Overview
- His representative said he died Tuesday at his Las Vegas home of natural causes after a prior stroke, surrounded by family.
- A co-founder of The 5th Dimension, he anchored the group’s harmonies on hits including “Up, Up and Away” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” which won Record of the Year in 1968 and 1970.
- Beyond music, he forged a long photography career with Jet, Ebony and Harper’s Bazaar, where he was the first Black photographer hired, and he helped create Jet’s “Beauty of the Week.”
- Bandmates Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr. and Florence LaRue paid tribute, praising his generosity, humor and steady presence.
- Born in St. Louis, he served as a Navy aerial photographer, briefly pitched in the Dodgers’ farm system, authored a 2014 memoir and appeared in the 2021 documentary Summer of Soul; a memorial service will be announced later.