Marilyn McCoo (born September 30, 1943) is an American singer, actress, and television presenter, who is best known for being the lead female vocalist in the group

the 5th Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American popular music vocal group, whose repertoire includes pop, R&B, soul, jazz, light opera, and Broadway. Formed as the Versatiles in late 1965, the group changed its name to "the 5th Dimension" by 1966. Betwe ...

, as well as hosting the 1980s music countdown series '' Solid Gold''. Since 1969, McCoo has been married to singer Billy Davis Jr., the founder and co-member of the 5th Dimension. She has a three-octave vocal range.

Life and career

Early years

Marilyn McCoo was born in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark. to Waymon and Mary McCoo, who were both physicians. Her grandfather was doctor Thomas Vivian McCoo of

Eufaula, Alabama Eufaula is the largest city in Barbour County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census the city's population was 13,137. History The site along the Chattahoochee River that is now modern-day Eufaula was occupied by three Muscogee Cree ...

. She is

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

. She spent her first seven years in

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it o ...

. At the age of seven, she moved with her parents, two sisters, and brother to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, where she began singing, piano and dance lessons. At the age of 15, she made her television debut on

Art Linkletter Arthur Gordon Linkletter (born Gordon Arthur Kelly or Arthur Gordon Kelly; sources differ; July 17, 1912 – May 26, 2010) was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of ''House Party'', which ran on CBS radio a ...

's ''Talent Show'' and began modelling. After graduating from Susan Miller Dorsey High School, she enrolled in

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

, where she earned a degree in

business administration Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...

. In 1962, McCoo entered the ''Miss Bronze California'' beauty pageant where she won "Miss Grand Talent".

Music career

In the early and mid-1960s, McCoo was a member of the Hi-Fi's, who often opened for

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

. She had been invited to join the group by photographer Lamonte McLemore, who would himself join McCoo in the 5th Dimension. Other Hi-Fi members included Harry Elston and Floyd Butler, who later formed

the Friends of Distinction The Friends of Distinction were an American vocal group founded by Harry Elston and Floyd Butler, best known for their late 1960s hits, "Grazing in the Grass", "Love or Let Me Be Lonely", and " Going in Circles". Career The Friends of Distincti ...

. She met Billy Davis, Jr. in 1966 when he established the 5th Dimension, then called the Versatiles, which also included Ron Townson and Florence LaRue. The group's first big

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

was with 1967's " Up, Up and Away", written by

Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", " By the Time I Get to Phoenix", " MacArthur Park", " Wichita Lineman", " Wo ...

. The song won four 1968

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s and was the title track to 5th Dimension's first hit LP. A year later, the group recorded

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968 ...

's " Stoned Soul Picnic". A

medley Medley or Medleys may refer to: Sports *Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles * Medley relay races at track meets Music * Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together People * Medley (surname), list of people with this n ...

of "

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In "Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" (commonly called "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", "The Age of Aquarius" or "Let the Sunshine In") is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical ''Hair'' by James Rado and Gerome ...

" (from the musical ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and fi ...

'') reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100

chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent ...

in April to May 1969 and won the Grammy for 'Record of the Year'. The group's recording of another Nyro composition, "

Wedding Bell Blues "Wedding Bell Blues" is a song written and recorded by Laura Nyro in 1966. The best known version was a number one hit for the 5th Dimension in 1969. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a woman whose boyfriend has not yet proposed t ...

", featuring McCoo's most prominent vocal of that period, topped the Hot 100 in November 1969. MarilynMcCoo crop

By the early 1970s, McCoo began to sing lead on the group's remaining chart-topping singles, "

One Less Bell to Answer "One Less Bell to Answer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Originally written in 1967 for Keely Smith, the song was rediscovered in late 1969 by Bones Howe, the producer for the 5th Dimension, and the song was included on the ...

", "

(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" is a song written by Tony Macaulay and performed by The 5th Dimension with instrumental backing from L.A. session musicians from the Wrecking Crew. The song appeared on the band's album ''Individually ...

", and "If I Could Reach You". In 1975, McCoo and Davis left the 5th Dimension and began performing as a duo. Landing a contract with

ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...

, they recorded their 1976 debut album, ''I Hope We Get to Love in Time''. The first single was the title track, which was a mid-chart hit. Their follow up, " You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" was an even bigger hit, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1977. McCoo and Davis were awarded a

gold single Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

and a

gold album Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

as well as a

Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by ma ...

. The song peaked at number 21 in Australia. They became the first African American married couple to host a network

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

, ''The Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. Show'', on CBS in summer 1977. They released one more album on ABC in 1978, produced by Frank Wilson and containing the popular ballad "My Reason To Be" by songwriters Judy Wieder and John Footman. The pair signed with CBS Records the following year and released their last album as a duo until October 2008 when the pair released ''The Many Faces of Love'', a collection of hit songs from the 1960s and 1970s. She was the first to record "

Saving All My Love for You "Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin, originally recorded by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. for their album ''Marilyn & Billy'' (1978). American singer Whitney Houston recorded a cover of the song ...

" in 1978, later sung by

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

. The album ''Marilyn and Billy'' featured that track as well as a disco hit, "Shine On Silver Moon". The pair decided to go solo professionally in the early 1980s with McCoo hosting the popular American syndicated television series '' Solid Gold'' from 1981 through 1984 and again from 1986 through 1988. She also created a successful

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gen ...

and

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide var ...

act, and went on to appear as Tamara Price on ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

'' in 1986, as a friend of Marlena Evans who sang at her wedding. Price later became involved with

James Reynolds James or Jim Reynolds may refer to: Arts and entertainment * James Reynolds (artist) (1891-1957), American writer, painter, illustrator, set designer and costume designer *James Reynolds (actor) (born 1946), American actor * James Reynolds (compose ...

' character

Abe Carver Abe Carver is a fictional character on the long-running American soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. Actor James Reynolds has played the character since he originated it on the series in 1981, and is currently the fifth longest serving actor on the ...

. McCoo left the series in 1987. Her 1991 album, ''The Me Nobody Knows'', was nominated for a Grammy. She also released a Christmas album in 1996. McCoo won her eighth Grammy for her contributions to Quincy Jones' ''Handel's Messiah''. In 2021, McCoo And Billy Davis Jr released '' Blackbird Lennon-McCartney Icons'', their first studio album in over 30 years. Entrepreneur Kathy Ireland released the album through her record label EE1. The duo said it was a civil rights movement which became a human rights movement with a goal to encourage people to come together during trying times. During an interview about the album on June 29, 2021,

Questlove Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American musician, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Tho ...

called Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr "the first couple of Pop and Soul". They would later appear in Quest's directorial debut, Summer of Soul.

Acting career

Opera star Stacey Robinson (left) with singer-actor Marilyn McCoo

McCoo has acted in a number of

movies A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

, including ''Grizzly Adams and the Legend of Dark Mountain'' (1999), ''My Mom's a Werewolf'' (1989) and several

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

movies, often playing herself. She has appeared on stage in productions of ''Anything Goes'', ''A...My Name is Alice'', ''

Man of La Mancha ''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay '' I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cerva ...

'', and the Broadway production of ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'' in 1995 through 1996. McCoo appeared together with Davis on ''

The Jamie Foxx Show ''The Jamie Foxx Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on The WB from August 28, 1996, to January 14, 2001. The series stars Jamie Foxx, Garcelle Beauvais, Christopher B. Duncan, Ellia English, and Garrett Morris. Although the show was not ...

'' as Fancy's parents, the Monroes. McCoo also guest-starred on a Canadian game show in the 1990s, called ''Acting Crazy''.

Personal life

McCoo is married to fellow 5th Dimension bandmate Billy Davis Jr. On July 26, 2019, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple shared their story of love and faith in the 2004 book, ''Up, Up and Away''. They continue to perform together in venues around the country. McCoo is a member of

Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority, international collegiate, and non-profit community service organization that was founded on November 12, 1922, by seven educators on the Irvington campus (1875– ...

sorority. She is an emerita member of the board of directors of the Los Angeles Mission. McCoo and Davis are born-again Christians.

Selected filmography

Features

* '' My Mom's a Werewolf'' (1989) * ''Grizzly Adams and the Legend of Dark Mountain'' (1999) * ''

Summer of Soul ''Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)'' is a 2021 American documentary film about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in his directorial debut. It had its world premiere at the ...

'' (2021)

Television

*'' It Takes a Thief'' (1 episode, 1970) *''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'' (1 episode, 1978) *'' Solid Gold'' (host, 1981–1984, 1986–1988) *''The Fantastic World of D.C. Collins'' (1984) *''New Love, American Style'' (1 episode, 1986) *''

The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who mo ...

'' (1 episode, 1986) *''

'' (1986–1987, 2019–2020) *''

Punky Brewster ''Punky Brewster'' is an American Situation comedy, sitcom television series about a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes). The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984, to March 9, 1986, and again in Broad ...

'' (1 episode, 1988) *'' Night Court'' (1 episode, 1990) *''The Kingdom Chums Original Top Ten'' (voice, 1990) *''

The New Adventures of Captain Planet ''Captain Planet and the Planeteers'' is an American animated environmentalist superhero television series created by Barbara Pyle and Ted Turner and developed by Pyle, Nicholas Boxer, Thom Beers, Andy Heyward, Robby London, Bob Forward and Cas ...

'' (voice, 2 episodes, 1993) *''

Women of the House ''Women of the House'' is an American sitcom television series and a spin-off of ''Designing Women'' that aired on CBS from January 4 to August 18, 1995, and the last four episodes airing on Lifetime on September 8, 1995. The series starred Del ...

'' (1 episode, 1995) *''

'' (2 episodes, 1999–2001)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McCoo, Marilyn 1943 births Living people Musicians from Columbus, Georgia American women pop singers Grammy Award winners African-American Christians Los Angeles High School alumni Singers from Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century African-American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers The Raelettes members