Irish Grinstead, a member of the R&B trio 702, known for their 1999 hit “Where My Girls At?”, died Saturday night at the age of 43, according to her sister.
The cause of death was not immediately available, but the group announced in December, Irish Grinstead took “medical leave due to serious health issues”.
LeMisha Grinstead, Irish Grinstead’s sister and teammate, said in an Instagram post announced her death that she “had a long battle and is finally at peace”.
“That girl was as bright as the stars! She was beautiful not only on the outside, but also on the inside,” wrote LeMisha Grinstead. “Sharing the stage with her was a joy that I will cherish for the rest of my life!”
Sisters Grinstead and Kameelah Williams made up the number 702, which was named after the Las Vegas area code where they were from.
“Devastated and broken,” Ms Williams wrote Instagram post Sunday. “There’s so much I want to say, but there’s no way to say what your heart hasn’t fully received.
The group’s 1996 debut album “No Doubt” featured the song called “Steelo,” with Missy Elliott. A version of the song was the theme song for the Nickelodeon show “Cousin Skeeter”. The song was also sampled by Dance music hit of 2019 produced by Diplo.
“Irish May your beautiful soul rest in peace in the arms of the Lord,” Ms Elliott wrote contribution to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday. “Many prayers for the entire Grinstead family.
The 702’s breakout hit was “Where My Girls At?”, which peaked #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1999, according to Billboard.
As news of Irish Grinstead’s death spread, tributes from fans flooded social media in the form of music videos featuring Irish Grinstead dancing alongside her sister and Ms. Williams in high-90s glam and choreography.
The group released their last album ‘Star’ 20 years ago but have continued to perform, with several scheduled for the rest of this year.
Irish Grinstead’s twin, Orish Grinstead, died in 2008, according to IMDb.
