Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.<div hidden>Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. </div>
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. are renowned American singers who rose to fame as lead vocalists of The 5th Dimension before launching a successful duo career. Married since 1969, they share a nearly six-decade partnership blending music, television, and personal faith.?
Marilyn McCoo, born September 30, 1943, in Jersey City, New Jersey, began singing professionally as a teen and studied theater arts and business at UCLA. Billy Davis Jr., born in 1938 in St. Louis, Missouri, pursued music after moving to Los Angeles and helped form the group originally called The Versatiles, which became The 5th Dimension in 1966.?
They met in the group alongside Ron Townson and Florence LaRue, achieving massive hits like "Up, Up and Away" in 1967, which won four Grammy Awards. The 5th Dimension became one of the top pop/soul acts of the late 1960s, earning multiple gold and platinum albums.?
Leaving the group in 1975, McCoo and Davis topped charts with "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)," a 1977 Grammy winner, and hosted their own CBS variety show that summer as the first African-American married couple to do so. They released albums like The Two of Us and Marilyn & Billy, accumulating seven Grammys total.?
McCoo hosted Solid Gold (1981-1988), appeared in Days of Our Lives and Broadway's Show Boat, and won a Grammy for a Christmas album with Quincy Jones. Davis starred in theatrical productions like Dreamgirls. They co-authored Up, Up and Away in 2004, continued touring, earned a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, and appeared in Summer of Soul (2021).
I Hope We Get To Love In Time
Arranged By – Horace Ott
Written-By – J. Dean, J. Glover
4:41
A2 Your Love
Arranged By – Paul Riser
Written-By – H.B. Barnum, W. Johnson
3:50
A3 I Still Will Be With You
Arranged By – Jeffrey Steinberg
Written-By – N. Toney
3:49
A4 Never Gonna Let You Go
Arranged By – Horace Ott
Written-By – W. Schatz
3:14
A5 Nothing Can Stop Me
Arranged By – Johnny Allen
Written-By – T. Hester
4:31
B1 You Can't Change My Heart
Arranged By – David Van DePitte
Written-By – E. Cate, E. Cate
3:12
B2 I Hope We Get To Love In Time
Arranged By – Wade Marcus
Written-By – J. Dean, J. Glover
2:58
B3 My Love For You (Will Always Be The Same)
Arranged By – Horace Ott
Written-By – D. MacKechine, E. Beal
3:29
B4 Easy Way Out
Arranged By – David Van DePitte
Written-By – E. Cate, E. Cate
3:39
B5 We've Got To Get It On Again
Arranged By – Paul Riser
Written-By – D. Addrisi, Addrisi
2:40
Label: ABC Records – ABCD-952
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1976
Genre: R&B Soul
Style: Seventies Soul, Disco, Funk
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.'s I Hope We Get to Love in Time (1976) is praised as a soulful, smooth pop-R&B album, their successful leap from The 5th Dimension, highlighting their pristine vocals and chemistry, especially on the #1 hit "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" and the title track, showcasing a mature sound with Philly soul and disco influences under producer Don Davis. Reviews note its exquisite production, timeless feel, and sophisticated blend of pop and soul, cementing their status as a leading duo with classic tracks.
The album is anchored by the Grammy-winning hit "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)," which reached #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Soul charts.
Critics highlight the "Groovesville" soul influence of producer Don Davis, noting that the album mixes "club rhythms" with smooth, sophisticated ballads similar to the Philly International style.
Reviewers frequently praise McCoo’s "classy but heartfelt" vocals and the duo's natural harmonic chemistry. The album established McCoo and Davis as a successful entity beyond The 5th Dimension, featuring strong performances on tracks like "Your Love".
The album remains a "pop classic" and has seen various re-issues, including a digitally remastered and expanded edition featuring bonus tracks like "I’m So Glad I Found You". As of early 2026, it maintains a positive legacy among fans and collectors, with original vinyl copies continuing to be sought after.