- Barbara McNair
Infobox musical artist |
Name = Barbara McNair
Img_caaapt = Barbara McNair
Img_size = 170px
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born = birth date|1934|3|4|mf=y
Died = death date and age|2007|2|4|1934|3|4|mf=y
Origin =Chicago, Illinois flagicon|USA
Instrument =
Genre =Jazz , Pop,Adult Contemporary
Occupation =Singer , actress
Years_active =
Label = Coral, Signature, and Motown
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.barbaramcnair.com/ www.barbaramcnair.com]
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =Barbara McNair (
March 4 1934 -February 4 2007 ) was an African-Americansinger andactress .Born in
Chicago, Illinois and raised inRacine, Wisconsin [ [http://www.tecaid.com/barbaraobituary.htm Obituary with personal photos] by John Thomas, nephew of McNair] , McNair studied music at theAmerican Conservatory of Music inChicago . Her big break came with a win onArthur Godfrey 's "Talent Scouts", which led to bookings atThe Purple Onion and the Cocoanut Grove.She soon became one of the country's most popular headliners and a guest on such
television variety shows as "The Steve Allen Show", "Hullabaloo", "The Bell Telephone Hour ", and "The Hollywood Palace ", while recording for the Coral, Signature, and Motown labels. Among her hits were "You're Gonna Love My Baby" and "Bobby". In the early 60s, Barbara made several musical shorts forScopitone , a franchise of coin-operated machines that showedwhat were then the forerunners of today's music videos.McNair's acting career began on television, guesting on series such as "
Dr. Kildare ", "I Spy ", "", "Hogan's Heroes " and "McMillan and Wife ". She caught the attention of the movie-going public with her much-publicized nude sequences in the gritty crime drama "If He Hollers Let Him Go " (1968) oppositeRaymond St. Jacques , then donned anun 's habit alongsideMary Tyler Moore for "Change of Habit " (1969),Elvis Presley 's last feature film. She portrayedSidney Poitier 's wife in "They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! " (1970) and its sequel, "The Organization" (1971).McNair's Broadway credits include "
The Body Beautiful " (1958), "No Strings " (1962), and a revival of "The Pajama Game " (1973).McNair starred in her own 1969 television variety series, but it lasted only one season, despite the wattage provided by A-list guests like
Tony Bennett andSonny and Cher , and offers began to dwindle. In 1976, her husband, Rick Manzi, was murdered, andMafia boss-turned-FBI -informant Jimmy "The Weasel" Frattiano later claimed in his book "The Last Mafioso" that Manzi had been a Mafia associate who tried to put a contract on the life of a mob-associated tax attorney with whom he had a legal dispute. The ensuing publicity did little to help McNair's floundering career.Her recordings include "Livin' End", "I Enjoy Being a Girl", and "The Ultimate Motown Collection", a 2-CD set with 48 tracks that include her two albums for the label plus a non-album single and B-side and an entire LP that never was released. Into her seventies, McNair resided in the
Los Angeles area, playing tennis and skiing to keep in shape on a regular basis and touring on occasion. She died on February 4, 2007 of throat cancer.References
External links
* [http://www.barbaramcnair.com/ Barbara McNair's official web site]
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* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/arts/television/06mcnair.html "The New York Times" obituary (Feb. 6, 2007)]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqsFYykvN8 Barbara McNair singing "Nothing Can Stop Me Now"]
*cite news | first=Fred | last=Gardner | coauthors= | title=Barbara McNair's Unsung Heroism | date=April 14-15 2007 | publisher=CounterPunch | url =http://www.counterpunch.org/gardner04142007.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-04-20 | language =
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