Showbiz

Soul Icon LaMonte McLemore Dies at 90

Bintano News Desk
February 5, 2026
Soul Icon LaMonte McLemore Dies at 90

The 5th Dimension singer and founding member LaMonte McLemore died Tuesday of at the age of 90.

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McLemore's representative Jeremy Westby said in a statement that the vocalist passed away at his home in Las Vegas of natural causes following a stroke, the AP reported.

The band, which blended pop and soul, had notable hits such as Up, Up and Away in 1967; and Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In in 1969.

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In, which featured music from the musical Hair, spent six weeks in the number one spot on the Billboard charts.

The group's Billy Davis Jr and Marilyn McCoo, who have been wed since 1969, said in a statement that 'all of us who knew and loved him will definitely miss his energy and wonderful sense of humor.'

The band's Florence LaRue said McLemore's 'cheerfulness and laughter often brought strength and refreshment to me in difficult times.'

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The Fifth Dimension (L-R) LaMonte McLemore, Florence LaRue, Ron Townson, Marilyn McCoo, and Billy Davis, Jr., pose with their Grammy Award in LA in 1968

The Fifth Dimension (L-R) LaMonte McLemore, Florence LaRue, Ron Townson, Marilyn McCoo, and Billy Davis, Jr., pose with their Grammy Award in LA in 1968 

The ensemble was pictured in 1969, the year Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In was released

The ensemble was pictured in 1969, the year Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In was released

(L-R) McCoo, Larue, Davis, the late Townson and McLemore pictured in 1968

(L-R) McCoo, Larue, Davis, the late Townson and McLemore pictured in 1968

LaRue added, 'We were more like brother and sister than singing partners.'

The 5th Dimension continued charting hits through the 1970s such as One Less Bell to Answer, (Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All and If I Could Reach You.

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The band were mainstays on TV shows at the time; and had performed at the White House, as well as internationally on a trip sponsored by the State Department.

McLemore, a native of St. Louis, had joined the Navy as a photographer, and played baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization, prior to pursuing a career in music in the early 1960s. 

McLemore is survived by spouse Mieko McLemore, children Ciara and Darin, sister Joan and three grandchildren.

Original Source

This article has been aggregated directly from the Daily Mail.

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