Dorothy McGuire, one of the singing sisters who comprised the trio known as the McGuire Sisters, died on 7 September at the age of 84. I first heard of the McGuire Sisters when I started to follow the Billboard charts in the early eighties. Back then I researched Billboard music history and learned all about the record-setters from the 1950’s onward. The McGuires had me hooked with their harmonies in “Sincerely”, a massive hit in 1955, when it ruled the top of Billboard for ten straight weeks. Their music was timeless and I bought a greatest-hits 2-LP album of theirs and since then I got the equivalent on CD.
Christine, Dorothy and Phyllis were beautiful on stage as well. They would occasionally come out of retirement and reunite for a tour or one last show. Hear their signature hit, “Sincerely”:
In this audio clip, Dorothy is the one on the right. (She was always the sister on the right.)
PBS often reruns the pledge-time special “Magic Moments: The Best of ’50s Pop” and that’s how I caught their last performance, from 2004. Again, Dorothy is on the right during this hits medley: