Former members, The Fifth Dimension
6 Grammys
17 Top 40 hits including “Up, Up and Away,” “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”
Star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, Duo performers
Grammy hit single “You Don’t Have to be a Star”
Guest Bio
Billy Davis, Jr. and Marilyn McCoo Are Committed to Staying Together
CBN.com - EARLY BEGINNINGS
Marilyn and Billy have been married for 46 years. That’s unheard of in Hollywood where longevity in marriage is scarce. They were members of the Fifth Dimension -- a recording group that started in 1967, and started out as friends whose friendship later evolved into a romance. They married in 1969. The group sang their way to the top and earned a group star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Billy and Marilyn left the group in 1975 to pursue solo and later duo careers in the entertainment business.
At one point, their careers hit a lull. “That’s when things got a little quiet,” says Marilyn. “I started reflecting on my life, my career and what it all meant and who I was. I began to realize that something was missing in my life.” A friend had told Marilyn that if she ever felt like there was a void in her life it was the Lord telling her that she needed Him. Marilyn started reading the Bible and prayed to receive Jesus. One day while driving through Los Angeles, they saw that The Roxy, a famous nightclub in LA, was holding a revival so they went. That night, Billy and Marilyn gave their lives to Jesus.
KEYS TO COMMITMENT
Their marriage has not been without problems. They share their experiences, including Billy’s alcoholism, their finances, fame, pressures of marriage and keys they have learned along the way to their audiences. Billy grew up drinking and before he knew it, he was drinking every day. After he gave he heart to the Lord, he continued to drink. “I thought I could control it,” says Billy. He tried to quit drinking for a year and when that didn’t work, he tried for 6 months. After that didn’t work, Billy tried AA. When he admitted he was an alcoholic, everything changed. “Once I surrendered to that and asked the Lord to take it away, I was done with it.” He said if he lived 40 years drinking, he could live the next 40 without it. He has been sober for 28 years. “There is no magic formula for a good marriage, in or out of the entertainment industry,” they say. “Marriage takes work, commitments are not things of the past and people need to take their commitments seriously,” says Marilyn. Earlier this year on the 2015 Soul Train Cruise, they hosted a marriage renewal service for 30 couples.
They believe their early friendship formed the foundation for their lasting marriage. “Friendships carry people through struggles and difficulties,” says Billy. “When you realize that you’re fighting with this person you love, then you think Wait a minute, he’s my friend,” says Marilyn. “You don’t want to lose your friend.” They’ve found that they are more alike than different in their relationship. Marilyn says it is important for men and women to celebrate and accept their differences. Another key to sustain any relationship is to just maintain the basics: respect, communication and setting priorities. Marilyn also reminds their audiences that compromise or give and take is important. For example, Marilyn had the opportunity to perform on Broadway but wasn’t sure how Billy would respond to leaving LA to live in New York for a year. To her surprise, Billy agreed. Though Billy didn’t think this was a very big deal, Marilyn saw this as an act of sacrifice and it strengthened their relationship. Marilyn is concerned about the condition of marriages today, especially Christian marriages. She says it is important to apply God’s Word to their lives.
Marilyn and Billy continue to perform in the secular arena. Recently, they spoke to kids in the public high school Marilyn graduated from in LA. It was a Back-To-School HistoryMakers assembly and Billy and Marilyn mentioned their faith in Jesus and shared how they have been married for so long. “When people ask us how we do it, it gives us a chance to glorify the Lord,” says Marilyn.
They are performing with the Virginia Symphony on October 3, 2015.
CBN IS HERE FOR YOU!
Are you seeking answers in life? Are you hurting?
Are you facing a difficult situation?
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.
