LaMonte McLemore, the legendary bass vocalist who co-founded The 5th Dimension and was a renowned celebrity and sports photographer whose images appeared in Jet, Ebony and Harper’s Bazaar, has died at 90. Here’s more on his passing and his extraordinary life and legacy.

McLemore was surrounded by family when he died

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a publicist confirmed McLemore died in his Las Vegas home on Tuesday of natural causes. His death follows several health challenges in recent years, including a stroke he had a few years ago. McLemore was surrounded by family when he died, including his wife of 30 years, Mieko; his daughter, Ciara; his adopted son, Darin; his sister, Joan; and his three grandchildren, Billboard reported.

Former members of The 5th Dimension have penned tributes to the late singer, remembering his “cheerfulness and laughter” and their enduring relationships with him.

“We were more like brother and sister than singing partners,” Florence LaRue, an original member of the group, commented in a press release. “I didn’t realize the depth of my love for LaMonte until he was no longer here. His absence has shown me the magnitude of what he meant to me and that love will stay in my heart forever.”

Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., also original members of The 5th Dimension, recalled loving him and shared they “will definitely miss his energy and wonderful sense of humor.”

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

McLemore co-founded The 5th Dimension in 1966

McLemore, born Herman LaMonte McLemore, was born on Sept. 17, 1935, in St. Louis. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Davis Jr. was a childhood friend of the late singer. Before picking up a microphone, McLemore was a professional baseball pitcher in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system. He later settled in Southern California, where he pursued careers in music and photography.

The late singer met future bandmates McCoo and Davis Jr. at the Miss Black Beauty Pageant in the mid-1960s. McLemore co-founded The Versatiles in late 1965, a group that evolved into The 5th Dimension the following year. Their genre-bending blend of pop and soul proved revolutionary, propelling the group to superstardom with hits like “Up, Up and Away” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” both of which earned Grammy Awards for Record of the Year.

Some of The 5th Dimension’s other major hits include “Wedding Bell Blues,” Laura Nyro’s “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “Go Where You Wanna Go,” “One Less Bell to Answer” and “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All.”

The group was also featured in Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s 2021 documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) alongside fellow performers from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, including Sly & the Family Stone, Nina Simone and Stevie Wonder.

Beyond music, McLemore was an accomplished photographer whose work appeared in Jet, Ebony for years, as well as Playboy and People, per The Hollywood Reporter. He was also an author, co-writing the 2014 autobiography From Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension: A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography, and Music with Robert-Allan Arno.