LaMonte McLemore, a founding member of the Grammy-winning vocal group the 5th Dimension, has died at the age of 90. He passed away on Tuesday at his home in Las Vegas, surrounded by his family, according to a statement from his representative Jeremy Westby. The cause of death was natural causes following a stroke.
The 5th Dimension achieved widespread success in the 1960s and 1970s with their blend of pop, soul, and psychedelia. They won six Grammy awards, including Record of the Year twice for 'Up, Up and Away' (1967) and 'Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In' (1969). The latter, a mashup from the musical Hair, spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Born in St Louis, Missouri, McLemore served in the US Navy as an aerial photographer and later played baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system. He settled in southern California, where he pursued music and photography. He sang in a jazz ensemble, the Hi-Fi's, with future bandmate Marilyn McCoo before forming the Versatiles in 1965 with McCoo, Billy Davis Jr, Ronald Towson, and Florence LaRue. The group was renamed the 5th Dimension by Towson.
McLemore also had a parallel career as a sports and celebrity photographer, with his work appearing in magazines such as Jet. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Mieko McLemore, daughter Ciara, son Darin, sister Joan, and three grandchildren.
