Phyllis McGuire, last remaining member of the McGuire Sisters singing trio, dies at 89

Phyllis McGuire, who with her sisters Dorothy and Christine formed the 1950s singing trio the McGuire Sisters, has died. She was 89.

According to reports, McGuire died in her Las Vegas home Tuesday. The cause of death has not been released.

The trio, who were familiar faces on stages from Las Vegas to Chicago to New York, were best known for their crystalline harmonies on such chart-topping hits as “Sincerely” and “Sugartime.”

Phyllis McGuire was born on Feb 14, 1931, in Middletown, Ohio. She and her sisters began their public singing at local churches, weddings and revivals. During WWII, the sisters would perform at veterans’ hospitals. In 1952, an appearance on “The Arthur Godfrey Talent’s Scouts” TV series launched their professional career.

According to the Las Vegas Sun, McGuire enjoyed her life at “the Beverly Hills of Las Vegas,” the term she used when referring to her 26,000-square-foot mansion in the Rancho Circle estates near downtown Las Vegas. The home includes a 45-foot version of the Eiffel Tower serving as structural reinforcement for the main property and a replica of the Arc de Triumph as the entrance to the mansion.

In the early 1960s, McGuire was romantically linked to Chicago mobster Sam Giancana. For years, the singer maintained their relationship was platonic. It wasn’t until a 1989 “20/20” interview with Barbara Walters that McGuire revealed details of their romance, saying the relationship ultimately had to end because it was “really hurting the career.” Their relationship was depicted in the 1995 Showtime movie “Sugartime,” which starred Mary-Louise Parker and John Turturro.

The McGuire Sisters performed for Queen Elizabeth II and five presidents: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. After a final appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1968, the group retired from performing, though Phyllis pursued a solo career. The trio briefly reunited in the late 1980s for nightclub appearances and TV specials.

Dorothy McGuire died in 2012 at the age of 84; Christine McGuire died in 2018 at age 92.