Irish Grinstead, one of the founding members of the nineties girl group 702, has died. She was 43 years old. LeMisha Grinstead, Grinstead’s older sister and former group member, shared the sad news of her sibling’s passing on Instagram.
“It is with great sadness that I have to let you know that my beautiful sister and friend has passed away this evening,” she wrote on September 16. “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.”
While her cause of death is not known, 702 announced on their Instagram page last December that Irish would be “taking a medical leave of absence due to serious medical issues. It is our hope that she will have a healthy and speedy recovery in the months to come.”
Originally comprised of twins Irish and Orish, their older sister LeMisha Grinstead and Amelia Childs, the group named themselves after their hometown area code in Las Vegas. After their debut on R&B group Subway’s hit single “This Lil’ Game We Play,” LeMisha and Amelia exited 702, which then became a trio with the addition of classmate Kameelah Williams.
Releasing their first album, No Doubt in 1996, 702 dropped their most famous song, “Where My Girls At?” in 1999. On April 20, 2008, Irish’s twin Orish died from kidney failure at age 27.
In 2021, Irish and LeMisha appeared on BET Presents: The Encore, an original reality series that brought together R&B girl group members of the 1990s and early 2000s to record a supergroup album in 30 days.
EBONY would like to offer condolences to the friends and family of Irish Grinstead. May she rest in peace.
