Our Own Hall of Fame
MIAMISBURG’S McGUIRES
“SUGAR” SWEETENED THE POT
God-fry’s Gift to Song
DAYTON DAILY NEWS, FEB. 10, 1961
BY MARY ELLEN LYNCH
Daily News Staff Writer
Sixth of a Series
Last year three glossy girls from Miamisburg parlayed a record that mentioned the word “sugar” 28 times in two and a half minutes into a million-plus best seller.
It was only in a succession of sweet-to-take things that have happened to the McGuire Sisters since they hit New York in September of 1952.
Exactly four months and four days later they were that rare thing in show business—a spontaneous success. Within a year, the girls who used to shop for dollar earrings at Rike’s were shopping for $10,000 mink coats in New York.
As recording stars, members-in-good-standing of the Arthur Godfrey family and night club performers they were pulling down $125,000 a year.
Today the McGuires are the highest paid girl trio in show business—maybe of all time. They’ve recorded more than 300 songs that have sold upwards of 10 million records. Last year they got $250,000 from a soft drink manufacturer for a series of singing commercials alone.
IT ALL STARTED for the McGuires in Middletown 26 years ago when Phyllis, then three, clambered up on a box to join her older sisters in the church choir.
The minister was their mother, the Rev. Lillie McGuire, pastor of the First Church of God. (The girls still tithe—pay 10 per cent of their income to their church.)
Phyllis, Dorothy and Ruby (who later took her middle name of Christine) sang for cake and ice cream at weddings, then won an amateur contest for getting through a song called “Three Little Sisters.”
IN HIGH SCHOOL the pretty brunettes dated a lot. Dorothy and Phyllis began singing with local bands while Chris played the piano. The two older girls (Chris is 32 now, Dorothy 31) were graduated from Middle town high school.
In 1947 the family moved to Miamisburg and Phyllis was graduated from high school there in 1949.
A year later the McGuires won a spot with a USO troup touring Army camps and hospitals, a venture that kept them on the road for nine months.
They made their TV debut on WLW-D in July, 1951, briefly considered splitting up and trying their luck as singles, then landed a 22-week engagement at the Van Cleve hotel. (The paycheck: $205 per girl every third week.)
THEY TACKLED New York with low budgets and high hopes, passed auditions for Godfrey’s “Talent Scouts” and appeared on eight Kate Smith shows.
The big break came on Dec. 1, 1952. With Van Cleve manager Claude Cannon as their “talent scout,” the McGuires stepped up to a CBS microphone, sang “You Belong To Me” and walked off with the first prize—a week on Godfrey’s radio show.
Projecting what has been described as “sweet, sexy wholesomeness” the singing sisters were instant hits. Fans deluged them with cakes, hair restorers (they already had thick, luxuriant tresses), appliances, costume jewelry and advice. Their week-long appearance turned into a regular job.
THE GIRLS’ first hit record “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight,” blared over PA systems in Miamisburg Sept. 3, 1954 when the town turned out 20,000 strong—the biggest crowd in history—to honor the McGuires with a special day.
Now no longer with Godfrey, the girls play the nation’s top clubs, keep chiming in on hit records like “Alabama Jubilee” and make guest TV appearances. Their private lives haven’t been as smooth as their professional ones. All are divorced. Chris and Dottie are remarried, Phyllis dates comedian Dick Rowan.
Phyllis, Chris and Dottie dress alike (Chris is official shopper, Phyllis the spokesman and Dottie the secretary-treasurer), exercise to stay size 10’s, and settle disputes the way Congress does—by majority vote. And they’re still a little surprised that anything as much fun as singing has brought them so far.
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