The youngest sibling in popular '50s harmonizing trio the McGuire Sisters, Phyllis, who remains a resident of Las Vegas, has undoubtedly lived an interesting life.
Born February 14, 1931 in Ohio, she and sisters embarked on their singing career in the late 1940s, starting out by entertaining at military bases. They quickly rose to prominence, with multiple TV appearances, and performed for five US presidents and Queen Elizabeth II, among other notables. In 1968 they retired from performing, but reunited in 2004 to perform in a PBS special, "Magic Moments: The Best of '50s Pop."
While the group's popularity made them household names, Phyllis' prominence comes as much from her colorful private life. She is perhaps best known for being a long-time girlfriend of notorious mobster Sam Giancana, while her name was also tied to that of John F. Kennedy (with whom Giancana allegedly shared more than one mistress).
In latter years, she was the on-again, off-again companion of Bob Stupak and helped nurse him back to health after the horrific motorcycle accident in 1995 that almost took his life. It was McGuire who coined the term "Stupakular," in reference to the casino maverick's flamboyant promotional antics, while he once attempted to woo her by sending 1,001-dozen roses to the singer's Rancho Circle home after they'd had a falling out (an act that Stupak, in typically Stupakular style, also marked with a press release).
In March 1999 Phyllis McGuire made the headlines for all the wrong reasons when she became involved in an undercover police operation that happened to be taking place outside her home. Apparently, the former entertainer was heavily intoxicated and highly belligerent towards the police, who tried to calm her down; their efforts were to no avail and, at the age of 68, McGuire was arrested for obstruction of a police officer and battery on a police officer, after she punched and head-butted a member of Metro in the face. She refused to cooperate at any point during the altercation and had to have her head physically held up in order for her mugshot to be taken (see below).
That incident notwithstanding, however, today McGuire is known primarily for her charitable and fundraising activities, on behalf of causes including the Nevada Ballet, Nathan Adelson Hospice, and St Jude's Children's Hospital, and for the breathtaking collection of 180 couture pieces that she accumulated during the course of her career. Representing works from virtually every famous designer in Europe and the U.S., today the singer occasionally makes the collection available for public show and hopes one day that it will find a home in a museum.
Phyllis McGuire resides in a large home in an historic part of downtown Las Vegas, a city that's been her home since 1964, and remains an active socialite.
