Irish Grinstead of ’90s girl group 702 has died at the age of 43, her sister and bandmate LeMisha Grinstead announced Saturday.
The singer, who was known for contributing songs like “Where My Girls At” and “Get It Together,” died after a “long battle,” said 702’s LeMisha. The news comes nine months after 702 announced in December that Irish took a “medical leave of absence due to serious health issues” when she moved away from the group.
“It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that my beautiful sister and friend passed away tonight,” LeMisha wrote on Instagram, alongside a black-and-white portrait of Irish. “She fought a long battle and is finally at peace.”
LeMisha added that her sister is “shiny like a star” and “not only beautiful on the outside, but beautiful on the inside.”
“Sharing the stage with her was a joy I will cherish for the rest of my life,” she continued. “We ask the family for prayers and respect for our privacy as we grieve our family’s great loss.”
702 posed for a photo at the 1999 Teen Choice Awards.
Ron Galella, Ltd./Collection of Ron Galella via Getty
Several friends and fans in and out of the music industry also paid tribute to the late singer on social media and in the comments section of the post, including Pusha-T, Da Brat, Missy Elliott, Tamar Braxton, SWV, Kenan Thompson, Brownstone, Yvette Nicole Brown and Hi-Tech.
“💔🙏🏾🕊️ Lots of prayers for your family🙏🏾,” Elliott commented, while Braxton added, “💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔 sister, I’m so sorry.”
“Irish, may your beautiful soul rest in peace in the arms of the Lord,” Elliott wrote on x. “Many prayers for the entire Grinstead family #702.”
Irish and LeMisha made up two-thirds of the band’s lineup, which also included singer Kameelah Williams. The group — named after the area code of the members’ hometown of Las Vegas — has released its first LP No doubt in 1996.
Their self-titled LP was released in 1999 and featured the song “Where My Girls At”, which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is one of three singles by the group to be certified Gold by the RIAA, including “Get It Together” and “Steelo,” which was the theme song for Nickelodeon’s Cousin Skeeter.
Bandmate Williams shared on Instagram that she was “devastated and heartbroken” by the news of her friend’s death. She also addressed the death of Irish’s twin and original band member Orish Grinstead in 2008.
“I struggled with this post because this is not real for me,” she wrote on Sunday morning. “❤️🩹 There’s a lot I want to say, but there’s no way to say what your heart hasn’t fully accepted.”
“It’s hard to admit that it’s even happening,” Williams added. “I know you’re feeling better now and you’re hugging your twin Orish which makes me smile 🥹 because I know how much you missed her. You and I have known each other since we were kids and we’ve laughed, cried, celebrated and everything in between, which is why I just don’t want believe this. You will always be my ‘IBG’ and I still love you my forever little sister!!!”
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Source: HIS Education