Singin', dancin', wise-crackin' Barbara McNair was a whirlwind wunderkind of stage, screen, recording studio, and nightclub revue, with classy, brassy good looks and talent to spare. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and musically inclined from an early age, Barbara studied voice at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and graduated almost directly to heady highs of performing at the Persian Room in New York's Plaza Hotel and in Los Angeles' Coconut Grove. With her sleek moves and svelte looks, McNair's natural segue was into the arenas of movie and TV, giving depth and color to such small-screen fare as The Redd Foxx Show (1986) and Mission: Impossible (1973). Barbara's big-screen credits include Stilleto (1969), Venus in Furs (1969), and They Call Me Mr. Tibbs (1970). Perhaps her greatest triumph, a monumental achievement for a Black woman of her day, was to be host of her own musical variety series, The Barbara McNair Show (1969). As far as we know, Barbara only got sexy onscreen once in the crime flick Dead Right (1968). The film follows a man who breaks out of prison, only to be framed for another crime. Barbara plays "Lily," but there's nothing lily white and virginal about her sex scene. Unfortunately, the lighting is a bit dark, but you can still make out Barbara's generous booty and perky breasts. Some of her last onscreen credits include works such as Fatal Charm (1990) and Neon Signs (1996). Barbara died in 2007, and she will certainly be missed. McNair is McDreamy!
