Marilyn McCoo (born on September 30, 1943 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American singer, who is best known for being the lead female vocalist in the group The Fifth Dimension.
She met Billy Davis, Jr. in 1966 when he established the group, then called The Versatiles. They were married in 1969 and remain married as of 2007. The group's first big hit was with 1967's "Up, Up and Away", written by Jimmy Webb. The song won four 1968 Grammy Awards and was the title track to 5th Dimension's first hit LP. Their follow-up was a version of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic". "Wedding Bell Blues", featuring McCoo's most prominent vocal of that period, and a medley of "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" (from the musical Hair) both reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1969 with "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" winning the Grammy for Record of the Year. By the early 1970s, McCoo began to sing lead on the group's remaining chart-topping singles, "One Less Bell to Answer," "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep At All" 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, 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 and a gold album as well as a Grammy for the R&B Performance by a Group or Duo. They also hosted their own television series, The Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr Show, on CBS in Summer 1977. After one more album on ABC in 1978, the pair signed with CBS Records the following year and released their last album as a duo.
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 and concert act, and went on to appear as Tamara Price on Days of our Lives in 1986, as a friend of Marlena Evans who sang at her wedding. She later became involved with James Reynolds' character Abe Carver, and left the series in 1987.
Her 1991 album, The Me Nobody Knows, was nominated for a Grammy. She also released a Christmas album in 1994. Marilyn won her eighth Grammy for her contributions to Quincy Jones' Handel's Messiah.
McCoo has acted in a number of movies, including Grizzly Adams and the Legend of Dark Mountain (1999), My Mom’s a Werewolf (1989) and a number of television movies, often playing herself. She has appeared on stage in productions of "Anything Goes," "A...My Name is Alice," "Man of La Mancha," and the Broadway production of "Showboat" in 1995-1996.
Marilyn and Billy 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.
