Barry McGuire | |
|---|---|
 McGuire performing live in 1979 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1935-10-15)October 15, 1935 (age 90) Oklahoma City,Oklahoma, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | barrymcguire |
Barry McGuire (born October 15, 1935) is an American singer-songwriter[1] primarily known for his 1965hit "Eve of Destruction". He was later a singer and songwriter ofcontemporary Christian music.
McGuire was born inOklahoma City;[1] his family moved to California when he was two years old. After working as a commercial fisherman and a journeyman pipe fitter, McGuire began singing in a bar. In 1961 he released his first single, "The Tree", which was not a hit.
McGuire formed a duo with Barry Kane (d.2013) called Barry & Barry. They performed original folk songs at The Ice House, a small folk club inPasadena, California, before moving toThe Troubadour in Hollywood in the spring of 1962. There they joined the folk groupthe New Christy Minstrels and McGuire sang lead vocals on the novelty single "Three Wheels on My Wagon".[1]
McGuire and Kane continued to perform their duo act as well as playing with the New Christy Minstrels. WithHorizon Records, they cut their first and only album as Barry & Barry titledHere and Now, which contained songs such as "Gold Wedding Ring", "Land of Odin", "Another Man" (released as a single), "Summer's Over", "You Know My Name", "Bull 'Gine Run", and "Far Side of the Hill". It also included "If I Had a Hammer", three months after the release of the song by folk trioPeter, Paul and Mary.
In 1963 McGuire, withRandy Sparks (founder of the New Christy Minstrels), co-wrote and sang lead vocal on the band's first and biggest hit single, "Green, Green". McGuire left the Christys in January 1965 after recording the albumCowboys and Indians, although on the 1965 albumChim Chim Cher-ee he sang on the title cut.
As a solofolk rock singer in the 1960s, McGuire was best known for his hit "Eve of Destruction"[2] and for "Sins of a Family", both written byP. F. Sloan. McGuire's other chart successes were "Child of Our Times" and "Cloudy Summer Afternoon (Raindrops)" (written by Travis Edmonson of the 1960s folk-duo Bud & Travis). "Eve of Destruction" sold more than one million copies and was awarded agold disc.[3] The albumEve of Destruction peaked at No. 37 on theBillboard 200 albumchart during the week ending September 25, 1965. That same week the single went to No. 1 on both theCashbox andBillboard Hot 100 chart and knocked "Help!" bythe Beatles from the top of the chart. According to McGuire, "Eve of Destruction" was recorded in one take on a Thursday morning from words scrawled on a crumpled piece of paper and he received a call from the record company at 7am the following Monday telling him to turn on the radio, his song was playing. The recording included an "ahhh" where McGuire could not read the words.[4] "Eve of Destruction" was McGuire's onlyTop 40 entry.
McGuire's second album,This Precious Time, was released in February 1966 onDunhill Records.[1] The album included a version of"California Dreamin'" withthe Mamas & the Papas singing backing vocals.[2] McGuire is mentioned several times in the Mamas & the Papas' hit song "Creeque Alley".[1]The Temptations referenced McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" in their song "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)".Frank Zappa included McGuire's name on the sleeve of hisFreak Out! album (1966) as one of his musical influences.
McGuire appeared in the 1967 filmThe President's Analyst withJames Coburn as the character "Old Wrangler", the leader of a band which consisted of the Los Angeles groupClear Light, who were between lead vocalists; and inWerewolves on Wheels in 1971. In 1968 he starred for a year in the Broadway musicalHair.[citation needed]
McGuire became aborn-again Christian in 1971 after meeting evangelistArthur Blessitt in October 1970.[5] In 1973, he joined theMyrrh label and released the albumSeeds. This album contained backing vocals by the family trio that would become known as the2nd Chapter of Acts. In 1974, McGuire released his secondJesus music album,Lighten Up, which included a remake of "Eve of Destruction". He toured with 2nd Chapter of Acts and "A Band Called David", and in 1975 this collaborative effort resulted in the double live albumTo the Bride.
In 1976, McGuire left Myrrh and joined former Myrrh executive Billy Ray Hearn's new label,Sparrow Records. Herecorded seven albums on Sparrow, the best known of which isCosmic Cowboy, released in 1978. The title track was No. 1 onCCM Magazine's music chart for 35 weeks. That year McGuire also released a children's album,Bullfrogs and Butterflies, part of theAgapeland series, for Sparrow's subsidiary label, Birdwing. In 1978, McGuire toured England, Scotland, and Wales with the Jimmy Owens' musicalThe Witness, in which he played the part of the apostle Peter. He also played this part on the studio recording ofThe Witness.
In 1985, McGuire was featured in the contemporary musical recordingThe Scroll, performing the character of Jesus. The musical was composed by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Stacey and was recorded in England with the National Philharmonic Orchestra. It also featured other contemporary Christian artists of the day.The Scroll was released on Light Records and was featured at three world exhibitions as a major multi-media presentation.[citation needed]
In the 1980s, after his final albumPilgrim, McGuire left the music industry and settled for a time in New Zealand with his wife, Mari. He wrote music, performed and hosted the videos for several years for Gospel Light Publishing's Vacation Bible School Programs. McGuire returned to the United States in the 1990s and teamed up with Terry Talbot, recording as Talbot McGuire.[6] The duo released four albums between 1996 and 2000. In 1990 McGuire published the novelIn the Midst of Wolves, co-written with Logan White, which told the story of "a group of bikers who came to know God". McGuire worked with The NewMamas and the Papas in 1997–1998. In 2000 he toured with Christian musicianJohn Michael Talbot. In 2006, McGuire undertook engagements which included songs and talks on a mixture of topics by McGuire and his wife. The McGuires resided inFresno, California, but also spent part of every year in New Zealand.[citation needed]
On March 12, 2008, McGuire appeared on the Australian music comedy/game showSpicks and Specks, performing an updated version of "Eve of Destruction" with new lines such as, "You're old enough to kill / you just started voting" and "... can live for ten years in space". A reference to "Red China" was also removed. In 2009, McGuire released "Eve 2012" in which the text was modified to reflect contemporary problems, mostly environmental, rather than the problems of the 1960s.
In 2008, McGuire joined a former member ofthe Byrds,John York, for a live tour called Trippin' the '60s, which McGuire described as "taking the songs and the truth that was in those songs from the 1960s and bringing them into the present moment... It's not a cover pack, it's us singing songs that we sung with a lot of our friends that aren't around anymore to sing them."[7]
In 2013, McGuire appeared in the documentary filmThe Byrd Who Flew Alone, produced by Four Suns Productions. The film was aboutGene Clark, one of the original Byrds, who was a friend of McGuire's for many years.[8]
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | CA | NO | NL | UK | DE | BE | |||
| 1965 | "Eve of Destruction" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 | Eve of Destruction |
| "Child of Our Times" | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | This Precious Time | |
| 1966 | "Cloudy Summer Afternoon" | 62 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | The World's Last Private Citizen |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
