Irish Grinstead of girl group 702 has passed away at age 43.
According to Rolling Stone, LeMisha Grinstead, also a member of the ’90s R&B trio, shared news of her sister’s death on Instagram Saturday.
“She has had a long battle, and she is finally at peace,” she wrote. “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 Grinstead declined to provide her sister’s cause of death, Rolling Stone reported that Irish had been battling “serious medical issues” since at least December 2022. At the time, the group announced she would take a leave of absence.
The singing Grinstead sisters, born in Houston and raised in Las Vegas, named 702 after Sin City’s area code. Consisting of the Grinstead sisters plus Kameelah Williams, they released their debut album, “No Doubt,” in 1996.
Missy Elliott – who sent her condolences to the family on X – contributed to the album’s early songwriting credits and had a guest appearance on the track “Steelo.”
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“Irish May your beautiful soul Rest Peacefully in the arms of the Lord,” Elliot posted. “A Multitude of prayers for the entire Grinstead family🙏🏾🕊️💔#702.”
The trio’s most well-known song, “Where My Girls At?,” which was co-written by Elliot and reached No. 4 on the Hot 100, was included on a self-titled second album released in 1999.
The group released one more album, “Star” – produced by the Neptunes and featuring cameos from Clipse and Pharrell Williams – before splitting in the middle of the 2000s.
Kameelah Williams sent her sympathies to the Grinstead family on Instagram, sharing that she and Irish had known each other since they were children and “laughed, cried, celebrated, and everything in between.”
“Devastated & heartbroken. I struggled with this post because to me this isn’t real,” the 702 member wrote. “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. I know you’re feeling better now and hugging your twin Orish which makes me smile cus I know how much you missed her.”
Orish, Irish’s twin sister, who sang backup vocals for 702, died in 2008 at 27 from renal failure after a fight with cancer.
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