As a
folk rock solo singer in the 1960s, he was best known for his hits "
Eve of Destruction" and "Sins of the Family", both written by
P.F. Sloan. His other chart successes, "Child of Our Times" was co-written by
Steve Barri, and "Cloudy Summer Afternoon (Raindrops)" was penned by Travis Edmonson of 1960's folk-duo, Bud & Travis.
McGuire's LP,
The Eve of Destruction, reached its peak of #37 on the
Billboard Hot 200 chart during the week ending 25 September 1965. That same day the single of that name went to #1 on both charts. McGuire was never again to break into the
Top 40 of the
Billboard Hot 100.
The album
This Precious Time was released in 1966, his second with
Dunhill Records. It includes a version of "
California Dreamin'" with
The Mamas and the Papas singing
backing vocals.
McGuire appeared in the 1967
movie, The President's Analyst with
James Coburn, and in
Werewolves on Wheels in 1971. He also starred for a year in the Broadway musical
Hair.
McGuire became a
born-again Christian in 1971. In 1973, he joined the
Myrrh label and released the album
Seeds. This album is also notable for the backing vocals provided by the family trio that would become known as the
2nd Chapter of Acts. In 1974, McGuire released his second
Jesus 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 album, To the Bride.
In 1976, he left Myrrh, joining former Myrrh executive Billy Ray Hearn's new
label, Sparrow Records. He
recorded seven albums on Sparrow, the best known of which is
Cosmic Cowboy, released in 1978. That year he also released a top-selling children's album
Bullfrogs and Butterflies (part of the
Agapeland series) for Sparrow's subsidiary label, Birdwing.
