R.I.P. ROCHELLE FLEMING: FIRST CHOICE LEGEND WHO HELPED SHAPE HOUSE MUSIC DIES

730 BOOM RADIO | REMEMBERING A LEGEND

The music world has lost a voice that helped move generations. Rochelle Fleming-Finney, the founding lead singer of the Philadelphia soul and disco group First Choice, died November 5, 2026, in Philadelphia, according to an announcement from her manager, George Iz Correia. A cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.

For listeners who came up on classic R&B, disco and house, Rochelle Fleming was not simply the woman singing the hook. Her voice was part of the room: family parties, skating rinks, late-night radio and dance floors where the DJ knew exactly what to play next.

FROM THE DEBONETTES TO FIRST CHOICE

Fleming's story began in Philadelphia, where she sang with fellow Overbrook High School students Annette Guest and Wardell Piper in a group called the Debonettes. A connection with influential radio personality Georgie Woods led them to producer Norman Harris and songwriter Allan Felder. The group became First Choice, and a remarkable run of soul and dance recordings followed.

Their 1973 breakthrough, Armed and Extremely Dangerous, helped establish the trio nationally. Smarty Pants, The Player, Doctor Love and other favorites followed, showcasing the kind of commanding lead vocal that could make a record feel urgent without sacrificing its groove.

CHICAGO HOUSE MUSIC OWES THIS VOICE SOME FLOWERS

First Choice's Let No Man Put Asunder became far more than a disco-era recording. DJs and remixers carried it into a new musical life, and it became a foundational favorite in house culture. In Chicago, where house music took shape, that recording is woven into the city's dance-floor history.

Add Love Thang, Double Cross and Hold Your Horses to the conversation, and the point becomes impossible to miss: First Choice did not just make songs for one moment. They made records that DJs could bring back decades later and still fill a floor. Some voices belong to an era. Rochelle Fleming's voice kept traveling.

A LEGACY THAT KEPT FINDING NEW LISTENERS

Even after First Choice's original run ended, Fleming recorded solo music, and the group's catalog continued reaching audiences through club mixes, samples, covers and reunions. The records survived changing formats, changing trends and changing generations of music fans.

Her manager's announcement described the light, laughter and love she brought to the world. Tributes from music lovers have followed, particularly from people who know how much First Choice meant to soul, disco and house.

730 BOOM RADIO'S FINAL WORD

We send condolences to Rochelle Fleming-Finney's family, loved ones, fellow musicians and fans everywhere. For Chicago DJs and dancers, her contribution will keep playing every time Let No Man Put Asunder hits the speakers and somebody instinctively heads for the floor. Rest in peace, Rochelle Fleming. Thank you for giving generations a voice to dance to.

730 BOOM RADIO | IT HITS DIFFERENT. EVERY TIME. BOOM!