MARILYN MCCOO & BILLY DAVIS JR.

Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr  have enjoyed tremendous success through the years as recording artists, performers and authors.  They have received 7 Grammy Awards and earned 15 gold and 3 platinum records and enjoyed starring roles on television and stage.  They have performed to sold-out concerts around the world.  They are currently celebrating 40 years in the entertainment business with a musical tribute to the hits and productions that have made up their multi-faceted careers.

The husband and wife team celebrated 38 years of marriage in 2007.  In 2004 the couple wrote a book, which shares their secrets of staying happy and committed to each other in Hollywood.  It’s entitled Up, Up and away…How we found Love, Faith and Lasting Marriage in the Entertainment World. It was written in collaboration with Mike Yorkey and was released by Northfield Publishing Company.  In it, they talk about how they met, their successful musical careers and their major struggles behind closed doors, offering practical marriage advice and spiritual encouragement along the way.

As lead vocalists of one of the top singing groups of the late 60’s and early 70’s, The 5th Dimension, they recorded such classics as “Up, Up and Away,” “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In,” “Wedding Blues,” “One Less Bell To Answer” and “Stoned Soul Picnic” to name a few.

After a decade with the 5th Dimension, Billy and Marilyn decided to leave the group and establish themselves as a duo.  They had immediate success with the single, “You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show).”   It was a #1 hit and earned them a Grammy for best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.

That success peaked network interest and CBS0Tv premiered “The Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Show” as a prime-time summer series in 1977.  Marilyn & Billy entered the 80’s as an international success.  They headlined in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Atlantic City, played to SRO crowds in concerts across the country and won prestigious Grand Prize at the international Tokyo Music Festival.  Back Home, they were sought-after guests for every major television show.

In addition to the success they’ve had together, Marilyn & Billy have also enjoyed solo pursuits.  McCoo hosted the popular 1980’s television music series, “Solid Gold, for 5 years and Davis had the chance to realize a lifelong dream to record a religious album with gospel great, the Rev. James Cleveland, entitled, Let Me Have a Dream.  He also began to explore theatrical opportunities, starring in the hit musical, Blues In The Nigh, at the prestigious Old Globe Theatre and in the role of James “Thunder” Early in a regional production of Dreamgirls.

Over the years, the talents of McCoo & Davis have been requested for important events on a national and global level.  They were invited to perform for the Pontiff during the 1987 U.S. visit of Pope John Paul II and have participated in inaugural celebrations for presidents of the United States.

In the early 90’s Billy & Marilyn joined the original members of the 5th Dimensions for a special reunion tour and in August 1991, the group was honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk if Fame.  In 1997, Arista Records released an anthology CD of the group’s hit releases entitled Up, Up & Away: The Definitive Collection.  Also in the 90’s, Marilyn fulfilled one of her lifelong ambitions by appearing on Broadway in the revival of the musical Show Boat, starring in the role of Julie.

Beginning in the late “90’s, the couple starred in a musicl celbration of the great duets of the 60’s 70’s and 80’s called, It Takes Two.  They also participated in a special production for Duke Ellington’s Centennial, the highly acclaimed, Hit Me With A Hot Note: The Duke Ellington Songbook, which also toured the country.

Billy & Marilyn continue to maintain a demanding schedule between performing in concerts, churches and speaking.  They had recurring roles on the popular TV series, “The Jamie Fox Show,” on WB, playing the affluent parents of Jamie’s girlfriend.  With the release of their book, they have also begun speaking at marriage seminars, sharing their wealth of knowledge and experiences.

Billy is very excited about what they’re doing: This is the most fulfilling time in our lives.  Not only do we share our talents with our audiences through our music; we’re also providing them with wisdom that we’ve acquired through the years to help them in their struggles and give them hope.