Particle.news

Rochelle Fleming, First Choice Lead Singer, Dies at 72

Confirmed by her longtime manager, her death drew tributes that highlighted how her recordings have kept shaping disco, house and hip‑hop.

Overview

  • Fleming died on Thursday, Nov. 5, in Philadelphia, a post on her official social accounts shared by longtime manager George Iz Correia said.
  • No cause of death has been made public and the family said that services to celebrate her life will be announced at a later date.
  • She co‑founded First Choice while still in high school and led the group through 1970s hits such as “Armed and Extremely Dangerous,” “The Player (Part 1),” “Doctor Love,” and “Let No Man Put Asunder.”
  • Her voice found new audiences through a 1983 dance reissue, Mary J. Blige’s 1999 cover of “Let No Man Put Asunder,” and high‑profile samples by artists including J. Cole and Kaytranada.
  • Labels, peers and Fleming’s church posted tributes, DJs noted her enduring presence in club culture, and she remained active into the 2020s with a 2025 collaboration with producer Terry Hunter.