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Barbara McNair‌

Gender

Female

Birthday

calendar1934-03-04

Popularity

star1.9

Barbara McNair

Chicago, Illinois

Barbara McNair

Chicago, Illinois

Gender

Female

Birthday

calendar1934-03-04

Popularity

star1.9

Biography

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.  

Movie Credits

Neon Signs

Neon Signs‌
star0.0
calendar 1996

They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

They Call Me Mister Tibbs!‌
star5.7
calendar 1970

Venus in Furs

Venus in Furs‌
star5.3
calendar 1969

Spencer's Mountain

Spencer's Mountain‌
star6.7
calendar 1963

Change of Habit

Change of Habit‌
star5.5
calendar 1969

The Organization

The Organization‌
star6.0
calendar 1971

If He Hollers, Let Him Go!

If He Hollers, Let Him Go!‌
star5.0
calendar 1968

Stiletto

Stiletto‌
star5.2
calendar 1969

Fatal Charm

Fatal Charm‌
star5.4
calendar 1990

The Unkissed Bride

The Unkissed Bride‌
star2.5
calendar 1966

Rowan & Martin at the Movies

Rowan & Martin at the Movies‌
star0.0
calendar 1968

The Lonely Profession

The Lonely Profession‌
star0.0
calendar 1969

Tv Credits

The Jeffersons

The Jeffersons‌
star7.3
calendar 1975

The Merv Griffin Show

The Merv Griffin Show‌
star5.6
calendar 1962

The Mod Squad

The Mod Squad‌
star6.5
calendar 1968

Hogan's Heroes

Hogan's Heroes‌
star7.5
calendar 1965

American Bandstand

American Bandstand‌
star8.4
calendar 1957

Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible‌
star7.6
calendar 1966

To Rome with Love

To Rome with Love‌
star5.0
calendar 1969

Vega$

Vega$‌
star7.0
calendar 1978

Police Woman

Police Woman‌
star6.3
calendar 1974

The Hollywood Palace

The Hollywood Palace‌
star4.5
calendar 1964

Hullabaloo

Hullabaloo‌
star0.0
calendar 1965

The Jim Nabors Hour

The Jim Nabors Hour‌
star0.0
calendar 1969

The Flip Wilson Show

The Flip Wilson Show‌
star4.8
calendar 1970

Hell Town

Hell Town‌
star5.0
calendar 1985

The Steve Allen Show

The Steve Allen Show‌
star5.0
calendar 1956

The Barbara McNair Show

The Barbara McNair Show‌
star0.0
calendar 1969

Dr. Kildare

Dr. Kildare‌
star5.4
calendar 1961

The Oscars

The Oscars‌
star7.0
calendar 1953

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show‌
star5.1
calendar 1961

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson‌
star7.4
calendar 1962

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Ed Sullivan Show‌
star6.6
calendar 1948

The Carol Burnett Show

The Carol Burnett Show‌
star7.5
calendar 1967

Tony Awards

Tony Awards‌
star5.0
calendar 1956

The Carol Burnett Show

The Carol Burnett Show‌
star7.5
calendar 1967

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

Tonight Starring Jack Paar‌
star6.5
calendar 1957

The Danny Kaye Show

The Danny Kaye Show‌
star6.3
calendar 1963

Kraft Music Hall

Kraft Music Hall‌
star4.4
calendar 1958

Snoops

Snoops‌
star5.0
calendar 1989

Best of The Dean Martin Variety Show

Best of The Dean Martin Variety Show‌
star0.0
calendar 1966