Whatever happened to Julius LaRosa and the McGuire Sisters? I really enjoyed them on The Arthur Godfrey Show years ago.
—Carol A., Ohio
Many still remember the night that host Arthur Godfrey fired the smooth-crooning LaRosa live on television. Godfrey, who had given the unknown singer his start, was very controlling. When LaRosa hired a manager as his career grew, Godfrey took offense and, after LaRosa performed one night, announced, "That was Julie's swan song." That didn't stop the Brooklyn, N.Y.-born singer from succeeding on his own with numerous hits. Godfrey hired him straight out of the Navy, so LaRosa says that after the show, "I went out and learned my job" by performing onstage. Now 73, LaRosa still performs, sticking to his hits and the pop standards that built his career. "Lyricists like Hammerstein, Mercer, Hart, Porter, Cahn, Burke, Harburg, and so many others were, essentially, poets," he says. As for the McGuire Sisters—Dorothy, Phyllis and Christine—they stopped performing together in 1968. Phyllis launched a solo career, while Dorothy and Christine focused on their families. In 1985, when all three were visiting New York City, they were repeatedly stopped by fans who asked if they were singing together again. The three decided it was a good idea, and started touring again, ending their second run together three years ago.
