Rochelle Fleming-Finney, the founding member and lead singer of the Philadelphia soul and disco group First Choice, has died at the age of 72. She died on November 5 in Philadelphia, her manager George "Iz" Correia announced on Saturday on her official Instagram page, speaking on behalf of the Fleming/Finney family. No cause of death was disclosed.
Fleming was the commanding voice behind some of the most enduring records of the disco era. With First Choice she sang lead on "Armed and Extremely Dangerous," the group's 1973 breakthrough, as well as "Smarty Pants," "Doctor Love" and "Let No Man Put Asunder." That last song, first heard on the group's 1977 album Delusions and released as a single by Salsoul Records in 1983, reached No. 13 on the dance chart and went on to a second life as a house-music staple, sampled and played in clubs for decades.
Fleming began singing with fellow Overbrook High School students Annette Guest and Wardell Piper in a group called the Debonettes, which became First Choice. The group broke up in 1980, but its records never left dance floors. Fleming reunited with Guest, Piper and Ursula Herring for a celebrated concert at New York's East River Bandshell on August 6, 2014, alongside their former Salsoul labelmates. In 2019, J. Cole introduced First Choice to a new generation by sampling "Wake Up to Me" on his hit "Middle Child."
Her death came just a week after the release of "Anywhere," a song by her former groupmate Wardell Piper that had sat in the vault for nearly 50 years. Correia's announcement said Fleming "brought light, laughter and love to the world." The family said details of services celebrating her life would be announced at a later date.
