Dorothy McGuire, who reached the top of the pop charts in the 1950s with the McGuire Sisters, one of the eraâs most popular vocal groups, and continued to harmonize with her two sisters on and off for another 50 years, died on Friday in Paradise Valley, Ariz. She was 84.
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The cause was complications of Parkinsonâs disease, said her son Rex Williamson.
Ms. McGuire and her sisters, Christine (the oldest) and Phyllis (the youngest and the lead singer), became pop stars at roughly the same time that rock ânâ roll was becoming a worldwide phenomenon. But the McGuire Sistersâ music â" like that of Perry Como, Patti Page and others of their generation â" existed in a kind of parallel universe; the sweet, upbeat innocence of their hit songs like âSincerelyâ and âSugartimeâ (both of which reached No. 1) stood in stark contrast to rock ânâ rollâs raucous energy, and the sistersâ genteel image â" identical clothes, identical hairstyles, identical smiles â" displayed not a trace of teenage angst or rebellion.
Dorothy McGuire was born on Feb. 13, 1928, in Middletown, Ohio. Her father, Asa, worked in a steel factory; her mother, the former Lillie Fultz, was an ordained minister at the First Church of God in Miamisburg, Ohio. She and her sisters discovered early on that they had a knack for singing in harmony, and their first public performances were in their motherâs church.
In 1952, after touring veteransâ hospitals and military bases and performing at a hotel in Dayton, they decided to try their luck in New York. Their success was almost immediate. They became regulars on Arthur Godfreyâs hugely popular morning television show, where they remained for six years, and began recording for Coral Records, a subsidiary of Decca. They had their first Top 10 record, âGood Night, Sweetheart, Goodnight,â in 1954.
The McGuire Sisters continued to have hits into the early 1960s and to perform until 1968, when they split up; their farewell performance was on âThe Ed Sullivan Show,â where they had appeared many times, Phyllis pursued a solo career, while Dorothy and Christine left show business to raise their families.
They reunited in 1985 and continued to perform well into the 21st century. Their last performance was in 2004, on the PBS special âMagic Moments: The Best of â50s Pop.â
In addition to her sisters and her son Rex, Ms. McGuire is survived by her husband of 53 years, Lowell Williamson; another son, David Williamson; two stepchildren, Rhonda Williamson Wootan and Eric Williamson; and nine grandchildren.
Over the years the McGuire sisters performed for five presidents and for Queen Elizabeth II. They were inducted into both the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Dorothy McGuire offered an explanation for the secret of the McGuire Sistersâ success to People magazine in 1986. âWe had a clear, true harmony and a pure blend,â she said. âIâve always been sold on our sound.â
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