Irish Grinstead, a 702 member and vocalist of R&B, passed away at the age of 43, according to her family.
Irish was a part of the girl group 702, which took its name from the Los Vegas, Nevada, area code.
“It is with great sadness that I have to let you know that my beautiful sister and friend has passed away this evening,” the post read.
“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.”
Lemisha shared a second heartbreaking photo of her sister on Sunday, writing, “Me and my lil sister!!”
A cause of death was not immediately revealed.
The singer’s death comes just months after the group announced in December that Irish would be taking a “medical leave of absence due to serious medical issues,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Irish is not the first member of 702 to sadly pass away, as her twin-sister Orish Grinstead died of kidney failure in 2008 at the age of 27.
Orish, along with Irish, Lemisha, and singer Amelia Childs, was one of the girl group’s founding members.
Before formally breaking up in 2006, the group saw numerous lineup changes since it was first formed in the 1990s.
Stello, Where My Girls At, and Pootie Tangin were some of the songs by 702 that were most popular at the height of their popularity.
The ensemble received numerous nominations for honors at numerous award ceremonies, including the American Music honors and BET Awards.
Particularly, 702 was nominated for Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist at the American Music Awards in 2000 and Best Female Group at the 2001 BET Awards.
The girl group’s debut album No Doubt received Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year at the 1997 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.
Irish and Lemisha got back together in May 2021 when they became cast members of BET’s The Encore series.
Seven episodes featured the sisters.
In 1980, on June 2, Irish was born.
She performed in various acting roles in addition to music, including starring parts in The Brewster Project and Tiffany the Doll.
