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- From St. Louis to the Spotlight: McLemore’s early life and path to music
- Formation of a group that changed pop music
- Hits, Grammys and chart dominance
- Signature songs that shaped a generation
- Stage moments and cultural legacy
- Band changes, friendships and personal memory
- Final years, family and death
LaMonte McLemore, a founding voice of the Grammy-winning soul-pop group The 5th Dimension, has died at 90. His smooth vocals and creative energy helped define a string of chart-topping hits in the late 1960s and 1970s.
From St. Louis to the Spotlight: McLemore’s early life and path to music
Born in St. Louis on Sept. 17, 1935, McLemore’s life followed a winding route into entertainment. He served in the Navy as an aerial photographer, then played in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system before settling in Southern California.
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He kept one foot in photography, publishing sports and celebrity images in magazines like Jet. But music would become his public legacy.
Formation of a group that changed pop music
McLemore teamed up with Marilyn McCoo and other L.A. vocalists in the early 1960s. That collaboration evolved through two iterations before becoming The 5th Dimension.
- 1963: Performed with the Hi‑Fi’s and opened for Ray Charles.
- 1964–65: Reformed as the Versatiles with Billy Davis Jr., Ronald Towson and eventually Florence LaRue.
- 1965: Signed to Johnny Rivers’ Soul City Records and adopted the name The 5th Dimension.
Hits, Grammys and chart dominance
The band broke through in 1967 and quickly became a studio and stage phenomenon.
- “Go Where You Wanna Go” gave them early exposure.
- “Up, Up and Away” followed and swept the Grammys.
- 1969’s “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” topped charts for weeks.
The group collected six Grammy Awards across their peak years. “Up, Up and Away” won four Grammys, a record for a single song that stood until it was tied in 2025. Their blend of pop, soul and psychedelic textures defined an era.
Signature songs that shaped a generation
The 5th Dimension’s catalogue kept radio stations busy through the 1970s.
- “Stoned Soul Picnic”
- “Sweet Blindness”
- “One Less Bell to Answer”
- “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All”
- “If I Could Reach You”
Stage moments and cultural legacy
One of the group’s most historic appearances came in 1969 at the Harlem Cultural Festival.
The event, often called “Black Woodstock,” was later featured in Questlove’s 2021 documentary Summer of Soul. That festival cemented The 5th Dimension’s role in civil rights–era cultural life.
Band changes, friendships and personal memory
As the 1970s progressed, members pursued different directions. Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., who married in 1969, eventually left the group.
Bandmates remember McLemore for his spirit.
- McCoo and Davis said they will miss his energy and sense of humor.
- Florence LaRue recalled his cheerfulness and compared their bond to siblinghood.
Final years, family and death
McLemore had suffered a stroke in later years. He died at his Las Vegas home of natural causes, surrounded by family, his representative confirmed.
He was 90 years old. Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Mieko McLemore; his daughter Ciara; son Darin; sister Joan; and three grandchildren.
