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.
Lemisha Grinstead, Irish’s sister and a fellow band member, shared the news of her passing on Instagram on Saturday.
“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 posted another tragic image of her sister along with the caption, “Me and my lil sister!!” on Sunday.
The cause of death wasn’t made known right away.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the group announced in December that Irish would be taking a “medical leave of absence due to serious medical issues,” and the singer’s passing occurred just a few months later.
Irish Grinstead is not the first member of 702 to untimely depart away; her twin sister Orish Grinstead, who was 27, passed unexpectedly from kidney problems in 2008.
Orish, along with Irish, Lemisha, and singer Amelia Childs, was one of the girl group’s founding members.
The group saw numerous lineup changes since it was first formed in the 1990s before formally breaking up in 2006.
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.
