Barry McGuire
Barry McGuire
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Barry McGuire's full name is Barry James Cutting McGuire. He was also known as "The Original Protest Singer."
Birth and Death Dates
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Born on October 15, 1935, in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Died on February 1, 2019.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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McGuire was an American singer-songwriter and musician.
Early Life and Background
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Barry McGuire grew up in a musical family. His father was a professional jazz pianist and his mother was a singer. He began singing at a young age, influenced by the likes of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. After serving in the US Navy, McGuire moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music.
Major Accomplishments
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McGuire's breakthrough came in 1965 with the song "Eve of Destruction," which became an anthem for the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War. The song was written by P.F. Sloan and was a response to the increasing tensions leading up to the war.
In addition to his work as a solo artist, McGuire also formed the folk-rock group The New Christy Minstrels in 1961, which he left in 1962 to pursue a solo career.
Notable Works or Actions
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McGuire released several albums throughout the 1960s, including "This Precious Time" (1965) and "Make Your Own Life" (1970). He also collaborated with other artists, such as Judy Collins and Joan Baez.
In the 1970s, McGuire began to focus more on his solo career, releasing several albums that blended folk, rock, and country music. He continued to tour and record until his death in 2019.
Impact and Legacy
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McGuire's impact on popular music cannot be overstated. His song "Eve of Destruction" has been recognized as one of the most influential songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. The song's message of anti-war sentiment resonated with a generation of young people during a tumultuous period in American history.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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McGuire is widely remembered for his powerful and emotive voice, as well as his commitment to social justice causes throughout his career. His legacy extends beyond the music industry, inspiring generations of artists and activists who continue to draw on his message of peace and protest.
Today, McGuire's quotes are still widely referenced by artists, writers, and activists seeking inspiration from a man who embodied the spirit of rebellion and nonconformity that defined the 1960s counterculture.
Quotes by Barry McGuire
But times changed, and I changed, and I didn’t feel that way anymore. The Beatles were happening. I think that was probably the main thing. The Beatles just changed the whole world of music.
You know, the music business is like the Lotto. Just put your numbers down and sometimes they hit, and sometimes they don’t. There’s just no rhyme or reason.
When I wrote ‘Green, Green,’ it was like a really a statement of where I was at philosophically in my life.
I remember we woke up one morning at Denny’s house and John Phillips called. He said, you guys okay? We said, yeah, what’s wrong, what’s going on? He said, well, everybody’s dead over at Sharon’s house at Terry Melcher’s place.
It was really fun. Well, Bobby was just basically a folk singer. He didn’t play with any bands or anything, like all the rest of us. Just played his guitar and sang his songs.
That’s why I had to leave Hair on Broadway, because I did it for about a year, and one night I was doing the show, and I realized, well, this is not real. I told the director. He says, man, it was a killer show tonight.
There’s only one drummer. We all travel to his beat. Well, I couldn’t sing his song. Because for me, it wasn’t a truthful statement. Well, Linda sang it, and it was a monster for her.
So gradually, and then I had an Italian roadster that I built, it took me five years to build it, it was stolen from me and stripped. I said, well maybe we should have another where we shouldn’t steal from each other.
And a friend of mine in the Christys, we used to sit up at night and talk and read and wonder if reincarnation, and if it wasn’t reality, what would happen to the human spirit when the body dies? Is there an afterlife? Just questions like that.