Rochelle Fleming 1954 – 2026
Musicians
Celebrities, Musicians, Musicians and Composers, Singer
Biography
Rochelle Fleming-Finney (February 11, 1954 – November 5, 2026) was an American singer and the founding lead vocalist of the Philadelphia soul and disco group First Choice. Born in Philadelphia, she began singing at Overbrook High School with Annette Guest and Wardell Piper in the Debonettes, the group that became First Choice. Her powerful lead vocals drove the hits “Armed and Extremely Dangerous”, “Smarty Pants”, “Doctor Love” and “Let No Man Put Asunder”, the 1983 Salsoul single that became a house-music staple. She reunited with her former bandmates for a celebrated concert at New York’s East River Bandshell in 2014. Fleming died in Philadelphia on November 5, 2026, at the age of 72; no cause of death was disclosed.
