by Michael P. Coleman
Grammy winners Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. are bringing their new show, “Up, Up & Away —The Music and the Memories”, to Cache Creek Casino Resort Saturday, May 9th at 8pm.
“We were at Cache Creek about four years ago,”Marilyn told me by phone, “and we’re really looking forward to coming back. Fans are going to hear the hits, of course. That’s a part of the ‘memories’. Also, we’re bringing some newer things with us.”
“There’s music from our era that other artists released and we loved”Billy added, “and we’ve added some of those songs to the show.”
Not very many recording artists get to celebrate 47 years in show business as McCoo & Davis can, having burst onto the scene as the original lead singers of The 5th Dimension in 1968. The legendary group released several pop and R & B classics including “Up, Up And Away”, “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In”, “Stoned Soul Picnic”, and “One Less Bell To Answer”.
After leaving The 5th Dimension, Marilyn and Billy released the #1 smash “You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)”, which earned the duo their seventh Grammy and led to a summer television variety series on CBS. Billy subsequently pursued a success gospel music career, while Marilyn graced the stage and small screen with a Broadway run and a stint hosting TV’s Solid Gold.
With so many artists having come and gone during Marilyn & Billy’s lauded career, I asked them for the secret to their career longevity and success.
“I was just talking to some friends of ours,”Billy shared, “and when I told them we were headed out to work, they told me ‘Man! Your career has legs!’ We don’t really think about it because we’ve been so busy doing what we enjoy doing.”
“But we do think about it,”Marilyn added. “We do realize what a blessing it is. We are so thankful to have been a part of a legacy —The 5th Dimension —that impressed a lot of people and had a major impact on people’s lives. They love to come and hear the music, and see Billy & me again, and relive their memories and their experiences. You just never know that that’s going to happen for you —no artist does. We’re just so thankful to have our health and our voices…and our memories. We can still remember all of the lyrics!”McCoo laughed.
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. present “Up, Up & Away – The Music and Memories” to Cache Creek Saturday, May 9th at 8pm. For tickets, go to cachecreek.com.
Michael P. Coleman is a Sacramento-based freelance writer. Connect with him at michaelpcoleman.com, via email at mikelsmindseye@me.com, or on Twitter: @ColemanMichaelP.
