FOREVER 5TH DIMENSION

First, in our 15^th year of FOREVER 5^th DIMENSION, a big thank you to all those stopping by from around the world. I am continually astounded when WordPress sends the monthly stats, indicating thousands of visitors from Japan, Germany, England, the Philippines, France, Brazil, and the US, of course! The enduring legacy of joy that The 5^th Dimension holds, their eternal harmony and excellence surely transcends.

Sharing a little story that seems perfect for #BlackMusicMonth, this past Memorial Day weekend, I finally got to the magnificent Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. We had written about it in LaMonte McLemore’s hit memoir, “From Hobo Flats to The 5^th Dimension,” when a curator from the museum came for lunch to visit with Mac and wife Mieko in their Las Vegas home, and secure one of The 5^th Dimension’s costumes…this was an ornately gold-embroidered black jacket with long golden fringe, circa the 80’s. And yes, I’ve seen photos of this that very kind fans supplied—being Mac’s jacket, reflecting his tall frame, it looked especially spectacular on the museum mannequin.

Upon arrival, I immediately made my way to the fourth floor, where an homage to music, TV, and film icons prevails. It was a rather emotional experience. And I walked and walked in circles, finding LaMonte’s jacket to no avail! After reaching out to a lovely curator, she did a search and lo and behold, the jacket was just rotated out the previous week, to make room for other legend’s outfits! She noted the museum currently has in storage thousands of donated or on-loan costumes to choose from for exhibit. What was thrilling was to see the seemingly lit, majorly jewel-encrusted jacket worn by Luther Vandross, the post-mod patchwork design, early 70’s costuming of The Jackson 5, and the elegant velvet tuxedo of Mac’s good friend, Bubba Knight of Gladys Knight and the Pips. The cool denim vibe of Country’s Charlie Pride juxtaposed by a strikingly petite outfit worn by Diana Ross from an early scene of “Lady Sings the Blues” were set off by a long, in-action placard of Tina Turner, extra poignant in that we just lost the Queen of Rock. And as I took more time to “investigate,” yes, there was The 5^th Dimension (photo by our friend, Arnie Lee) positioned on top of Nat “King” Cole (one of Billy Davis, Jr.’s personal influences), in the section that highlighted “cross-over artists.” I’ll leave you, dear fans, with a shot of The 5^th and Mr. Cole (above), and a copy of the “narrative” that accompanies it (below). Powerful words about that transcendent quality possessed by The 5^th Dimension, Mr. Cole, and really, so many more in this hopeful age of diversity, unity and mutual respect. 

–Robert-Allan Arno

The 5^th Dimension at Eastern Michigan University, ’71. The 5^th Dimension’s music crossed genres, hitting the pop, rhythm & blues, and adult contemporary charts.

Forever 5th Dimension by Robert-Allan Arno, a production of The Soul of The Voice, Ltd., copyright 2008-2023, intellectual property, all rights reserved; Photos: The Arno 5th Legacy Collection