When you hear the name 702, songs like “Where My Girls At,” “Get It Together” and “Steelo” come to mind. Their nostalgic 90s cadence combined with trendy style and rich vocals made Kameelah Williams, Irish Grinstead, and LeMisha Grinstead a beloved girl group. 702 singer Irish Grinstead passed away on Saturday. She was 43.
Irish’s sister LeMisha confirmed her death on Instagram, captioning a younger photo of Irish, “It is with great sadness that I have to let you know that my beautiful sister and friend has passed away this evening,” she wrote. “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.”
Kameelah Williams, the lead singer of 702, also shared an emotional post grieving her bandmates’ death. Kameelah wrote that she was “devastated and heartbroken.” In her post, she mentions Irish’s twin sister Orish Grinstead, who died in April 2008 from kidney failure, the Sun reports.
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Irish’s cause of death has not been revealed. A 2022 Instagram post shared by a 702 fansite announced Irish would be on a leave of absence due to “medical issues.”
Irish’s death rocked social media. Missy Elliott sent her prayer to the family. “Irish May your beautiful soul Rest Peacefully in the arms of the Lord A Multitude of prayers for the entire Grinstead family #702,” she tweeted.
Irish and LeMisha appeared on BET’s The Encore in 2021. Executive Producer Carlos King, shared the details about his friendship with Irish on social media.
We send our prayers to the Grinstead family.
1. 2019 Essence Festival
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 06: LeMisha Grinstead, Irish Grinstead, and Kameelah Williams of 702 attend 2019 ESSENCE Festival at Louisiana Superdome on July 06, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
2. BET Presents: 2017 Soul Train Awards
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Kameelah Williams, LeMisha Grinstead, and Irish Grinstead of 702 attend the 2017 Soul Train Awards, presented by BET, at the Orleans Arena on November 5, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
3. WPGC For Sisters Only
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Kameelah Williams of 702, Ari Lennox, LeMisha and Irish Grinstead of 702 attend WPGC’s For Sisters Only at Renaissance Downtown on December 1, 2018 in Washington, DC.
4. WPGC For Sisters Only
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Irish Grinstead, LeMisha Grinstead and Kameelah Williams of 702 attend WPGC’s For Sisters Only at Renaissance on December 1, 2018 in Washington, DC.
5. 2019 Black Music Honors
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 05: Singer group of 702 attend the 2019 Black Music Honors at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on September 05, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.
6. 702 Promotional Visit In Chicago
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Singers Irish Grinstead, Kameelah Williams and LeMisha Grinstead of 702 performs during the ‘6th Annual WGCI-FM Music Seminar’ at the Hyatt Hotel in Chicago, Illinois in May 1997.
