Marilyn McCoo

An extremely successful female recording artist, Marilyn’s combined record sales, as a solo performer, a member of The 5th Dimension, and a part of a duo with husband, Billy Davis, Jr., ranks her among the top 10 black female vocalists of the “rock era.” This places her among such greats as Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, and Gladys Knight.

Marilyn has won a total of eight Grammys. When she sang with The 5th Dimension, the group won six Grammys. Marilyn and her husband, Billy Davis, Jr., won a Grammy (Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo) for You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show). Her eighth Grammy was for participating as a guest artist on Quincy Jones’ Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration (Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album). Her first gospel album, The Me Nobody Knows, was nominated for a Grammy and the title single went to #1 on the gospel charts.

Marilyn and her husband, Billy Davis Jr., celebrated their 38 years of marriage in 2007. In 2004 they wrote a critically well-received 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.

In the last ten years, Marilyn has united with her husband, Billy Davis, Jr., for a tour of concerts across the country entitled It Takes Two, a celebration of great rock and soul duets from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. The first three months of 1999 the couple joined in the celebration of the Duke Ellington Centennial by touring in the successful production Hit Me With A Hot Note! – The Duke Ellington Songbook. And, midst her heavy touring schedule, Marilyn guest-starred in a recurring role on the WB’s popular “Jamie Foxx Show” with Billy. In recognition of their 40th anniversary in the music business, they are currently presenting a special musical tribute to the hits and productions that have made up their multi-faceted careers.