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person_profile-Barbara McNair

Barbara McNair Died at age: 73

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Barbara McNair

Date of Birth:

Mar 04, 1934

Country of birth:

Illinois

Died:

Apr 04, 2007

Biography of

Barbara McNair

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Barbara McNair (March 4, 1934 – February 4, 2007) was an African-American singer and actress. Born Barbara Joan McNair in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, McNair studied music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. Her big break came with a win on Arthur Godfrey's TV show Talent Scouts, which led to bookings at The 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 for Scopitone, a franchise of coin-operated machines that showed what were the forerunners of today's music videos. McNair's acting career began on television, guesting on series such as Dr. Kildare, The Eleventh Hour, I Spy, Mission: Impossible, Hogan's Heroes and McMillan and Wife. McNair posed nude for Playboy 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, then donned a nun's habit alongside Mary Tyler Moore for Change of Habit (1969), Elvis Presley's last feature film. She portrayed Sidney 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 and Sonny and Cher, and offers began to dwindle. On December 15, 1976, her husband, Rick Manzi, was murdered, and Mafia boss-turned-FBI-informant Jimmy Fratianno 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, survived by her husband Charles Blecka. Description above from the Wikipedia article  Barbara McNair, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.  

Photos of

Barbara McNair

Photos ( 1 Photos

Filmography of

Barbara McNair

Found 11 Movies in total

Neon Signs

Grace ( Actor )

... 1996

Fatal Charm

English Teacher ( Actor )

... 1990

The Organization

Valerie Tibbs ( Actor )

... 1971

They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

Valerie Tibbs ( Actor )

... 1970

Change of Habit

Sister Irene Hawkins ( Actor )

... 1969

The Lonely Profession

Donna Travers ( Actor )

... 1969

Venus in Furs

Rita ( Actor )

... 1969

Stiletto

Ahn Dessie ( Actor )

... 1969

... 1968

The Unkissed Bride

Herself ( Actor )

... 1966

Spencer's Mountain

Graduation Singer ( Actor )

... 1963