LaMonte McLemore, a founding member of the pop-soul group The 5th Dimension, died Feb. 4, 2026, at his Las Vegas home. He was 90. His representative, Jeremy Westby, said McLemore passed from natural causes following a stroke and was surrounded by family.
McLemore helped shape the smooth, harmony-driven sound that produced major hits for The 5th Dimension in the late 1960s and 1970s. The group earned six Grammy Awards, including record of the year twice — for Jimmy Webb’s “Up, Up and Away” (1967) and the Hair medley “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1969). The latter spent six weeks at No. 1 on the pop charts. Other notable songs in the group’s catalog included “Go Where You Wanna Go,” Laura Nyro’s “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Sweet Blindness,” and 1970s singles such as “One Less Bell to Answer,” “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All” and “If I Could Reach You.”
Born in St. Louis, McLemore served in the Navy as an aerial photographer and later spent time in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system before settling in Southern California. He sang a warm bass and pursued a parallel career as a sports and celebrity photographer, with images published in outlets including Jet.
McLemore sang in a jazz ensemble called the Hi-Fi’s with Marilyn McCoo; that group opened for Ray Charles in 1963 and disbanded the following year. McLemore, McCoo and childhood friends Billy Davis Jr. and Ronald Towson then formed the Versatiles. They added Florence LaRue — whom McLemore met through his photography — and, after signing with Johnny Rivers’ Soul City Records in 1965 and changing their name to The 5th Dimension, quickly crossed over into mainstream pop success.
“Up, Up and Away” reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and brought multiple Grammys. The group performed at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival — the event later featured in the documentary Summer of Soul — and achieved a rare level of mainstream visibility for an all-Black ensemble. That crossover fame prompted some critics to question their authenticity, a charge members rejected while noting they were Black artists whose sound reflected their musical choices.
The 5th Dimension became television favorites, performed at the White House and joined a State Department cultural tour. The original lineup remained intact until 1975, when McCoo and Davis left to pursue other projects.
McCoo and Davis said they will miss McLemore’s energy and sense of humor. LaRue remembered his cheerfulness and laughter and said the group felt more like family than just bandmates.
McLemore is survived by his wife of 30 years, Mieko McLemore; daughter Ciara; son Darin; sister Joan; and three grandchildren.