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| 1954-2026 |
Rochelle Fleming, lead singer of the Philadelphia soul and disco group First Choice, has died at 72.
Her manager, George Iz Correia, announced her death Nov. 5 in a post on her Facebook page. “She brought light, laughter and love to the world,” he wrote. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Fleming, later known as Rochelle Fleming-Finney, was a Philadelphia native. She began singing with fellow Overbrook High School students Annette Guest and Wardell Piper in a group called the Debonettes.
With help from Philadelphia radio personality Georgie Woods, they connected with producer Norman Harris and songwriter Allan Felder and formed First Choice.
The group broke through nationally in 1973 with “Armed and Extremely Dangerous,” which reached No. 11 on the R&B chart, No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the U.K. top 20. Other hits included “Smarty Pants,” “The Player (Part 1),” “Guilty,” “Love Thang,” “Doctor Love” and “Let No Man Put Asunder.” Several were released on Salsoul Records.
After First Choice broke up, Fleming released solo dance records, including “Love Itch,” “Danger!” and “Suffer the Consequences.” The group’s recordings continued to find audiences through remixes, samples and covers.
Christian Hope, Fleming’s home church in Philadelphia, said in a statement that “the world knew Rochelle as the founding member and lead singer of Philadelphia’s own First Choice.” It added: “Even as a world-renowned artist, she always came home.”