LaMonte McLemore, a co-founder of the Grammy-winning soul/pop group The 5th Dimension, has died at age 90. After suffering a stroke several years ago, McLemore died of natural causes on Tuesday at his home in Las Vegas.
A popular crossover fixture in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s music scene, The 5th Dimension formed in Los Angeles and was originally comprised of McLemore, Billy Davis Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo and Ron Townson (who died in 2001). Known for its signature silky harmonies and sophisticated fusion of R&B, soul and pop, the group cemented its success through hits such as “Up, Up and Away,” “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures),” “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “One Less Bell to Answer.”
In remembering McLemore, the group’s bass singer LaRue commented in a press release, “Proverbs 17:22 states that ‘one joyful heart is good medicine…’ Well, Lamonte really knew my prescription. His cheerfulness and laughter often brought strength and refreshment to me in difficult times. We were more like brother and sister than singing partners. I didn’t realize the depth of my love for Lamonte until he was no longer here. His absence has shown me the magnitude of what he meant to me and that love will stay in my heart forever.”
In a joint statement, McCoo and Davis Jr. said of McLemore, “All of us who knew and loved him will definitely miss his energy and wonderful sense of humor.”
McLemore was born Sept. 17, 1935, in St. Louis. After enlisting in the Navy, he trained and worked as an aerial photographer. Before setting his sights on dual careers as a music artist and as a professional entertainment and sports photographer for Jet magazine and other publications, the multi-faceted McLemore sought a baseball career in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system. An author as well, McLemore co-authored the 2014 autobiography From Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension: A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography, and Music with Robert-Allan Arno.
During McLemore’s tenure with The 5th Dimension, the group twice won record of the year Grammy Awards for “Up, Up and Away” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures),” the latter of which spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs were also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. All told, the group received seven gold albums and six RIAA-certified platinum singles. Additional achievements include embarking on a State Department cultural tour in 1973 that brought American music behind the Iron Curtain and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991.
The 5th Dimension found themselves back in the spotlight in 2021 with the release of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Academy Award-winning documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). The group, along with Sly & the Family Stone, Nina Simone and Stevie Wonder, was among the acts who performed at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which is chronicled in the documentary.
Surrounded by family when he died, McLemore is survived by Mieko McLemore, his wife of 30 years, daughter Ciara, (adopted) son Darin, sister Joan and three grandchildren. A memorial service and celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
