Irish Grinstead, one of the singers from the girl group 702, known for songs like “Where My Girls At,” sadly passed away on Saturday, September 16, at 43. Her sister, Lemisha Grinstead, confirmed the news.
Lemisha Grinstead, also part of 702, posted on Instagram to share the sad news. She shared that her sister fought a long battle, and now she is at a peaceful pace.
Irish Grinstead was as bright as the star! Her beauty was not just on the outside; she had a beautiful heart, too. Lemisha further mentioned how singing with her on stage was a special joy she will always remember.
As reported by Hollywood Reporter, even though they did not say why she passed, in December 2023, the group announced that Irish had to take a break from her music career because she was dealing with some very serious health problems.
What happened to Irish Grinstead’s twin sister?
Sadly, the Grinstead family has experienced tragic losses before. Irish Grinstead’s twin sister, Irish Grinstead, passed away when she was 27 years old on April 20, 2008, due to kidney failure. According to BET, Orish also had cancer and some other illnesses that doctors believed she could not recover from.
People close to Orish revealed that she had been dealing with her health problems for quite a while before she passed, and there was not much hope for her recovery.
In a conversation with ABC in 2021, Irish and Lemisha talked about the impact of losing Orish. They mentioned that it changed how their family worked because they were incredibly close, almost like triplets.
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Regarding Orish’s death, Irish shared that it was tough to keep those feelings inside for a long time. Lemisha added that she also went through a difficult time, maybe not as intensely as Irish, but losing Orish was hard for her, too.
Irish, born on June 2, 1980, in Las Vegas, Nevada, was a singer and was initially part of the original 702 lineups, including her sisters, Irish Grinstead Lemisha Grinstead and Amelia Childs.
Although she left the group before they officially started, she was involved in producing their first album. She also stepped in for other group members when they could not perform, like when Lemisha was expecting her son. In addition to her work with 702, Orish also pursued her solo music career.
Why did the group 702 disband?
Lemisha, Irish, and Irish Grinstead, along with the lead singer Kamilah Williams, are the most famous members of the American girl group.
The group is named after the Las Vegas area code, representing their hometown in Nevada. In addition to these three, Cree LaMore, Amelia Cruz, and Tiffany Villarreal were group members at different times.
Because Mike Bivins, the American singer and rapper, did not like their singing, Amelia and Orish got kicked out of the group at one point.
Tiffany Villarreal reportedly left the group six months before their first single was released so she could focus on her solo career.
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It is said that when the album “Where My Girls At?” came out, Kamilah Williams decided to end her connection with the Grinstead sisters due to unspecified problems with the record label. Cree La’More, a solo singer Irish and Lemisha personally selected, took her place in the group.
Cree La’More is thought to have left the group for personal reasons.
In an interview with The Jasmine Brand, Kamilah Williams explained that 702 did not disappear without a clear reason. The group disbanded because they faced a lot of internal conflicts, including issues with their management.
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