Here is the biography of Barbara McNair:
Barbara McNair, a renowned African-American vocalist and entertainer, captivated audiences for over four decades with her captivating voice and striking beauty until her passing on February 4, 2007, due to throat cancer in Los Angeles. Born in Chicago, Illinois, she was raised in Racine, Wisconsin, as one of five children to Horace and Claudia Taylor McNair. McNair's parents encouraged her to pursue a career in music, and she began singing in her church choir.
After completing her music studies at the Racine Conservatory of Music and the American Conservatory of Music in her hometown of Chicago, McNair moved to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California before relocating to New York to pursue her dream. She worked her way up from a typist to a singer of small supper clubs to headlining large showrooms, becoming one of America's most visible singers of the late 1950s and 1960s.
Influenced by the great Sarah Vaughan, McNair initially focused on jazz music before transitioning to popular music. Her breakthrough came with a week-long gig on Arthur Godfrey's talent show, leading to bookings at The Purple Onion, The Persian Room, and L.A.'s Cocoanut Grove. She began receiving invitations on the TV variety circuit, appearing on shows such as "Ed Sullivan's 'Toast of the Town,'" "The Dean Martin Show," and "The Tonight Show."
McNair made her Broadway debut in the musicals "The Body Beautiful" (1958) and "No Strings" (1962),replacing original star Diahann Carroll in the latter. She recorded for the Coral, Signature, and Motown labels, producing modest hits such as "You're Gonna Love My Baby" and "Bobby."
In the late 1960s, McNair decided to explore acting roles, hoping to leverage her singing success into a film career. She showed initial promise as a lead alongside Raymond St. Jacques in the gritty crime drama "If He Hollers, Let Him Go!" (1968),in which she made headlines with her celebrated nude scenes. She also appeared alongside Mary Tyler Moore in Elvis Presley's last feature film "Change of Habit" (1969) and opposite Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs' wife in both "They Call Me Mister Tibbs!" (1970) and "The Organization" (1971).
McNair pioneered her own syndicated musical TV show "The Barbara McNair Show" (1969),a rarity at the time for a black entertainer, and guested on popular TV programs such as "Mission: Impossible," "Hogan's Heroes," and "I Spy."
The early 1970s were a challenging period for McNair, as offers suddenly ceased, and her husband/manager, who had mob affiliations, was shot and killed in 1976. McNair continued to appear in stage musicals such as "The Pajama Game" and "Sophisticated Ladies" and had a recurring role on the soap opera "General Hospital" (1963) in later years. She was also spotted in a couple of obscure films in the 1980s and 1990s.
Throughout her career, McNair's love of performing continued, even in less prominent venues, including cabaret clubs, cruise ships, special events, and retirement centers in Florida, still showcasing her stunning looks and vocal sparkle. In 2006, she opened for Bob Newhart in Philadelphia and New Jersey. McNair was married four times and passed away at the age of 72, leaving behind her husband, Charles Blecka.
