Lamonte McLemore
Lamonte McLemore | |
|---|---|
McLemore in 1971 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Herman Lamonte McLemore September 17, 1935 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | February 3, 2026 (aged 90) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop music |
| Occupations |
|
| Formerly of | The 5th Dimension |
Herman Lamonte McLemore (September 17, 1935 – February 3, 2026) was an American vocalist, actor, composer and photographer. He was a founding member of The 5th Dimension, a popular vocal group of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Early life
Herman Lamonte McLemore was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 17, 1935.[1][2]After graduating from Sumner High School in St. Louis, he joined the Navy where he trained as a photographer. McLemore pursued his passion for baseball following his discharge from the Navy, pitching in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system until a broken arm ended his career.[1][2]
Photography
He co-founded Halmont Graphics with Cliff Hall, and worked there as a photographer beginning in 1958.[3] McLemore was the first African American photographer hired by Harper's Bazaar magazine and was the photographer for Stevie Wonder's first album cover. He was a photographer for Jet and Ebony magazines for over 40 years. It was because of his photo shoot at the Miss Black Beauty Pageant in the mid-1960s that he met Marilyn McCoo and Florence LaRue, which ultimately led to The 5th Dimension being created.[2]
He also worked as a professional photographer for Playboy and People magazines.[4]
Music
McLemore, a founding member of The 5th Dimension, started his music career in Los Angeles where formed the musical group The Versatiles with his friends Ronald Townson and Billy Davis Jr.. After photographing them in the Miss Bronze California beauty pageant, he asked Florence LaRue and Marilyn McCoo to join the group. Encouraged by his recording company, Soul City Records, the group changed their name to The 5th Dimension.[1]
McLemore co-wrote two songs recorded by The 5th Dimension, "A Love Like Ours" (with Bob Alcivar)[5] and "The Singer" (with Elliot Willensky).[6]
Personal life and death
McLemore married Lisa Harvey, and had a daughter named Ciara. In 2014, he wrote and published his autobiography with Robert-Allan Arno, From the Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension – A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography, and Music.[7][8]
McLemore married Mieko Tone in 1995. He had two children, Ciara and Darin.[1] He died at his home in Las Vegas on February 3, 2026, at the age of 90 after suffering a stroke.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d Williams, Alex (February 14, 2026). "LaMonte McLemore, 90, Singer and 5th Dimension Founder, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b c "Lamonte McLemore". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ Nelson, Laura J. (5 January 2020). "Cliff Hall, an inventor who photographed Los Angeles high society, dies at 94". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Lamonte McLemore Photography Website". Archived from the original on 19 February 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ^ "Lamonte McLemore, Bob Alcivar – A Love Like Ours". 45cat.com.
- ^ "Elliot Willensky, Lamonte McLemore – The Singer". 45cat.com.
- ^ McLemore, Lamonte; Arno, Robert-Allan (2014). "From Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension". Amazon.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ "Interview with Lamonte McLemore". YouTube.com. 10 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ Cashmere, Paul (5 February 2026). "LaMonte McLemore Dies At 90, The 5th Dimension Co-Founder And Cultural Chronicler". Noise11. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
External links
- Lamonte McLemore discography at Discogs
- Lamonte McLemore at IMDb