Phyllis McGuire, the last member of pop-trio 'The McGuire Sisters' dies at 89

Phyllis McGuire, the youngest of the pop-trio The McGuire Sisters, died at her estate in Las Vegas. She was 89.

The McGuire Sisters rose to popularity during World War II, when they were in their late teens and early 20s. Phyllis and the older Christine and Dorothy McGuire epitomized a sweet image of America in the 1950s. The sisters offered a sugary counterpoint to the burgeoning wave of rock ‘n’ roll acts.

The sisters got their big break in 1952 when they traveled to New York from their hometown of Middletown, Ohio, to try out for the 'Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts' show. That led to a two-month gig on the national radio broadcast of singer Kate Smith. Their popularity continued to rise in the 1950s with frequent appearances on 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' 

Phyllis, who sang lead, launched a successful solo career and often played in Vegas, where she also settled in her 26,000-square-foot lavish home. Her love life was the stuff of legend, as well. In 1961, McGuire met and began seeing mobster Sam Giancana. The public revelation of their relationship damaged her girl-next-door image.

According to Variety, She was compelled to testify about the relationship before a grand jury in Chicago in 1965. McGuire told the jury she traveled all over the world with Giancana and she knew he was rumored to be a mobster, but knew nothing about that side of his life. Her relationship with Giancana was the subject of HBO’s Sugartime in 1995. Mary-Louise Parker played the singer and John Turturro played Giancana.

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The trio sold millions of records, released chart-topping renditions of 'Sincerely' and 'Sugartime', performed for 5 US Presidents. The group broke up in 1968 and reunited in 1986. They toured nightclubs and played casinos in Vegas. The sisters were inducted into the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame seven years later. In 2004 they performed on the PBS special Magic Moments: Best of 50’s Pop.

Outside of singing, McGuire acted opposite her friend Frank Sinatra in 1963’s 'Come Blow Your Horn'.

Phyllis, who was born in Middletown, Ohio, on Feb. 14, 1931, was preceded in death by Dorothy in 2012 and Christine in 2018. She shared her lavish estate with longtime companion Mike Davis, an oil tycoon who died in 2016.