Irish Grinstead, original member of the R&B group 702, has died at age 43, according to her sister LeMisha Grinstead.
Irish, left, is pictured in 2019 with group mates Kameelah Williams, center, and LeMisha.
“It is with great sadness that I have to let you know that my beautiful sister and friend has passed away this evening,” LeMisha wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday, Sept. 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. Love always, Misha.”
No cause of death was disclosed. The group announced in December 2022 that Irish was taking a “medical leave of absence due to serious medical issues.
The platinum-selling R&B group 702 was named after the area code of their hometown Las Vegas, Nevada. Orish Grinstead (not pictured) left the group just before the release of their 1996 debut album, No Doubt.
No Doubt sold 500,000 copies in the U.S. and spawned the hit song “Steelo” (featuring Missy Elliott). Their second album, 702, released in 1999, spawned the hit “Where My Girls At?”
The Grinstead twins were featured in the reality TV series “BET Presents The Encore”. In the first episode, Irish opened up about the passing of her sister, Orish, who died in 2008 from kidney failure.
“I was thinking about the editing like how authentic it will be,” Irish told ABC Audio.
“I hope it really shows my sister in her true light. I hope it shows me in my true light, and I hope the audience gets to really understand what was going on. I hope everything is as it happens… as it unfolds.”
