Alton McClain, as the lead singer of Alton McClain Destiny, had a Top Ten R&B/Top 40 pop hit with It Must Be Love and recorded the original version of I've Learned to Respect the Power of Love (written by Angela Winbush), later a 1986 number one R&B hit for Stephanie Mills. The group's lineup was McClain, D'Marie (Delores Marie) Warren (who died in a fatal car accident in February 1985 at the age of 32), and Robyrda Stiger. Their highest charting single was It Must Be Love, which sounded similar to the Emotions' number ten R&B hit The Best of My Love.

The group's debut LP Alton McClain Destiny was produced by Motown alumnus Frank Wilson (Eddie Kendricks, the Supremes, ABC Records artist Lenny Williams) and issued on Polydor Records. Besides It Must Be Love and I've Learned to Respect the Power of Love, the LP also boasted the follow-up single, the airy romantic groover Crazy Love," the soft chugger Taking My Love for Granted, the sweepingly romantic My Empty Room, the spidery guitar/horn-punctuated funk of Push and Pull ("you've got to push and pull to make those dreams of yours come true"), and God Said, Love Ye One Another.

Other charting singles were a duet cover of Hang on in There Baby with McClain and the original singer Johnny Bristol. Billed as Alton Johnny, their version charted number 73 R&B in early 1980 and was featured in a scene in the Mike Myers movie #54. All of McClain's charting singles were on Polydor Records.

Alton McClain married producer Skip Scarborough, becoming Alton McClain Scarborough, and can be heard doing background vocals on Nancy Wilson's albums Lady With a Song and Nancy Now! ~ Ed Hogan, Rovi