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LaMonte McLemore, Founding Member of The 5th Dimension, Dies at 90
Las Vegas, NV – LaMonte McLemore, a visionary co-founder of the iconic vocal group The 5th Dimension, whose harmonious blend of pop, soul, and psychedelic influences defined an era, has passed away at the age of 90. McLemore died peacefully on Tuesday at his Las Vegas home, surrounded by his loving family, following a stroke.
The 5th Dimension achieved widespread crossover appeal and earned six Grammy Awards, including two for Record of the Year. Their groundbreaking hits, “Up, Up and Away” (1967) and the enduring “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1969), both soared into the Top 10, with the latter – a vibrant medley from the musical “Hair” – dominating the charts for six weeks at No. 1.
Beyond his celebrated musical career, McLemore cultivated a parallel passion as a respected sports and celebrity photographer. His captivating images graced the pages of prominent publications, including Jet magazine.
Born in St. Louis, McLemore’s multifaceted talents emerged early.
He served in the Navy as an aerial photographer before pursuing a baseball career within the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system. Settling in Southern California, he honed both his warm bass voice and his photographic eye.
His musical journey began with the jazz ensemble the Hi-Fi’s, where he sang alongside future 5th Dimension bandmate Marilyn McCoo. After opening for Ray Charles in 1963, the group disbanded the following year.
McLemore, McCoo, and childhood friends Billy Davis Jr. and Ronald Towson then formed the Versatiles, later recruiting schoolteacher Florence LaRue, whom McLemore met through his photography work. In 1965, they signed with Johnny Rivers’ nascent Soul City Records, adopting the name The 5th Dimension to better reflect the evolving cultural landscape.
Their breakthrough arrived in 1967 with a rendition of The Mamas & the Papas’ “Go Where You Wanna Go.” That same year, they released the Jimmy Webb-penned “Up, Up and Away,” which climbed to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and garnered four Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year. Hits continued through 1968 with Laura Nyro’s “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Sweet Blindness.”
The pinnacle of their commercial success came in 1969 with “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” which not only enjoyed a lengthy run at No. 1 but also secured Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Group. The group’s performance at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, often referred to as “Black Woodstock,” was famously chronicled in Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s 2021 documentary, “Summer of Soul.”
The 5th Dimension achieved a rare level of success with white audiences for an all-Black group, a phenomenon that sometimes drew criticism. “We were constantly being attacked because we weren’t, quote, unquote, ‘Black enough,'” McCoo recalled in “Summer of Soul.”
“Sometimes we were called the Black group with the white sound, and we didn’t like that. We happened to be artists who are Black, and our voices sound the way they sound.”
Their string of hits extended into the 1970s with songs like “One Less Bell to Answer,” “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All,” and “If I Could Reach You.” The group became a fixture on television variety shows, performed at the White House, and embarked on an international cultural tour organized by the State Department.
The original lineup remained intact until 1975, when McCoo and Davis departed to pursue their own musical endeavors.
“All of us who knew and loved him will definitely miss his energy and wonderful sense of humor,” stated McCoo and Davis, who married in 1969. LaRue echoed these sentiments, sharing that McLemore’s “cheerfulness and laughter often brought strength and refreshment to me in difficult times. We were more like brother and sister than singing partners.”
LaMonte McLemore is survived by his wife of 30 years, Mieko McLemore; his daughter, Ciara; his son, Darin; his sister, Joan; and three grandchildren.