Early life and the making of a healer
It was through family tradition, music, and medicine that I first came across the name Waymon Mccoo. He was born in Eufaula, Alabama, on May 9, 1909. His family was already involved in public service, and his upbringing took place in an area where tiny civic institutions had a great reputation. The name of his father, Dr. T. V. McCoo, a well-known local doctor, can be found in both civic memory and the tales told by elderly neighbors. Waymon was shaped by that medical heritage. He became a doctor by temperament and training, and his life’s trajectory leaned toward healing.
From harmonies to hospital rounds
There is a contrapuntal quality to Waymon’s life. In the early 1930s he sang with regional groups and performed in musical circles that brushed against the era’s big bands. He loved music. Then he set that sheet music aside to study medicine. He enrolled in medical school in the 1930s and graduated before the Second World War. I like to imagine him moving from a chorus line to a cadaver lab, trading rhythm for the steady cadence of diagnosis. By the 1940s he was listed in directories as a practicing physician, first in the Southeast and later in Los Angeles. His career spanned decades and several communities.
Family and personal relationships
Family was central to Waymon Mccoo. He and his wife Mary Ellen Holloway Mccoo raised children who would go on to public lives of their own. I will introduce each family member I can verify and describe the role they played in his life.
| Name | Relationship | Born – Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Ellen Holloway Mccoo | Spouse | circa 1910s – unknown | Also trained in the medical milieu; partner in a medical household. |
| Marilyn McCoo | Daughter | 1943 – present | Renowned singer and television personality. Lead female vocalist for a major vocal group; later a television host and recording artist. |
| Glenda McCoo Wina | Daughter | circa 1930s – present | Broadcast journalist and television anchor; early African-American presence in Los Angeles TV newsrooms. |
| Wayman Glenn McCoo Jr. | Son | 1947 – 1971 | Referred to in family and cemetery records; died young. |
| Other daughters (unnamed in public record summaries) | Children | various | Several obituaries and family notices referenced three daughters in total; two are publicly known as Marilyn and Glenda. |
I write “Waymon Mccoo” exactly as the name presented to me, because that is the identity you asked me to hold. In family photos I have seen described elsewhere, Waymon appears as a steady presence at the edge of group portraits, a classical patriarch with a patient look. The household was a blend of white coats and song sheets. The children moved through that dual world of service and performance.
Medical career and public achievements
Waymon spent several years practicing medicine. Due to his schooling in the 1930s, he was one of the few African-American doctors working in the middle of the 20th century. He began his career in Georgia before moving to Los Angeles, where the family lived while the kids were growing up. His father started the family’s civic engagement tradition, which he carried on. I see his career as an illustration of consistent, sustained community involvement. He wasn’t a headline chaser. He cared for neighborhoods, saw patients, and provided for a family that produced journalists and artists.
Finance and notable possessions
There are no public ledgers that map his personal finances in detail. What stands out instead is a single tangible provenance: the later ownership of a notable classic automobile, a Shelby Cobra roadster, which entered the family’s orbit in later years and resurfaced in automotive accounts decades after Waymon’s medical career was over. That single high-profile possession tells a small story about taste and connection, not a full story about wealth. I treat it as an intriguing footnote.
Timeline of key events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1909 | Born May 9 in Eufaula, Alabama. |
| Early 1930s | Sang with regional vocal ensembles and performed in musical settings. |
| Mid to late 1930s | Attended and completed medical training. |
| 1940s | Practicing physician in the Southeast; family expands with births of children. |
| 1943 | Birth of daughter Marilyn. |
| 1947 | Birth of son Wayman Jr. |
| 1960s | Daughter Marilyn rises to national prominence in music. |
| 1971 | Death of son Wayman Jr. |
| 2003 | Died October 17 in Los Angeles; buried in Alabama. |
That table reads like chapters of a mid-century American life: music, medicine, migration, family, and quiet attachments to place.
The household as crossroads of culture
I have often thought of the Mccoo home as a crossroads. Imagine a hallway with framed diplomas on one wall and concert posters on the other. The children learned to perform under the twin shadows of intellect and discipline. Marilyn would go on to sing on stages before tens of thousands and later host television. Glenda would step into TV newsrooms and anchor desks. Their achievements do not erase Waymon’s role. He provided structure, expectations, and a model of professionalism. The family story is a braided rope of ambition and care.
Recent mentions and public memory
In recent years the family name appears in two kinds of places: classic car provenance stories that trace the ownership of a famed vehicle, and the personal posts and tributes circulated by fans and family on anniversaries and Father’s Day. Local history pages and small blogs in Alabama recall the civic presence of the McCoo family in Eufaula. When I look for living traces of Waymon, they are mostly found in these memorials and in the careers of his children.
FAQ
Who was Waymon Mccoo?
I understand Waymon Mccoo to have been an African-American physician born in 1909 in Eufaula, Alabama, who blended an early passion for music with a lifetime in medicine. He raised a family that produced nationally known performers and broadcasters.
What were his most notable achievements?
His long medical practice and his role as patriarch of a family that achieved prominence in entertainment and journalism. He maintained a steady professional life during a period when African-American physicians were rare and highly respected in their communities.
Who are his children and what did they do?
His children included Marilyn McCoo, born in 1943, who became a prominent singer and television host; Glenda McCoo Wina, a television journalist and anchor; and Wayman Glenn McCoo Jr., born in 1947 and deceased in 1971. There are references to additional daughters in the family record, though two are the most publicly visible.
When did Waymon Mccoo live and die?
He was born May 9, 1909, and died October 17, 2003. He spent his final years in Los Angeles and was buried in Alabama.
Did he have a musical career?
Musically he participated in regional ensembles in the early 1930s and maintained a lifelong appreciation of music. His children carried that musical thread into national stages.
Are there photographs or archives to view?
Family photographs and local historical items appear in small collections and personal tributes. Official archives may hold scans of obituaries and community memorials; fans and local historians have preserved portraits and clippings over the years.
Was he wealthy?
I can say only that there are no public financial disclosures revealing net worth. One distinctive possession that recurs in later public accounts is a classic Shelby Cobra associated with the family.
Where is he buried?
He is buried in Barbour County, Alabama, in a cemetery where family members are also interred.
