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Ronald Townson

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Birth name
  
Ronald Townson

Education
  
Occupation(s)
  
Singer, actor

Genres
  
Name
  
Ronald Townson

Role
  
Vocalist


Ronald Townson image2findagravecomphotos201124658606441315

Born
  
January 29, 1933St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. (
1933-01-29
)

Died
  
August 2, 2001, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Movies
  
The 5th Dimension Travelling Sunshine Show

Similar People
  
Florence LaRue, Billy Davis - Jr, Marilyn McCoo, Bones Howe, Brian Cole

Associated acts
  
The 5th Dimension

born Jan. 20, 1933 Ron Townson "Vesti La Giubba"


Ronald Townson (January 29, 1933 – August 2, 2001) was an American vocalist. He was an original member of The 5th Dimension, a popular vocal group of the late 1960s and early 1970s; and the first, and only, deceased member of that group.

Contents

Ronald Townson Ronald Townson Wikipedia

Biography

Born in St. Louis, Townson started singing at age six and was a featured soloist on various choirs throughout his school years. His grandmother inspired him to sing and his parents arranged for him to have private singing and acting lessons. During high school, he appeared for three seasons in productions of Bloomer Girl, Annie Get Your Gun and Show Boat; he also won third place in the Missouri State trials for the Metropolitan Opera.

Townson toured with Wings Over Jordan for eight years while still in school and was their choir director for 2 years. He worked his way through Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri by conducting the University and Church Choirs; he also played football and ran track in college.

Townson left St. Louis to pursue a musical career in Los Angeles, California. He met Dorothy Dandridge and toured with her for two years, took part in the Samuel Goldwyn motion picture production of Porgy & Bess, and toured with Nat King Cole. He also organized and conducted his own 35-voice a cappella choir in Los Angeles.

In 1965, Townson and fellow St. Louis natives Billy Davis, Jr. and Lamonte McLemore joined female vocalists Marilyn McCoo and Florence LaRue to form The Versatiles. The name was a reference to their varied style in music, but producer Johnny Rivers thought the name was outdated. He wanted a newer-sounding name for the group, and they soon came up with The 5th Dimension. They began cutting records for Rivers' Soul City Records music label that year.

In 1976, after 10 successful years with The 5th Dimension, Townson left the group for a while. During his time away, he made a guest appearance on the TV series Switch, cut records, performed solo, and formed his own group, Ron Townson and Wild Honey. By 1980, he decided to reunite with The 5th Dimension.

In 1981, he and fellow group members Joyce Wright, Michael Procter, Florence LaRue and Lamonte McLemore starred in Fats Waller's Ain't Misbehavin' to excellent reviews. In 1990, the original five members of the group reunited for a New Year's Eve performance at Donald Trump's Atlantic City Casino. It was a huge success and they went on the road for some performances in 1991 as The Original 5th Dimension. That year, the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1992, Townson appeared in the Warner Brothers film The Mambo Kings.

Ron left The 5th Dimension for good in 1997. He involved himself with other business ventures and served on the board of directors of the Cambridge-Kilpatrick Acting School. He was honored at Lincoln University with the school's Distinguished Alumni Award.

Ron moved to Las Vegas in 1999 and died in his home there on August 2, 2001, of renal failure after a four-year battle with kidney disease. A service for him was held on August 11, 2001 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Filmography

Actor
1992
Sisters (TV Series) as
Hotel Manager
- Sins of the Mothers (1992) - Hotel Manager
1992
The Mambo Kings as
Empire M.C.
1976
Switch (TV Series) as
Philip Earps
- The Case of the Purloined Case (1976) - Philip Earps
1970
The Andy Williams Show (TV Series)
- Episode #2.12 (1970)
1970
The Fifth Dimension Special: An Odyssey in the Cosmic Universe of Peter Max (TV Movie) as
Ron Townson
1970
It Takes a Thief (TV Series) as
Ron
- To Sing a Song of Murder (1970) - Ron
1968
The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) as
Singer
- Allen & Rossi, Theodore Bikel, Jack Carter, the 5th Dimension, The McGuire Sisters, Liza Minnelli, the Canestrellis (1968) - Singer (as The 5th Dimension)
1959
Porgy and Bess as
Chorus (uncredited)
Self
1983
Frank Elstner: Stippvisite in Las Vegas (TV Movie documentary) as
Self (as The 5th Dimension)
1977
The Wolfman Jack Show (TV Series) as
- The Fifth Dimension, Tommy James (1977) - Self - the 5th Dimension
1976
The Bobby Goldsboro Show (TV Series) as
Self
- The 5th Dimension (1976) - Self (as the 5th Dimension)
1974
Soul Train (TV Series) as
Guest / Self
- The 5th Dimension/Al Wilson/Formula IV (1974) - Guest
- The 5th Dimension/Willie Hutch (1974) - Self (as The 5th Dimension)
1973
Flip (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #4.11 (1973) - Self
1973
Burt Bacharach in Shangri-La (TV Special) as
Self (as The 5th Dimension)
1971
Make Your Own Kind of Music! (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #1.8 (1971) - Self (as The 5th Dimension)
1968
The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) as
Self - Singer / Self - as the 5th Dimension / Self
- Episode #23.11 (1969) - Self - Singer (as The Fifth Dimension)
- The 5th Dimension, Liza Minnelli, George Carlin, Joan Rivers. Bill Dana, Vino Venito, The West Point Glee Club (1969) - Self - as the 5th Dimension
- Morey Amsterdam, Jane Morgan, Joel Grey, The Fifth Dimension, The West Point Glee Club, Joan Rivers, London Lee, Frankie Laine (1968) - Self (as The 5th Dimension)
1969
Eine Starparade mit Marianne Koch (TV Special) as
Self (as The 5th Dimension)
1969
The Woody Allen Special (TV Special documentary)(as The 5th Dimension)
1969
Sing und swing (TV Movie) as
Self (as The Fifth Dimension)
1969
Night-Club (TV Series) as
Self - Musician
- Episode dated 25 February 1969 (1969) - Self - Musician (as The 5th Dimension)
1968
The Jackie Gleason Show (TV Series) as
Self - Musical Guest / Self - the 5th Dimension
- Episode #3.13 (1969) - Self - Musical Guest (as The 5th Dimension)
- Milton Berle, the 5th Dimension, Herman's Hermits, Jerry Collins, George Carlin (1968) - Self - the 5th Dimension
1967
The Red Skelton Hour (TV Series) as
Self - the 5th Dimension
- A Spy Is a Peeping Tom on Salary (1967) - Self - the 5th Dimension
Archive Footage
2020
Third Adam 2: The Great Seduction (Documentary) as
Self
2019
A Year in Music (TV Series) as
Self
- 1969 (2019) - Self (as The 5th Dimension)

References

Ronald Townson Wikipedia


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