Barbara Jean McNair (March 4, 1934 – February 4, 2007) was an American singer and theater, television, and film actress. McNair's career spanned over five decades in television, film, and stage. McNair's professional career began in music during the late 1950s, singing in the nightclub circuit. In 1958, McNair released her debut single "Till There Was You" from Coral Records which was a commercial success. McNair performed all across the world, touring with Nat King Cole and later appearing in his Broadway stage shows ''I'm with You'' and ''The Merry World of Nat King Cole'' in the early 1960s. By the 1970s, McNair gradually changed over to acting in films and television; she played

Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive ...

's wife in ''

They Call Me Mister Tibbs! ''They Call Me Mister Tibbs!'' is a 1970 American DeLuxe Color crime drama film directed by Gordon Douglas. The second installment in a trilogy, the release was preceded by '' In the Heat of the Night'' (1967) and followed by '' The Organizati ...

'' (1970) and its sequel, '' The Organization'' (1971). In her later years, McNair returned to performing in nightclubs and on cruise ships. McNair died from throat cancer on February 4, 2007, at age 72.

Biography

Early life and education

Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Horace McNair and Claudia McNair (née Taylor), McNair moved with her family, which also consisted of four siblings, to

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...

, shortly after her birth. With her parents' persuasion, McNair began singing in school productions and during church services.Fox, Margalit
"Barbara McNair, 72, a Singer, Actress and Host of a TV Show, Dies "
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', February 6, 2007. McNair attended Washington Park High School, graduating in 1952. After high school, McNair studied music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. She also briefly attended

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

because she had been raised to believe that whatever people planned to do with their lives they had to go to college to learn how to do it. She dropped college after one year when she felt it had nothing to do with what she wanted to accomplish.

Career

McNair's big break came with a win on '' Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts'', which led to bookings at The Purple Onion and the Cocoanut Grove. Described by the ''New York Times'' as "a gorgeous looking woman with a warm, easy, communicative personality and a voice that can range from softly intense ballads to the edges of gospel", Barbara soon became a popular headliner and a guest on such television variety shows as '' The Steve Allen Show'', ''

Hullabaloo Hubbabaloo or hullaballoo may refer to: * Hullabaloo (band), a punk band * Hullabaloo (song), a 1990 single by Absent Friends * Hullabaloo (festival), a music festival at the University of California San Diego * ''Hullabaloo'' (film), a 1940 film ...

'', '' The Bell Telephone Hour'', and ''

The Hollywood Palace ''The Hollywood Palace'' was an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly Saturday nights (except September 1967 to January 1968, when it was seen Monday nights) on ABC from January 4, 1964, to February 7, 1970. Title ...

''. Among her hit records while recording for the

Coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and sec ...

Signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

, and TEC Recording Studios labels, were "You're Gonna Love My Baby" and "Bobby". In the early 1960s, McNair made several musical shorts for Scopitone, a franchise of coin-operated machines that showed what were the forerunners of today's music videos. In 1967 McNair travelled with Bob Hope to Southeast Asia to perform for U.S. troops during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. McNair's acting career began on television, as a guest on series such as ''

Dr. Kildare Dr. James Kildare is a fictional American medical doctor, originally created in the 1930s by the author Frederick Schiller Faust under the pen name Max Brand. Shortly after the character's first appearance in a magazine story, Paramount Pictur ...

'', '' The Eleventh Hour'', ''

I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

Hogan's Heroes ''Hogan's Heroes'' is an American television sitcom set in a Nazi German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II. It ran for 168 episodes (six seasons) from September 17, 1965, to April 4, 1971, on the CBS network, the longest broadcast ...

'', and ''

McMillan and Wife ''McMillan & Wife'' (known simply as ''McMillan'' from 1976–77) is an American police procedural television series that aired on NBC from September 17, 1971, to April 24, 1977. Starring Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in the title roles, the ...

''. McNair posed nude for ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'' in the October 1968 issue. 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) opposite

Raymond St. Jacques Raymond St. Jacques (born James Arthur Johnson; March 1, 1930 – August 27, 1990) was an American actor, director and producer whose career spanned over thirty years on stage, film and television. St. Jacques is noted as the first African Americ ...

. She then donned a nun's habit alongside

Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), which ...

for '' Change of Habit'' (1969),

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's last feature film. She portrayed

's wife in ''

'' (1970) and its sequel, '' The Organization'' (1971), and

George Jefferson George Jefferson is a fictional character played by Sherman Hemsley on the American television sitcoms ''All in the Family'' (1973–1975, 1978) and its spin-off ''The Jeffersons'' (1975–1985), in which he serves as the program's protagonist. ...

's deranged ex-girlfriend Yvonne in '' The Jeffersons'' (1984). McNair's Broadway credits include '' The Body Beautiful'' (1958), '' No Strings'' (1962, replacing

Diahann Carroll Diahann Carroll (; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. She rose to prominence in some of the earliest major studio films to feature black casts, including ''Car ...

), and a revival of ''

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. and dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his c ...

'' (1973, co-starring with Hal Linden and Cab Calloway). McNair starred in her own 1969 television variety series ''The Barbara McNair Show'', becoming one of the first black women to host her own musical variety show. The show, which was produced in Canada by

CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...

(at CFTO,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

), lasted three seasons in

first-run syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States where ...

in the United States until 1972. The show starred A-list guests including Tony Bennett, Sonny and Cher,

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los ...

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

, Freda Payne,

Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to t ...

Della Reese Delloreese Patricia Early (July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017), known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. She began her long career as a s ...

Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American record producer, singer, composer and actor. Rawls released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably his s ...

Rich Little Richard Caruthers Little (born November 26, 1938) is a Canadian-American Impressionist (entertainment), impressionist and voice actor. Sometimes known as the "Man of a Thousand Voices", Little has recorded nine comedy albums and made numerous tel ...

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimm ...

, Ethel Waters,

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portra ...

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

, and

The Irish Rovers The Irish Rovers is a group of Irish musicians that originated in Toronto, Canada. Formed in 1963'Irish Rovers are Digging out those old Folk songs', By Ballymena Weekly Editor, Ballymena Weekly Telegraph, N. Ireland – 20 August 1964 and na ...

. McNair was a headliner at Las Vegas hotels like the Sahara. She also appeared on TV game shows in the 1960s and 70s, including ''

You Don't Say ''You Don't Say!'' is an American television game show that had three separate runs on television. The first version aired on NBC daytime from April 1, 1963 to September 26, 1969 with revivals on ABC in 1975 and in syndication from 1978 to 1979 ...

'', '' Hollywood Squares'', and ''

The Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game, panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebr ...

''. She was also a VIP guest on the talk shows of

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...

, Joey Bishop,

Mike Douglas Michael Delaney Dowd Jr. (August 11, 1920 – August 11, 2006),Cook County Birth Certificates, file number 6053268, borAugust 11, 1920Social Security Death Index, Michael D. Dowd Jr., Birth: 11 Aug 1920, death: 11 Aug 2006 residing in North ...

, and

Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 he hosted his own ta ...

. McNair's recordings include ''Livin' End'', ''The Real Barbara McNair'', ''More Today Than Yesterday'', ''Broadway Show Stoppers'', ''A Movie Soundtrack If He Hollers, Let Him Go'', ''I Enjoy Being a Girl'', and ''The Ultimate Motown Collection'', a two-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. In the late 1970s McNair was one of the original members of the "Four Girls Four" act, along with Rose Marie, Rosemary Clooney, and Margaret Whiting. She was quickly replaced by Helen O'Connell, however, as she was deemed too young to fit in with the rest of the group.

Personal life

McNair was married five times and had no children. McNair's first husband was Earl Wright whom she was married to from 1953 until 1955. From 1963 until 1971, McNair was married to Jack Rafferty. In August 1972, she married Rick Manzie, whom she had met in 1965 during a separation period from Rafferty (McNair remained married to Rafferty as he helped co-produce ''The Barbara McNair Show'' along with Rick Manzie who lived with Barbara in their Las Vegas home at 4265 South Bruce Street). McNair and Manzie remained married until his murder in December 1976. Three years after Manzie's death, McNair married Ben Strahan in 1979. McNair and Strahan divorced in 1986. Her last marriage was to Charles Blecka in 2006, to whom she was married at the time of her death. McNair is the cousin of musician Curtis Knight.

1972 arrest and Manzie

In October 1972, McNair was arrested for possession of heroin at the Playboy Club in New Jersey. The charges stemmed from McNair signing for a package containing drugs that was delivered to her home. McNair stated she had no knowledge of the contents of the package or who sent it. McNair's then-husband Rick Manzie was later charged with the crime and charges against McNair were dropped in April 1973. On December 15, 1976, McNair's third husband, Chicago businessman Rick Manzie, was murdered in their Las Vegas mansion. Mafia boss-turned-

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

informant An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informan ...

Jimmy Fratianno Aladena James Fratianno (born Aladena Fratianno; November 14, 1913 – June 29, 1993), also known as "Jimmy the Weasel", was an Italian-born American mobster who was acting boss of the Los Angeles crime family. After his arrest in 1977, Fratianno ...

later claimed in his book ''

The Last Mafioso ''The Last Mafioso: The Treacherous World of Jimmy Fratianno'' is a biographical novel detailing the life of American Mafia member Aladena "Jimmy the Weasel" Fratianno. It chronicles Fratianno's life from his childhood in Cleveland to becoming th ...

'' that Manzie 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.

Bankruptcy, later years, and death

McNair filed for bankruptcy in September 1987, with debt totaling $458,399 ($ million today). Into her 70s, McNair resided in the Los Angeles area, playing tennis and skiing to keep in shape and touring on occasion. McNair died on February 4, 2007, after a seven-year battle with throat cancer, in Los Angeles, California.

Filmography

*'' Spencer's Mountain'' (1963) – Graduation Singer (uncredited) *'' If He Hollers, Let Him Go!'' (1968) – Lily *''

Stiletto A stiletto () is a knife or dagger with a long slender blade and needle-like point, primarily intended as a stabbing weapon.Limburg, Peter R., ''What's In The Names Of Antique Weapons'', Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, , (1973), pp. 77-78 The stile ...

'' (1969) – Ahn Dessie *''

Venus in Furs ''Venus in Furs'' (german: Venus im Pelz, links=no) is a novella by the Austrian author Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, and the best known of his works. The novel was to be part of an epic series that Sacher-Masoch envisioned called ''Legacy of Cain ...

'' (1969) – Rita *'' The Lonely Profession'' (1969) – Donna Travers *'' Change of Habit'' (1969) – Sister Irene *''

'' (1970) – Valerie Tibbs *'' The Organization'' (1971) – Valerie Tibbs McMillan & Wife (1974) Lee Richards *''

Fatal Charm (1990 film) ''Fatal Charm'' is a 1990 American direct-to-video thriller film directed by Fritz Kiersch under the pseudonym of Alan Smithee. The musical score was composed by James Donnellan. The film starring Christopher Atkins, Amanda Peterson, James Remar, P ...

'' – English Teacher *''Neon Signs'' (1996) – Grace (final film role)

Discography

Albums

* ''Front Row Center'' (Coral CRL57209, 1959) * ''Love Talk'' (Signature SM 1042, 1960) * ''The Livin' End'' (Warner WS 1570, 1964) * ''I Enjoy Being A Girl'' (Warner WS 1541, 1966) * ''Here I Am'' (Motown MS-644, November 1966) * ''The Real Barbara McNair'' (Motown MS-680, April 1969) * ''More Today Than Yesterday'' (Audio Fidelity – AFSD 6222, 1969) * ''Here's To Life'' (2006)

References

External links

The Official Barbara McNair website created by her nephew John Thomas
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McNair, Barbara 1934 births 2007 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers African-American actresses African-American female models 20th-century African-American women singers African-American television talk show hosts American television talk show hosts American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American television actresses Coral Records artists Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from esophageal cancer Female models from Illinois Motown artists Musicians from Racine, Wisconsin Northern soul musicians Singers from Chicago 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women United Service Organizations entertainers