BJ
Photo of Billy Davis Jr.

Billy Davis Jr.

ActorBorn June 26, 1938 (87 years)
Billy Davis Jr. (born June 26, 1938) is an American singer and musician, best known as a member of the 5th Dimension. Along with his wife Marilyn McCoo, he had hit records during 1976 and 1977 with "I Hope We Get to Love in Time", "Your Love", and "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)". Davis and McCoo were married in 1969. They became the first African-American married couple to host a network television series, titled The Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. Show, on CBS in the summer of 1977, the year "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" won a Grammy Award.

Billy Davis Jr. was born in St. Louis, Missouri.

Davis joined The 5th Dimension, then called The Versatiles, in 1966. 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 the 5th Dimension's first hit LP. A year later, the group recorded the song "Stoned Soul Picnic". A medley of "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" (from the musical Hair) reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in April to May 1969 and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. The group's recording of "Wedding Bell Blues" topped the US Hot 100 in November 1969. Davis sang the male lead on the group's singles "Worst That Could Happen", "A Change Is Gonna Come/People Got to Be Free", and "I'll Be Lovin' You Forever".

In 1975, Davis and McCoo left the 5th Dimension and began to perform 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 moderate hit. The 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 US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1977. Davis and McCoo were awarded a gold single and a gold album as well as a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. They released one more album on ABC in 1978, produced by Frank Wilson and containing the ballad "My Reason to Be". The pair signed with CBS Records the following year and released their last album as a duo until October 2008 when they released The Many Faces of Love, a collection of hit songs from the 1960s and 1970s.

The album Marilyn and Billy featured the song "Saving All My Love for You", later turned into a number one hit by Whitney Houston. It also contained the disco single "Shine On Silver Moon". The pair decided to go solo professionally in the early 1980s.

In 1982, Davis recorded the gospel album Let Me Have a Dream with Rev. James Cleveland. Davis followed that project with a guest appearance on a jazz/pop album by Scott Scheer.

In 2020, Davis and McCoo released a new album called Blackbird Lennon-McCartney Icons for first time in 30 years. Entrepreneur Kathy Ireland released the album through her record label EE1. The duo said it was a civil rights movement which became a human rights movement with a goal to encourage people to come together during trying times. During an interview about the album on June 29, 2021, Questlove called McCoo and Davis "the first couple of Pop and Soul." They would later appear in Quest's directorial debut, Summer of Soul. ...

Source: Article "Billy Davis Jr." from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Featured Videos

    Filmography

    2021
    Black Woodstock · as Self - The 5th Dimension
    2021
    2011
    2011
    Penn & Teller: Fool Us (TV Series) · as Self - Guest
    2010
    2005
    Made In Hollywood (TV Series) · as Self
    2004
    Tavis Smiley (TV Series) · as Self
    1999
    Where Are They Now? (TV Series) · as Self
    1998
    Hollywood Squares (TV Series) · as Self - Panelist
    1997
    1993
    25th NAACP Image Awards · as Self - Presenter
    1992
    Vicki! (TV Series) · as Self
    1988
    1987
    1984
    Santa Barbara (TV Series) · as Billy Davis Jr.
    1980
    Solid Gold (TV Series) · as Self
    1979
    CBS Sunday Morning With Jane Pauley (TV Series) · as Self - Guest
    1979
    Dance Fever (TV Series) · as Self
    1977
    1977
    Sha Na Na (TV Series) · as Self
    1976
    The Captain and Tennille (TV Series) · as Self
    1976
    The Sonny & Cher Show (TV Series) · as Self / Various Characters
    1974
    Dinah! (TV Series) · as Self
    1973
    Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (TV Series) · as Self
    1972
    The Midnight Special (TV Series) · as Self - Host
    1971
    Soul Train (TV Series) · as Self - Guest
    1970
    The Flip Wilson Show (TV Series) · as Self
    1969
    It's Your Bet (TV Series) · as Self
    1969
    1969
    1968
    1966
    The Jackie Gleason Show (1966) (TV Series) · as Self - Musical Guest
    1966
    1966
    700 Club (TV Series) · as Self
    1965
    The Hollywood Squares (TV Series) · as Self - Panelist
    1962
    The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) · as Self - Guest
    1961
    The Mike Douglas Show (TV Series) · as Self - Vocalist
    1952
    American Bandstand (TV Series) · as Self
    1951
    The Red Skelton Show (TV Series) · as Self - The 5th Dimension
    1948
    The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) · as Self

    Take Plex everywhere

    Watch free anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.
    See the full list of supported devices