LAS VEGAS — Singer LaMonte McLemore, a six-time Grammy Award winner who was a founding member of The 5th Dimension during the 1960s, died Tuesday, his publicist said. He was 90.
McLemore died of natural causes at his home in Las Vegas, spokesperson Jeremy Westby said. He had suffered a stroke several years ago, Billboard reported.
McLemore’s smooth bass vocals helped The 5th Dimension score big hits on the pop charts with “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1970) and “Up, Up and Away” (1968), according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Each song took a Grammy Award for record of the year, the entertainment news website reported.
The 5th Dimension Co-Founder LaMonte McLemore Dies at 90https://t.co/2Io7ENRoO8
— billboard (@billboard) February 5, 2026
McLemore contributed heavily to the group’s sound, as he teamed with Florence LaRue, Ron Townson and married couple Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo.
“Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks during the spring of 1969.
“Up, Up and Away” won four Grammys, including record of the year, best contemporary single, best performance by a vocal group and best contemporary group performance.
The group had seven gold albums and six certified platinum singles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Their singles catalog included another No. 1 hit, “Wedding Bell Blues.” Other hits included “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “One Less Bell to Answer,” “Go Where You Wanna Go” and “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All.”
McLemore’s career also included stints as a sports and celebrity photographer, The Associated Press reported. His photographs appeared in publications such as Jet, Ebony and Harper’s Bazaar.
LaMonte McLemore, co-founder of The 5th Dimension and legendary photographer for Jet and Ebony, has died at 90. The "Aquarius" singer leaves behind a massive legacy in music and visual history. https://t.co/0FYlUgLidO
— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) February 4, 2026
McLemore, who was born in St. Louis on Sept. 17, 1935, worked as an aerial photographer while serving in the Navy, the AP reported. He also played baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system.
McLemore met McCoo and LaRue during a photo shoot at the Miss Black Beauty Pageant during the 1960s. He co-founded a group called The Versatiles in 1965, but changed its name a year later.
“All of us who knew and loved him will definitely miss his energy and wonderful sense of humor,” McCoo and Davis, who married in 1969, said in a statement.
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