Rochelle Fleming, the lead singer and co-founder of the Philadelphia disco group First Choice, died on November 5, 2026, in her hometown of Philadelphia. She was 72. Her death was announced on November 6 by her longtime manager, George Iz Correia, in a statement shared on her Instagram account on behalf of the Fleming-Finney family. No cause of death has been disclosed. Fleming was best known for a voice that carried some of the most loved dance records of the 1970s, and her passing has brought renewed attention to a group whose music still fills dance floors today.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rochelle Fleming-Finney |
| Age at death | 72 |
| Date of death | November 5, 2026 |
| Place of death | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Announcement date | November 6, 2026 |
| Announced by | George Iz Correia, her longtime manager |
| Group | First Choice |
| Role in the group | Lead singer and co-founder |
| Group formed | 1971 in Philadelphia |
| Best known songs | Armed and Extremely Dangerous, Smarty Pants, The Player Part 1, Let No Man Put Asunder |
| Cause of death | Not disclosed |
| Memorial services | To be announced at a later date |
How Her Death Was Announced
The news reached the public through a short and dignified statement. Her longtime manager, George Iz Correia, shared the announcement on November 6 on her Instagram account, speaking on behalf of the Fleming-Finney family. The statement said that it was with a heavy heart that the family shared the passing of Rochelle Fleming-Finney, and that she brought light, laughter and love to the world.
The wording was simple, and it matched the tone that many families choose in the first hours after a loss. It gave the essential facts, it left room for grief, and it said that services to celebrate her life would be announced at a later date. That line told fans that a formal farewell is planned, while making clear that the family needed time first.
The family has not shared a cause of death, and that choice should be respected. Fans can honour her by listening to the music and by waiting for the family to share details of the memorial service when they are ready.
A Philadelphia Beginning
Rochelle Fleming was born in 1950 in Philadelphia, a city with a rich and proud musical history. Philadelphia in the middle of the twentieth century was a place where church singing, school music, and street corner harmony all mixed together, and many young singers learned their craft long before they ever entered a recording studio. Fleming was one of them. She sang at Overbrook High School, where her voice began to draw notice, and she carried that early training into a professional career that would last for decades.
She was married to Robert Finney, and her married name, Fleming-Finney, was used in the family statement that announced her death. Behind the stage name and the hit records was a person with a family, a home, and a life beyond the spotlight.
Her church, Christian Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, also released a statement after her death, a sign that she remained connected to the community that shaped her voice.
First Choice and the Disco Years
Fleming co-founded First Choice in 1971 in Philadelphia with Annette Guest and Wardell Piper. Malanie McSears was also an early member of the group. In its earliest days, the group was first called the Debonettes, a name that reflected the close harmony style of the time. The name First Choice came later, and it proved to be a fitting one, because the group soon became a first choice for dance music fans in the United States and beyond.
The early 1970s were a turning point for Philadelphia music. The city was producing a smooth, rich soul sound that would soon feed directly into disco, and First Choice arrived at exactly the right moment. Fleming stood at the front of the group as lead singer, and her voice gave the records their lift and their urgency. She could sing with power when a song needed drive, and she could soften her tone when a lyric called for warmth. That range helped the group move between dance floor energy and soulful feeling without losing its identity.
Their hits included Armed and Extremely Dangerous, Smarty Pants, The Player Part 1, and Let No Man Put Asunder. Let No Man Put Asunder appeared on the group’s 1977 album Delusions, and it later became a hit again when Mary J. Blige recorded her own version.
First Choice disbanded in 1980, and Fleming went solo after the group came to an end. Disco faded from the charts in the early 1980s, but its best records never really went away. They lived on in clubs, in samples, and in the collections of fans who kept the vinyl, and First Choice has been part of a renewed interest in disco in recent years.
Life After the Group
After First Choice disbanded in 1980, Fleming continued as a solo artist. The move from group singer to solo performer is never simple. A lead singer has to rebuild a career without the harmonies, the shared stage, and the shared identity that a group provides. Fleming made that move with the same voice that had carried First Choice, and she kept performing and recording in the years that followed.
Solo work gave her a chance to explore her own sound and to stay connected to the audiences who had loved the group. A hit from 1977 can still fill a room if the voice behind it is still strong, and Fleming had that kind of voice.
In her later years, she remained a respected figure in Philadelphia music. She was not chasing the spotlight, and she did not need to. The records spoke for her, and the people who knew the music knew her name.
Tributes and What Comes Next
The tributes that followed the announcement of Fleming’s death have come from across the music world. Sister Sledge, another much loved vocal group of the disco era, praised her soulful voice. That praise carries weight because it comes from fellow singers who understand what it takes to lead a group, to hold a harmony together, and to deliver a song night after night. When peers speak, their words are a form of professional respect, and Sister Sledge chose to focus on the voice itself, which was the heart of Fleming’s gift.
Record company BMG Rights Management also paid tribute to Fleming. A tribute from a record company is a sign that her work is still valued by the industry that released it, and that her catalogue still matters. Record companies do not always speak in such cases, so when they do, it signals that the artist left a mark that is recognised at an institutional level as well as by fans.
Her church, Christian Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, released a statement as well, a reminder that Fleming was not only a recording artist but also a member of a congregation and a neighbour.
Fans have also shared their own memories online, recalling first hearing First Choice on the radio and dancing to the songs at clubs and parties. The family has said that services to celebrate her life will be announced at a later date.
The wider entertainment world continues to move on, with new performers announced for the CMA Awards and fresh stories arriving each week. Fans also followed the Grammy night songs and dances on Dancing with the Stars and watched the celebrity arrivals for the new series of I am a Celebrity. Those stories show how busy the entertainment calendar remains, yet the death of a singer like Fleming stands apart from the daily news cycle. It is a moment to pause, to look back, and to give thanks for music that has lasted.
FAQs
Who was Rochelle Fleming?
Rochelle Fleming was the lead singer and co-founder of First Choice, a Philadelphia R and B and disco group formed in 1971. She sang lead on the group’s best known records, including Armed and Extremely Dangerous, Smarty Pants, The Player Part 1, and Let No Man Put Asunder. After the group disbanded in 1980, she went solo. She was born in 1950 in Philadelphia and sang at Overbrook High School before her professional career began.
When did Rochelle Fleming die and how old was she?
Rochelle Fleming died on November 5, 2026, in Philadelphia. She was 72. Her death was announced on November 6 by her longtime manager, George Iz Correia, in a statement on her Instagram account on behalf of the Fleming-Finney family. No cause of death has been disclosed, and the family has said that services to celebrate her life will be announced at a later date.
What were First Choice’s biggest songs?
First Choice’s best known songs were Armed and Extremely Dangerous, Smarty Pants, The Player Part 1, and Let No Man Put Asunder. Let No Man Put Asunder appeared on the group’s 1977 album Delusions and later became a hit again when Mary J. Blige recorded her own version. The group was formed in Philadelphia in 1971, first under the name the Debonettes, and disbanded in 1980.
Who has paid tribute to Rochelle Fleming?
Sister Sledge praised her soulful voice, record company BMG Rights Management paid tribute, and her church, Christian Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, released a statement. Her longtime manager, George Iz Correia, announced her death on behalf of the Fleming-Finney family, and said that she brought light, laughter and love to the world. Fans have also shared memories of her music online.
SOURCES
Final Thoughts
Rochelle Fleming leaves behind a voice that defined a moment in disco and soul, and a set of songs that still bring people to the dance floor. She co-founded First Choice in Philadelphia in 1971, she led the group through its best years, and she kept singing after the group came to an end. Her death at 72 is a sad loss for her family, for her church community, and for the many fans who loved her music. The family statement said it best: she brought light, laughter and love to the world. That is a fitting final note for a singer whose work still shines, and whose songs will keep playing long after this sad week has passed.
