The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters:
79-583: Among their most popular songs are " Sincerely " and " Sugartime ", both number-one hits. The McGuire sisters were born to Asa and Lillie (Fultz) McGuire in Middletown, Ohio , and grew up in Miamisburg near Dayton . Their mother, Lillie, was a minister of the Miamisburg First Church of God , where, as children, they sang in church at weddings, funerals, and revivals . When they started singing in 1935,
158-399: A Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1966 and was nominated again the following three years. The show exploited his image as a carefree boozer. Martin capitalized on his laid-back persona of the half-drunk crooner , inappropriately hitting on women, and making snappy if slurred remarks about fellow celebrities during his roasts . During an interview on
237-613: A payola investigation years later), Fuqua noted that Freed had in fact contributed to the songwriting for "Sincerely", thus his claim to a songwriting credit in this case was legitimate. The best-selling version of "Sincerely" was a pop cover recorded by the McGuire Sisters , which entered the charts in 1954 and reached number one the next year . It was eventually certified as a gold record . Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti ; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995)
316-640: A Southern politician in 1961's Ada , and starring in 1963's screen adaptation of an intense stage drama, Toys in the Attic , opposite Geraldine Page , as well as in 1970's drama Airport with Burt Lancaster , a huge box-office success. Sinatra and Martin teamed up for several more movies, the crime caper Ocean's 11 , the musical Robin and the 7 Hoods , and the Western comedies Sergeants 3 and 4 for Texas , with their Rat Pack pals such as Sammy Davis, Jr. , Peter Lawford , and Joey Bishop , as well as
395-535: A better act for their second show that night, they would be fired. Huddling in the alley behind the club, Lewis and Martin agreed to "go for broke", they divided their act between songs, skits, and ad-libbed material. Martin sang and Lewis dressed as a busboy, dropping plates and making a shambles of Martin's performance and the club's decorum until Lewis was chased from the room as Martin pelted him with bread rolls. They performed slapstick , reeled off old vaudeville jokes and did whatever else popped into their heads;
474-720: A brief relationship with model and longtime friend Patricia Sheehan . Martin's uncle was Leonard Barr , who appeared in several of his shows. In the 1960s and early 1970s Martin lived at 363 Copa De Oro Road in Bel Air, Los Angeles, before selling it to Tom Jones for $ 500,000 in June 1976. Martin's son-in-law was the Beach Boys ' Carl Wilson , who married Martin's daughter Gina. Figure skater Dorothy Hamill and actress Olivia Hussey were his daughters-in-law during their marriages to Martin's son, Dean Paul Martin. Craig, Martin's elder son,
553-462: A broken nose (later straightened), a scarred lip, many broken knuckles (a result of not being able to afford tape used to wrap boxers' hands), and a bruised body. Of his 12 bouts, Martin said that he "won all but 11." For a time, he shared a New York City apartment with Sonny King , who was also starting in show business and had little money. The two reportedly charged people to watch them bare-knuckle box each other in their apartment, fighting until one
632-528: A crooning style influenced by Harry Mills of the Mills Brothers and Perry Como . By late 1940, Martin had begun singing for Cleveland bandleader Sammy Watkins , who suggested he change his name to Dean Martin. He stayed with Watkins until at least May 1943. By fall 1943, Martin had begun performing in New York. He was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II but was discharged after 14 months due to
711-742: A hernia. In October 1941, Martin married Elizabeth "Betty" Anne McDonald in Cleveland , and the couple had an apartment in Cleveland Heights for a while. They eventually had four children before divorcing in 1949. Martin attracted the attention of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures , but a Hollywood contract was not forthcoming. Martin met comic Jerry Lewis at the Belmont Plaza Hotel in New York City in August 1944. According to Lewis,
790-547: A lifelong heavy smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in September 1993. He was told that he would require surgery to prolong his life, but he rejected it. Martin retired from public life in early 1995 and died of acute respiratory failure resulting from emphysema at his Beverly Hills home on Christmas Day, 1995, at the age of 78. The lights of the Las Vegas Strip were dimmed in his honor. Martin
869-638: A minor hit single with " Since I Met You Baby " and made his first music video, which appeared on MTV and was created by Martin's youngest son, Ricci. On March 21, 1987, Martin's son, actor Dean Paul Martin (formerly Dino of the 1960s " teeny-bopper " rock group Dino, Desi & Billy ), died when his F-4 Phantom II jet fighter crashed while flying with the California Air National Guard . Martin's grief over his son's death left him depressed and demoralized. Lewis stated in an on-stage interview in 2005 that subsequent to his son's death Martin became
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#1732852703258948-571: A month after his second marriage had dissolved, Martin, at 55, married 26-year-old Catherine Hawn on April 25, 1973. Hawn had been the receptionist at the chic Gene Shacove hair salon in Beverly Hills. They divorced November 10, 1976. He was also briefly engaged to Gail Renshaw , Miss World –U.S. 1969. Eventually, Martin reconciled with Jeanne, though they never remarried. Martin and Hawn had no biological children of their own but Martin adopted Hawn's daughter, Sasha. After their divorce, Martin had
1027-519: A number of Westerns . By the early 1970s, The Dean Martin Show was still earning solid ratings, and although he was no longer a Top 40 hitmaker, his record albums continued to sell. He found a way to make his passion for golf profitable by offering a signature line of golf balls, and the Dean Martin Tucson Open was an event on golf's PGA Tour from 1972 to 1975. At his death, Martin was reportedly
1106-415: A publicity photo of Martin, Lewis, and actress Sheree North was published on the cover of Look magazine. Martin was shocked to see Lewis and North pictured but Martin cropped off the page. The team's publicity manager, Jack Keller, remembered Martin walking on the set "with a copy of Look and he threw it right in my face and called me every vile name he could think of." Lewis recalled Martin "saying he
1185-532: A reclusive alcoholic. Later, a tour with Davis and Sinatra in 1988, undertaken in part to help Martin recover, sputtered. Martin was married three times. He wed Elizabeth Anne "Betty" McDonald, (July 14, 1922 – July 11, 1989) of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania in 1941. The couple had four children: Martin then married Dorothy Jean "Jeanne" Biegger (March 27, 1927 – August 24, 2016), a former Orange Bowl queen from Coral Gables, Florida . Their marriage lasted 24 years (1949–1973) and produced three children: Less than
1264-1155: A restaurant in Bradenton, Florida , calling it McGuire's Pub. They were inducted into the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 2001, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame . They also have been inducted into the Coca-Cola Hall of Fame and the Headliners' Hall of Fame. They were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2009. Christine was married six times. Her first marriage to Harold Ashcraft (1942 until August 16, 1950) she had two children, Herold and Asa. Christine later married John Henry Teeter (December 30, 1952 until December, 18, 1962), Robert Hugh Spain (December 12, 1967 until 1970), Guy Marks (from 1975 until unknown), George Rosenfeld (from ?? until his death on August 23, 1996), and David Mudd (2002 until his death on August 19, 2011). All
1343-549: A romantic comedy, Marriage on the Rocks . Martin also co-starred with Shirley MacLaine in a number of films, including Some Came Running , Artists and Models , Career , All in a Night's Work , and What a Way to Go! He played a satiric variation of his own womanizing persona as Las Vegas singer "Dino" in Billy Wilder 's comedy Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) with Kim Novak , and Martin poked fun at his image in films such as
1422-433: A series of TV specials through 1984. For nearly a decade, Martin had recorded as many as four albums a year for Reprise Records . Martin recorded his final Reprise album, Once in a While in 1974, which was not issued until 1978. His final recordings were made for Warner Bros. Records . The Nashville Sessions was released in 1983, from which he had a hit with "(I Think That I Just Wrote) My First Country Song", which
1501-708: A small picture and brief biography in the Gazebo Park at Route 7 and North Fourth Street. The Dean Martin Hometown Festival is held over a long weekend every June in Steubenville: led by The Dean Martin Association since 2024, impersonators, friends and family, and entertainers, many of Italian ancestry, appear. In 2005, Clark County, Nevada , renamed a portion of Industrial Road as Dean Martin Drive. A similarly named street
1580-568: A solo career as a performer and actor. He established himself as a singer, recording numerous contemporary songs as well as standards from the Great American Songbook . Martin became one of the most popular acts in Las Vegas and was known for his friendship with fellow artists Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. , who together with several others formed the Rat Pack . Starting in 1965, Martin
1659-574: A square between via Sarca and via Torrente Piomba and a congress palace called Pala Dean Martin congress center in via Aldo Moro adjacent to the Porto Allegro structure (former cinema Warner). A number of Martin songs have been featured across popular culture for decades. Hits such as "Ain't That a Kick in the Head", "Sway", "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You", "That's Amore", and Martin's signature song "Everybody Loves Somebody" have been in films (such as
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#17328527032581738-414: A teenager, Martin played the drums as a hobby. He dropped out of Steubenville High School in the tenth grade because, according to Martin, he thought he was smarter than his teachers. Martin bootlegged liquor , worked in a steel mill, served as a croupier at a speakeasy and a blackjack dealer, and was a welterweight boxer. At 15, Martin billed himself as "Kid Crochet". His prizefighting earned him
1817-485: A triple threat: they could make money from his work in nightclubs, films, and records. Randall was paid off to relinquish the role, Martin replaced him and the film turned out to be the beginning of Martin's comeback. He starred alongside Frank Sinatra for the first time in the Vincente Minnelli drama, Some Came Running (1958). By the mid-1960s, Martin was a movie, recording, television, and nightclub star. He
1896-721: The Matt Helm spy spoofs of the 1960s, in which he was a co-producer. In the third Matt Helm film The Ambushers (1967), Helm, about to be executed, receives a last cigarette and tells the provider, "I'll remember you from the great beyond", continuing sotto voce , "somewhere around Steubenville, I hope". As a singer, Martin copied the styles of Harry Mills (of the Mills Brothers ), Bing Crosby , and Perry Como until he developed his own and could hold his own in duets with Sinatra and Crosby. Like Sinatra, Martin could not read music, but he recorded more than 100 albums and 600 songs. His signature tune, " Everybody Loves Somebody ", knocked
1975-683: The Hollywood Walk of Fame : one at 6519 Hollywood Boulevard for movies; the second at 1617 Vine for recordings; and a third at 6651 Hollywood Boulevard for television. In February 2009, Martin was honored with a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award . Four of his surviving children, Gail, Deana, Ricci and Gina accepted it on his behalf. In 2010, Martin received a posthumous star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The town of origin of Dean's father, Montesilvano , dedicated to him
2054-482: The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon in 1994. Since then, the sisters had made occasional public appearances together, including in 2004, when they reunited to perform in a PBS special Magic Moments: Best of '50s Pop. The sisters' command of their vocal cords and harmonious blend, perhaps the most impressive of any trio before or since, had not significantly diminished. After their careers wound down, they opened
2133-505: The Muscular Dystrophy Association , in September 1976. Sinatra shocked Lewis by bringing Martin out on stage and as the two men embraced, the audience gave them a standing ovation and the phones lit up, resulting in one of the telethon's most profitable years up to that time. Lewis later reported the event was one of the three most memorable of his life. Lewis quipped, "So, you working?" Martin, playing drunk, replied that he
2212-508: The 2008 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show ). Danny Gans portrayed Martin in the 1992 CBS miniseries Sinatra . Martin was portrayed by Joe Mantegna in the 1998 HBO movie about Sinatra and Martin titled The Rat Pack . Mantegna was nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the role. British actor Jeremy Northam portrayed the entertainer in the 2002 made-for-TV movie Martin and Lewis , alongside Will & Grace 's Sean Hayes as Jerry Lewis. Martin
2291-695: The Andrews Sisters . Maxene Andrews said in an interview with Joe Franklin on WOR (AM) radio in 1979, "The McGuire Sisters were fine once they stopped imitating the Andrews Sisters." While working on the Godfrey show, the McGuires befriended singer Lu Ann Simms and attended her wedding to music publisher Loring Buzzell in July 1956. Buzzell's music publishing firm, Hecht-Lancaster & Buzzell Music (co-owned by Harold Hecht and Burt Lancaster ) provided two songs for
2370-435: The Andrews Sisters in New York in the early 1950s and received important advice. The McGuires moved when they sang, often executing dance routines in lavish production numbers on countless television specials. The Andrews Sisters performed similarly in films in the 1940s, and were the first female vocal group to move when they sang, rather than just standing at a microphone. The sisters had mimicked that style, as well as those of
2449-829: The Beatles ' " A Hard Day's Night " off number one in the United States in 1964. This was followed by "The Door is Still Open to My Heart", which reached number six that year. Elvis Presley was said to have been a fan of Martin, and patterned his performance of " Love Me Tender " after Martin's style. Martin, like Elvis, was influenced by country music . By 1965, some of Martin's albums, such as Dean "Tex" Martin Rides Again , Houston , Welcome to My World , and Gentle on My Mind , were composed of country and western songs by artists such as Johnny Cash , Merle Haggard , and Buck Owens . Martin hosted country performers on his TV show and
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2528-594: The British TV documentary Wine, Women and Song , aired in 1983, Martin stated, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, that he had someone record them on cassette tape so he could listen to them. Martin's TV show was a success. The show's loose format featured quick-witted improvisation from Martin and his weekly guests. This prompted a battle between Martin and NBC censors, who insisted on more scrutiny of the content. He later had trouble with NBC for his off-the-cuff use of obscene Italian phrases, which brought complaints from viewers who spoke
2607-654: The Hollywood social scene, and were politically influential (through Lawford's marriage to Patricia Kennedy, sister of President John F. Kennedy ). The Rat Pack was legendary for its Las Vegas Strip performances. For example, the marquee at the Sands Hotel might read "DEAN MARTIN—MAYBE FRANK—MAYBE SAMMY". Their appearances were valuable because the city would flood with wealthy gamblers. Their act (always in tuxedo) consisted of each singing individual numbers, duets and trios, along with seemingly improvised slapstick and chatter. In
2686-575: The McGuire Sisters, " May You Always ", which became the best-selling 45 and sheet music of 1959, and "Theme from The Unforgiven (The Need for Love)", which became another big hit in 1960. The McGuire Sisters were the Mystery Guests on the May 29, 1955 airing of What's My Line? Fred Allen guessed who they were. In 1958, their mother appeared as a guest challenger on the television game show To Tell
2765-539: The Mills Brothers and the Dinning Sisters ever since they were young, when they would perform short shows for family and friends in their parents' living room. Phyllis McGuire recounted that she and her sisters did not know any popular songs when they became famous, only the hymns taught to them by their mother. The trio imitated other singing groups long before their success. They performed for five Presidents of
2844-588: The Oscar-winning Logorama , A Bronx Tale , Casino , Goodfellas , Payback , Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol , Sexy Beast , Moonstruck , Vegas Vacation , Swingers , and Return to Me ), television series (such as American Dad! , Friends , The Sopranos , Mad Men , House MD , Samurai Jack , and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ), video games (such as The Godfather: The Game , The Godfather II , Fallout: New Vegas , and Mafia II ), and fashion shows (such as
2923-666: The R&;R AC chart. It also went to No. 36 on the R&R Country chart – the last time Martin had a song this high in the charts was in 1965, with the song " I Will ", which reached No. 10 on the Pop chart. An album of duets, Forever Cool , was released by Capitol/EMI in 2007. It features Martin's voice with Kevin Spacey , Shelby Lynne , Joss Stone , Big Bad Voodoo Daddy , Robbie Williams , McBride and others. His footprints were immortalized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1964. Martin has three stars on
3002-533: The Rat Pack, so-called after an earlier group of social friends, the Holmby Hills Rat Pack centered on Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall , of which Sinatra had been a member (The Martin-Sinatra-Davis-Lawford-Bishop group referred to themselves as "The Summit" or "The Clan" and never as "The Rat Pack", although this has remained their identity in popular imagination). The men made films together, formed part of
3081-525: The Truth . In December 1958 they appeared and performed as themselves in Season 4, Episode 11 of The Phil Silvers Show , "Bilko Presents the McGuire Sisters". The McGuire Sisters and the Andrews Sisters met several times during their careers. Phyllis credited Patty, Maxene, and LaVerne Andrews during a television interview with Maxene in the 1990s, hosted by Sally Jessy Raphael , saying that her sisters and she met
3160-519: The U.S. and number 2 in the UK, the era of the pop crooner was waning with the advent of rock and roll . Martin wanted to become a dramatic actor, known for more than slapstick comedy films. Though offered a fraction of his former salary to co-star in a war drama, The Young Lions (1958), Martin's part would be with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift . Tony Randall already had the part, but talent agency MCA realized that with this film, Martin would become
3239-576: The US alone, over 50 million worldwide. Martin's best known songs include " Ain't That a Kick in the Head? ", " Memories Are Made of This ", " That's Amore ", " Everybody Loves Somebody ", " You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You ", " Sway ", and " Volare ". Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti on June 7, 1917, in Steubenville, Ohio , to Italian father Gaetano Alfonso Crocetti (1894–1967) and Italian-American mother Angela Crocetti ( née Barra; 1897–1966). Gaetano, who
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3318-538: The United States : Richard Nixon , Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter , Ronald Reagan , and George H. W. Bush , and for Queen Elizabeth II . In London they performed a set for the Royal Variety Performance of 1961. During the 1960s, the sisters maintained a busy television schedule, making frequent appearances on popular variety programs hosted by Ed Sullivan , Dean Martin , Danny Kaye , Milton Berle , Andy Williams , Perry Como , and Red Skelton . The trio
3397-472: The audience laughed. This success led to a series of well-paying engagements on the Eastern seaboard, culminating in a run at New York's Copacabana . The act consisted of Lewis interrupting and heckling Martin while he was trying to sing, with the two ultimately chasing each other around the stage. The secret, both said, is that they ignored the audience and played to each other. The team made its television debut on
3476-478: The casino's refusal to agree to Martin's request to perform only once a night. Martin joined the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino , where he was the featured performer on the hotel's opening night of December 23, 1973, and Martin's contract required him to star in a film ( Mr. Ricco ) for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. Martin also made a public reconciliation with Lewis on his partner's Labor Day telethon , benefiting
3555-421: The first broadcast of CBS-TV network's The Ed Sullivan Show (then called The Toast Of The Town ) on June 20, 1948, with composers Rodgers and Hammerstein also appearing. Hoping to improve their act, the two hired young comedy writers Norman Lear and Ed Simmons to write their bits. With the assistance of both Lear and Simmons, the two would take their act beyond nightclubs. A radio series began in 1949,
3634-402: The frantic "I Love a Violin", the a cappella "Danny Boy", and a segment during which Phyllis retired backstage as Christine and Dorothy shared the spotlight playing a concert arrangement of "The Way We Were" on twin pianos. Other highlights in the act were a comical Trinidad-flavored tune, a soft rendering of "Memory" from Broadway's Cats , and a "Money Medley", which they also performed live on
3713-509: The great comic geniuses of all time. They were friends, as well, with Lewis acting as best man when Martin remarried in 1949. But harsh comments from critics, as well as frustration with the similarity of Martin and Lewis movies, which producer Hal Wallis refused to change, led to Martin's dissatisfaction. He put less enthusiasm into the work. Martin soldiered on during the production of the Martin & Lewis feature 3 Ring Circus (1954), when
3792-480: The group is often attributed to Phyllis' long-standing personal relationship with mobster Sam Giancana (although for years she claimed that their friendship was strictly platonic), which reportedly led to the group's blacklisting. During one of his 1960s court appearances for which Phyllis was subpoenaed, Giancana told reporters outside the courthouse, "Phyllis knows everything" about the rumored unethical behaviors of John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert . Giancana
3871-467: The language. The show was often in the Top Ten. Martin, appreciative of the show's producer, his friend Greg Garrison , made a handshake deal giving Garrison, a pioneer TV producer in the 1950s, 50% of the show. However, the validity of that ownership is the subject of a lawsuit brought by NBCUniversal . Despite Martin's reputation as a drinker—perpetuated via his vanity license plate "DRUNKY"—his alcohol use
3950-866: The latter marriages remained childless. Christine's grandson, Army Cpl. Evan Asa Ashcraft, aged 24, was killed in Iraq in 2003, when the convoy he was traveling in came under fire. On July 30, 1951, Dorothy married Sgt. John Henry Brown, whom she divorced on January 9, 1956. During their childless marriage, Dorothy was romantically linked with singer Julius La Rosa . On December 6, 1958, she married Lowell James Williamson, with whom she had two sons, Rex and David. In November 1952, Phyllis married Cornelius (Neal) Anthony Burke Van Ells. They divorced in 1956. She had no children. On September 7, 2012, Dorothy McGuire died at her son's home in Paradise Valley, Arizona , after suffering from Parkinson's disease and age-related dementia; she
4029-432: The mansion if any of the money to build the lavish home came from Giancana, Phyllis denied the suggestion, claiming that she invested heavily in oil when the sisters were at the height of their popularity. In the same interview, she acknowledged that her relationship with Giancana was in fact a love affair, saying, "When I met him, I did not know who he was, and he was not married, and I was an unmarried woman. And according to
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#17328527032584108-545: The music of The McGuire Sisters. Their number one single, "Sincerely", is lip-synced by the film's stars Cher , Karen Black and Sandy Dennis as "The Disciples of James Dean." " Join the Club ", the second episode of the sixth season of The Sopranos , references both The McGuire Sisters and Sam Giancana. Sincerely (song) " Sincerely " is a popular song written by Harvey Fuqua and Alan Freed and first released by The Moonglows in 1954 . The Moonglows recorded
4187-518: The single largest minority shareholder of RCA stock. Martin began reducing his schedule once comfortable financially. The final (1973–1974) season of his variety show was retooled into one of celebrity roasts , requiring less involvement. In the roasts, Martin and his panel of pals made fun of a variety of popular entertainment, athletic, and political figures. After the show's cancellation, NBC continued to air The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast as
4266-625: The socially charged 1960s, their jokes revolved around adult themes, such as Sinatra's womanizing and Martin's drinking, as well as Davis's race and religion. Sinatra and Martin supported the civil rights movement and refused to perform in clubs that would not allow black American or Jewish performers. Posthumously, the Rat Pack has experienced a popular revival, inspiring the George Clooney / Brad Pitt Ocean's Trilogy . In 1965, Martin launched his weekly NBC comedy-variety series, The Dean Martin Show , which ran for 264 episodes until 1974. He won
4345-711: The song during their first session for Chess Records, which took place in October, 1954 at Universal Recording Corporation in Chicago. The Moonglows' version reached number one on the Billboard R&;B chart and number 20 on the Billboard Juke Box chart. Co-writing credits were shared by Moonglows band member Fuqua and disk jockey Freed. After it became known that Freed had inappropriately claimed songwriter credits for songs by bands he promoted (associated with his downfall in
4424-564: The two men met initially in the lobby, where Martin approached him and said, "Hey, I saw your act, you're a funny kid." Martin was singing at the hotel's famous Glass Hat Club at the time and the two happened to be on the same bill. Martin and Lewis formed a fast friendship which led to their participation in each other's acts and the formation of a music-comedy team. Their debut together occurred at Atlantic City 's 500 Club on July 24, 1946, and they were not well received. The owner, Skinny D'Amato , warned them that if they did not come up with
4503-687: The way I was brought up, there was nothing wrong with that. And I didn't find out until sometime later really who he was, and I was already in love." The sisters reunited in 1986, performing at Toronto's Royal York Hotel for the first time since their retirement. Numerous nightclub engagements followed in Las Vegas , Atlantic City , and New York City's Rainbow & Stars, showcasing the group and Phyllis' impersonations of Peggy Lee , Judy Garland , Pearl Bailey , Ethel Merman , and even Louis Armstrong . Singing their greatest hits as part of their act, they were also featured performing specialty numbers such as
4582-571: The year Martin and Lewis signed with Paramount producer Hal B. Wallis as comedy relief for the movie My Friend Irma . Their agent, Abby Greshler, negotiated one of Hollywood's best deals: although they received only $ 75,000 between them for their films with Wallis, Martin and Lewis were free to do one outside film a year, which they would co-produce through their own York Productions. They also controlled their club, record, radio, and television appearances, and through these they earned millions of dollars. In Dean & Me , Lewis calls Martin one of
4661-562: The youngest sister, Phyllis, was four years old. Eventually, they sang at occasions outside church, and by 1949 were singing at military bases and veterans' hospitals, performing a more diverse repertoire than they had in church. The McGuire Sisters signed with Coral Records in 1952. In the same year, they appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts , and Godfrey hired them for his other shows, where they remained for seven years. The November 1953 issue of Cosmopolitan called them "Godfrey's Merry McGuires". The sisters often were compared to
4740-434: Was 84. Dorothy's husband of 54 years, Lowell Williamson, died six months later on February 25, 2013, after sustaining a fractured back from a fall; he was 89. Christine McGuire died in Las Vegas , Nevada , on December 28, 2018, at the age of 92. No cause of death was given. Phyllis McGuire, the last surviving member of the trio, died peacefully at her estate in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 29, 2020, of natural causes; she
4819-479: Was 89. The McGuire Sisters, and most especially Phyllis McGuire, who lived in Las Vegas, were the subjects of the 1995 HBO movie Sugartime , which depicted a romantic relationship between Phyllis and mobster Sam Giancana . Giancana was played by actor John Turturro , and Phyllis was played by actress Mary-Louise Parker . The Robert Altman film Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean (1982) prominently features
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#17328527032584898-517: Was a barber, was originally from Montesilvano, Pescara , and Angela was born December 18, 1897, in Fernwood, Ohio . Angela's father, Domenico Barra, emigrated from Monasterolo del Castello , Bergamo. Martin's first language was Italian and he spoke no English until starting school at the age of five. Martin attended Grant Elementary School in Steubenville, where he was bullied for his broken English . As
4977-502: Was among the most popular acts in Las Vegas , where he sang and was a comedian, benefiting from the decade of comedy with Lewis. Martin's daughter, Gail, also sang in Vegas and on many TV shows including his, co-hosting his summer replacement series on NBC. Daughter Deana Martin continues to perform, as did youngest son Ricci Martin until his death in August 2016. Eldest son Craig was a producer on Martin's television show and daughter Claudia
5056-438: Was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular entertainers of the mid-20th century, he was nicknamed "The King of Cool". Martin gained his career breakthrough together with comedian Jerry Lewis , billed as Martin and Lewis , in 1946. They performed in nightclubs and later had numerous appearances on radio and television and in films. Following an acrimonious ending of the partnership in 1956, Martin pursued
5135-446: Was an actress in films such as For Those Who Think Young . Though thought of as promiscuous, Martin spent a lot of time with his family; as second wife Jeanne put it, prior to the couple's divorce, "He was home every night for dinner." As Martin's solo career grew, he and Frank Sinatra became friends. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Martin and Sinatra, along with friends Joey Bishop , Peter Lawford , and Sammy Davis Jr. , formed
5214-534: Was appearing "at the 'Meggum ' " (meaning the MGM Grand Hotel). This, with the death of Martin's son Dean Paul Martin more than a decade later, helped bring the two men together. They maintained a quiet friendship, but only performed again once, on Martin's 72nd birthday in 1989. Martin returned to films briefly with appearances in the star-laden, critically panned but commercially successful The Cannonball Run and its sequel Cannonball Run II . He also had
5293-610: Was dedicated in 2008 in Rancho Mirage, California . Martin's family was presented a gold record in 2004 for Dino: The Essential Dean Martin , his fastest-selling album, which also hit the iTunes Top 10, and in 2006 it was certified "Platinum". There is a street named after Martin in San Antonio, Texas . For the week ending December 23, 2006, the Dean Martin and Martina McBride duet of " Baby, It's Cold Outside " reached No. 7 on
5372-404: Was dressed and coiffed identically, and performed synchronized body movements and hand gestures with military precision. Their recordings of "Sincerely", "Picnic", and "Sugartime" all sold more than one million copies. They retired from public appearances in 1968, giving their last performance that year on The Ed Sullivan Show . Phyllis McGuire continued to perform solo for a time. The demise of
5451-440: Was fed up to the ears playing a stooge. One morning he arrived an hour late on the set and stared daggers at me. 'Anytime you wanta call it quits, just let me know.'" Martin was chagrined by the situation: "Why the hell should I come in on time? There's not a damn thing for me to do." In later years Martin reflected on the working conditions during 3 Ring Circus : "There was no sense of me being in that picture at all. The picture
5530-590: Was interred at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. The crypt features the epitaph " Everybody loves somebody sometime ", the first line of his signature song. In 1997, Ohio Route 7 through Steubenville was rededicated as Dean Martin Boulevard. Road signs bearing an Al Hirschfeld caricature of Martin's likeness designate the stretch with a historical marker bearing
5609-438: Was knocked out. Martin knocked out King in the first round of an amateur boxing match. Martin gave up boxing to work as a roulette stickman and croupier in an illegal casino behind a tobacco shop, where he had started as a stock boy. At the same time, he sang with local bands, calling himself "Dino Martini" (after the Metropolitan Opera tenor Nino Martini ). Martin got his break working for the Ernie McKay Orchestra . He sang in
5688-638: Was known as Dude in Rio Bravo (1959), directed by Howard Hawks and also starring John Wayne and singer Ricky Nelson . Martin teamed again with Wayne in The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), cast as brothers. In 1960, Martin was cast in the film version of the Judy Holliday stage musical comedy Bells Are Ringing . He won a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the 1960 film comedy Who Was That Lady? , but continued to seek dramatic roles, portraying
5767-457: Was married to Lou Costello 's daughter Carole (1938–1987) until her death from a stroke at age 48. Dean Martin bred Andalusian horses at his Hidden Valley Ranch, Thousand Oaks Ventura County, California. Martin volunteered to perform fundraisers for the Bergson Group in the late 1940s. Although a Republican, Martin supported Democratic candidate Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Martin,
5846-661: Was named "Man Of the Year" by the Country Music Association in 1966. The final album of his recording career was 1983's The Nashville Sessions . The image of Martin as a Vegas entertainer in a tuxedo has been an enduring one. " Ain't That a Kick in the Head? ", a song Martin performed in Ocean's 11 , did not become a hit at the time, but has enjoyed a revival in the media and pop culture and has been his most frequently played song in media for two decades. For three decades, Martin
5925-408: Was on 35 minutes before I sang one song. Then it was an old one, 'It's a Big, Wide Wonderful World', and I sang it to animals." Martin lived up to his contract and remained with Lewis until the agreement expired on July 25, 1956, 10 years to the day from the first teaming. Martin's first solo film, Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957), was a box-office failure. Although " Volare " reached number 15 in
6004-526: Was quite disciplined. Martin was the first to call it a night and, when not on tour or on a film location, liked to go home to see his family. Martin borrowed the lovable-drunk shtick from Joe E. Lewis , but his convincing portrayals of heavy boozers in Some Came Running and Howard Hawks's Rio Bravo led to unsubstantiated claims of alcoholism. Martin starred in and co-produced four Matt Helm superspy comedy adventures during this time, as well as
6083-499: Was recorded with Conway Twitty and made a respectable showing on the country charts. A follow-up single, "L.A. Is My Home"/"Drinking Champagne", came in 1985. The 1974 film drama Mr. Ricco marked Martin's final starring role, in which he played a criminal defense lawyer. In 1972, Martin filed for divorce from his second wife, Jeanne. A week later, his business partnership with the Riviera hotel in Las Vegas dissolved amid reports of
6162-466: Was shot in 1975 by an unknown gunman thought to be Dominic "Butch" Blasi, his closest confidante and right hand man of sorts. Phyllis resided for decades in a famously showcased mansion in Las Vegas, boasting its own beauty parlor, a swan moat, and a replica of the Eiffel Tower which actually rose through the home's roof. When asked by Barbara Walters during a 1980s ABC-TV 20/20 interview from within
6241-499: Was the host of the television variety program The Dean Martin Show , which centered on Martin's singing and comedic talents and was characterized by his relaxed, easy-going demeanor. From 1974 to 1984, Martin was roastmaster on the popular Dean Martin Celebrity Roast , which drew celebrities, comedians and politicians. Throughout his career, Martin performed in concert stages, nightclubs, audio recordings and appeared in 85 film and television productions and sold 12 million records in
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