LaMonte McLemore, a founding member of the iconic pop-soul group The 5th Dimension and a celebrated celebrity and sports photographer, has died. He was 90.
A publicist confirmed McLemore passed away Tuesday of natural causes at his home in Las Vegas. He had suffered a stroke several years ago.
As part of The 5th Dimension — alongside Florence LaRue, Ron Townson, and husband-and-wife duo Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo — McLemore helped define a sleek, genre-blending sound that dominated late-1960s and early-1970s pop and soul radio. The group delivered era-defining hits like “Up, Up and Away” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” songs that blended optimism, sophistication, and crossover appeal.
The group won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year twice: first in 1968 for “Up, Up and Away,” and again in 1970 for “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures).” That latter track ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks in 1969 and became one of the most recognizable recordings of its generation.
Other chart-toppers followed, including “Wedding Bell Blues,” “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “Go Where You Wanna Go,” “One Less Bell to Answer,” and “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All.” Over the years, The 5th Dimension earned seven Gold albums and six Platinum-certified singles.
McLemore was known for his warm bass vocals and calm, grounding presence, helping anchor the group’s intricate harmonies and polished sound.
Florence LaRue reflected on his impact in a heartfelt statement, saying McLemore’s joy and laughter often lifted her during difficult times. She described their bond as deeper than musical partnership, adding that his absence revealed just how much he meant to her.
Born Herman LaMonte McLemore on September 17, 1935, in St. Louis, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a young man and trained as an aerial photographer. After his service, he briefly pursued professional baseball as a pitcher in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system before settling in Southern California.
His path to music came through photography. While shooting the Miss Black Beauty Pageant in the mid-1960s, he met McCoo and LaRue. In late 1965, McLemore co-founded a group called The Versatiles, which soon evolved into The 5th Dimension.
The group became a fixture on television variety shows and toured internationally, including a U.S. State Department-sponsored cultural tour in 1973 that brought American pop music behind the Iron Curtain.
Beyond music, McLemore built an acclaimed career as a photographer. His work spanned entertainment, sports, and editorial portraiture, with images appearing in Jet, Ebony, Harper’s Bazaar, Playboy, and People. He remained a trusted contributor to Jet and Ebony for decades.
Marilyn McCoo once noted that McLemore’s generosity extended beyond the stage, recalling how he opened his photography studio to the group in their early, pre-fame years.
Music by The 5th Dimension later found new audiences through Questlove’s Oscar-winning 2021 documentary Summer of Soul, which chronicled the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival.
McLemore told his own story in the 2014 autobiography From Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension: A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography, and Music, co-written with Robert-Allan Arno.
He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Mieko; his daughter, Ciara; his adopted son, Darin; his sister, Joan; and three grandchildren.
He joined the Lord’s other singers.