Barry McGuire (born October 15, 1935) is an American singer-songwriter[1] primarily known for his 1965 hit "Eve of Destruction".
There they joined the folk group the New Christy Minstrels and McGuire sang lead vocals on the novelty single "Three Wheels on My Wagon".
As a solo folk rock singer in the 1960s, McGuire was best known for his hit "Eve of Destruction"[2] and for "Sins of a Family", both written by P. F. Sloan.
[1] The album included a version of "California Dreamin'" with the Mamas & the Papas singing backing vocals.
[1] The Temptations referenced McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" in their song "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)".
McGuire appeared in the 1967 movie The President's Analyst with James Coburn as the character "Old Wrangler",[5] the leader of a band which consisted of the Los Angeles group Clear Light, who were between lead vocalists; and in Werewolves on Wheels in 1971.
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.
That year McGuire also released a children's album, Bullfrogs and Butterflies, part of the Agapeland series, for Sparrow's subsidiary label, Birdwing.
In 1978, McGuire toured England, Scotland, and Wales with the Jimmy Owens' musical The Witness, in which he played the part of the apostle Peter.
In the 1980s, after his final album Pilgrim, 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.
In 1990 McGuire published the novel In the Midst of Wolves, co-written with Logan White, which told the story of "a group of bikers who came to know God".
On March 12, 2008, McGuire appeared on the Australian music comedy/game show Spicks 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".