Irish Grinstead, singer in the popular ’90s R&B group 702, has died at the age of 43. Grinstead’s death was confirmed in an Instagram post by her sister LeMisha, who wrote that Irish “had a long battle and is finally at peace”.
“It is with great sadness that I have to let you know that my beautiful sister and friend has passed away this evening,” LeMisha Grinstead wrote. “She has had a long battle and she is finally at peace. That girl was as bright as the stars! She was not only beautiful on the outside, but also within. Sharing the stage with her was a joy I will cherish for the rest of my life! We, the family ask for prayers and respect for our privacy as we grieve an outstanding loss to our family.”
702: ‘Where My Girls At’
The cause of death has not been revealed, but as Variety notes Irish was forced to take a leave of absence from the group late in 2022 due to “serious medical issues.”
“Devastated & heartbroken,” Kameelah Williams, fellow 702 member, wrote on Instagram. “I struggled with this post because to me this isn’t real. 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 acknowledge this is even happening.
“You & 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 to believe this.”
702 – which featured Irish, LeMisha, and Williams – formed in the mid-90s and released their debut album No Doubt in 1996. It was their second, self-titled album in 1997 that brought them fame, as it contained the juggernaut single ‘Where My Girls At’.
The group only released one more album, Star, before disbanding in 2006. They reformed a decade later, and had been playing gigs fairly frequently since.
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