
• "Kiss Me and Kill Me with Love" (flip side of "If It's a Dream") (1955)
• "Kiss Them for Me" (flip side of "Forgive Me") (1957)
• "The Last Dance" (flip side of "Nine O'Clock") (1960)
• "Littlest Angel" (flip side of "I'd Like To Trim a Tree With You") (1955)
• "Livin' Dangerously" (flip side of "Lovers' Lullaby") (1960)
• "Lonesome Polecat" (released on two different singles, one with "Uno Due Tre" as the flip side, the other with one version of "Muskrat Ramble" as the flip side) (1954)
• "Lovers' Lullaby" (flip side of "Livin' Dangerously") (1960)
• "Mama's Gone Goodbye" (flip side of "I Really Don't Want to Know") (1962)
• "May You Always" (flip side of "Achoo-Cha-Cha") (1958)
• "Melody of Love" (flip side of "Open Up Your Heart") (1954)
• "Missing" (flip side of "Tell Me Now") (1956)
• "Miss You" (flip side of "Tootle-Loo-Siana") (1952)
• "Mommy" (flip side of "Goodnight My Love") (1956)
• "More Hearts are Broken That Way" (flip side of "Sugartime" [remake]) (1962)
• "Muskrat Ramble" (released on two different singles, one with "Not As a Stranger" as the flip side, the other with one version of "Lonesome Polecat" as the flip side) (1954)
• "My Baby's Got Such Loving Ways" (flip side of "Baby Be Good to Me") (1956)
• "My Happiness" (flip side of "Vaya Con Dios") (1966)
• "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" (flip side of "Hearts of Stone") (1954)
• "Never" (flip side of "Now and Forever") (1964)
• "Nine O'Clock" (flip side of "The Last Dance") (1960)
• "No More" (flip side of "Sincerely") (1954)
• "Not as a Stranger" (flip side of one version of "Muskrat Ramble") (1954)
• "Now and Forever" (flip side of "Never") (1964)
• "One Two Three Four" (flip side of "Picking Sweethearts") (1952)
• "Open Up Your Heart" (flip side of "Melody of Love") (1954)
• "Peace" (flip side of "Summer Dreams") (1959)
• "Picking Sweethearts" (flip side of "One Two Three Four") (1952)
• "Theme from Picnic" (flip side of "Delilah Jones") (1956)
• "Pine Tree, Pine over Me" (flip side of "Cling to Me") (1954)
• "Please Don't Do That To Me" (flip side of "Drowning In Memories") (1957)
• "Really Neat" (flip side of "Just For Old Time's Sake") (1961)
• "Red River Valley" (flip side of "Compromise") (1959)
• "Rhythm and Blues" (flip side of "Something's Gotta Give") (1955)
• "Rock Bottom" (flip side of "Beginning To Miss You") (1957)
• "Run to My Arms" (flip side of "Somebody Else Is Taking My Place") (1965)
• "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (flip side of "Honorable Congratulations") (1957)
• "Shuffle Off to Buffalo"
• "Sincerely" (flip side of "No More") (1954)
• "Since You Went Away to School" (flip side of "Ding Dong") (1958)
• "Somebody Else Is Taking My Place" (flip side of "Run to My Arms") (1965)
• "Some of These Days" (flip side of "Have a Nice Weekend") (1959)
• "Something's Gotta Give" (flip side of "Rhythm And Blues") (1955)
• "Space Ship" (flip side of "Tears on My Pillow") (1961)
• "Sugartime" (flip side of "Banana Split") (1957)
• "Sugartime" (remake) (flip side of "More Hearts are Broken That Way") (1962)
• "Summer Dreams" (flip side of "Peace") (1959)
• "Summertime (Is the Time for Love)" (flip side of "Cordially Invited") (1963)
• "Sweetie Pie" (flip side of "I'll Think of You") (1958)
• "Sweet Song of India" (flip side of "Give Me Love]") (1955)
• "Teach Me Tonight"
• "Tears on My Pillow" (flip side of "Space Ship") (1961)
• "Tell Me Now" (flip side of "Missing") (1956)
• "Tell Us Where the Good Times Are" (flip side of "Hey Mr. Cotton Picker") (1953)
• "That's Life" (flip side of "I Don't Want To Walk Without You") (1964)
• "Ticket to Anywhere" (flip side of "I'll Walk Alone") (1965)
• "Time" (flip side of "I Can Dream, Can't I?") (1961)
• "To Be Loved" (flip side of "I Don't Know Why") (1960)
• "Tootle-Loo-Siana" (flip side of "Miss You") (1952)
• "Truer Than You Were" (flip side of "Grazia") (1966)
• "The Unforgiven" (flip side of "I Give Thanks") (1960)
• "Uno Due Tre" (flip side of one version of "Lonesome Polecat") (1954)
• "Vaya Con Dios" (flip side of "My Happiness") (1966)
• "Volare (flip side of "Do You Love Me Like You Kiss Me") (1958)
• "Weary Blues" (flip side of "In the Alps") (1956)
• "Without Him" (flip side of "Kid Stuff") (1957)
• "You Never Know Till Monday" (flip side of "Are You Looking for a Sweetheart?") (1953)
• "Young and Foolish" (flip side of "Heart") (1955)
• "You're Driving Me Crazy"

In popular culture

The McGuire Sisters, and most especially Phyllis McGuire, who lives in Las Vegas, were the subjects of the 1995 HBO movie Sugartime, which depicted a romantic relationship between Phyllis and mobster Sam Giancana. Giancana was played by actor John Turturro, and Phyllis was played by actress Mary Louise Parker.

References

1. ^ McGuire Sisters official website
2. ^ ^{a b} Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 75. ISBN 0-214-20512-6. 
3. ^ AZCentral.com article, "50th anniversary party reunites legendary trio," by Kathy Shayna Shocket, 12/10/2008
4. ^ "Magic Moments: Best of '50s Pop" PBS special
5. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 339. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 

External links

• McGuire Sisters' page on the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame (NBHF) site
• McGuire Sisters' page on the Primarily A Cappella site
• McGuire Sisters' page on the Vocal Group Hall of Fame site
• Cincinnati Enquirer article on the sisters' home
• The McGuire Sisters at the Internet Movie Database
• Christine McGuire at the Internet Movie Database
• Dorothy McGuire at the Internet Movie Database
• Phyllis McGuire at the Internet Movie Database