Rochelle Fleming, Lead Singer of First Choice, Dies at 72
Rochelle Fleming, who fronted the Philadelphia soul and disco group First Choice from 'Armed and Extremely Dangerous' to the endlessly sampled 'Let No Man Put Asunder,' died Nov. 5 in Philadelphia. She was 72.
PHILADELPHIA — Rochelle Fleming, the lead singer of the R&B and disco group First Choice, has died at 72, USA TODAY reported. Fleming died Nov. 5 in her hometown of Philadelphia, according to a Nov. 9 statement posted on her Instagram account by her manager, George Iz Correia, on behalf of the Fleming-Finney family.
"She [brought] light, laughter and love to the world," Correia wrote. "Services to celebrate her life will be announced at a later date. Thank you for your support during this difficult time." No cause of death has been disclosed.
Fleming's group began as the Debonettes — Fleming with Annette Guest, Wardell Piper and Malanie McSears — and formed First Choice in 1971 while its members were students at Philadelphia's Overbrook High School, USA TODAY reported. After membership changes, the trio released 'Armed and Extremely Dangerous' in 1973 and a run of records that became disco and house-music bedrock: 'The Player,' 'Doctor Love,' 'Guilty,' 'Love Thang' and the oft-remixed and sampled 'Let No Man Put Asunder.' The group split in 1980, and Fleming recorded solo, including 'Love Itch,' 'It's Not Over' and 'Nobody's Fool.'
The tributes underline how far her voice traveled beyond the group's own chart run. House DJ Lenny Fontana wrote in a Nov. 6 social media post that Fleming 'is probably one of the most sampled in current dance music,' her voice heard across generations of dance records built on First Choice's catalog. Fellow Philadelphia act Sister Sledge remembered her Nov. 9 for her 'beautifully soulful voice and music,' adding: 'May she rest in heavenly peace, and our condolences to her family and loved ones.' Record company BMG Rights Management also paid tribute, according to the tribute roundup read this run.
