Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. are celebrating their 42 years of marriage this Valentine’s Day. In a business that chomps marriages for breakfast, the McCoo/Davis union is a remarkable accomplishment. Marilyn and Billy, who met as members of The 5th Dimension in 1967, share their secrets of staying happy and healthy in Hollywood in a wonderful book entitled, Up, Up and Away...How We Found Love, Faith and Lasting Marriage in the Entertainment World. The book has drawn rave reviews and is now only available at their website, http://mccoodavis.com.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) February 11, 2012
Observing the recent demise of the Demi Moore/Ashton Kutcher, Heidi Klum/Seal, Jennifer Lopez/Marc Anthony and Katie Perry/Russell Brand unions, which everyone had great hopes for, Marilyn and Billy recognize that there's no magic bullet to having a successful marriage, in or out of the entertainment business.
"I credit our friendship," Davis says. "We went into this marriage like most couples––we loved each other, we were friends and we fought like everyone else. But, our commitment to each other was so strong. Plus we have the Lord in our lives, and that's an important part of our relationship."
McCoo agrees, "The fact that our relationship started off as friendship before we ever dated certainly has a lot to do with it. You can't spend this many years with another person, if you don't like them. And respect. Women will complain about problems that men don't consider important, but women do the same thing with men. We don't realize it, because men tend not to talk about them. When your spouse says something, you need to listen. Paying attention to what the other person says is part of showing respect and caring about how each other feels.”
The book will mean many things to many people. First and foremost, it is a story of inspiration. And while the subjects are perceived by many as living a lavish carefree life with no worries, the book reveals their problems are no different from yours, your uncle, your neighbor, etc. It's all there, told in a warm, friendly, non-preachy tone. It's the next closest thing to the reader being involved in a personal conversation with the two legendary celebrities.
In Marilyn’s words, “We’ve written Up, Up and Away...How We Found Love, Faith and Lasting Marriage in the Entertainment World as truthfully as possible because we believe that this is the only way people can benefit from other’s experiences.”
The book is also a wonderful anecdotal inside look at the experience of going from anonymity to stardom from their 5th Dimension years to the present. As part of the 5th Dimension, McCoo and Davis celebrated more than 30 pop hits and seven Grammy Awards in eight years. When they left to establish themselves as a duo, they netted a #1 hit with their second duet, "You Don't Have To Be A Star ( To Be In My Show)," which also won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo.
Since then, McCoo has hosted the hit television show Solid Gold and made appearances on “Days of Our Lives,” “Night Court,” many concert specials, starred on Broadway in the revival of Showboat and appeared in a variety of musical theatre productions including Man of LaMancha. Billy also has added musical theatre to his accomplishments, starring in the hit musical Blues In The Night at the prestigious Old Globe Theatre and in Dreamgirls at the North Carolina Theatre. He has gone solo as a recording and performing artist touring nationwide and was able to fulfil a lifelong dream of collaborating with the legendary gospel great James Cleveland on an album, Let Me Have A Dream. Marilyn and Billy have appeared as a couple in recurring roles on the WB Network’s “Jamie Foxx Show.”
Marilyn and Billy continue performing domestically and internationally at performing arts centers, casinos and other venues. The magic of their concerts is the real-life dynamic between McCoo and Davis as they perform together. The audience responds to the admiration and affection visible on stage.
"It's been a real blessing for us to continue performing because it's a nightly affirmation of our love," Davis says. "And the audience responds to that. What comes from the heart goes to the heart.”
Published by Northfield Publishing, Up, Up and Away...How We Found Love, Faith and Lasting Marriage in the Entertainment World, written in collaboration with Mike Yorkey, is now only available for purchase on their website, http://mccoodavis.com, at a cost of $10 plus postage, service & handling.
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David Brokaw
The Brokaw Company
(310) 273-2060
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