Rochelle Fleming dies at 72: Greatest First Choice hits you need to hear
If you’ve ever danced to «Doctor Love», «Love Thang» or «Let No Man Put Asunder», you’ve heard the voice of Rochelle Fleming. The First Choice frontwoman, who died on November 5 at the age of 72, helped create some of disco’s most enduring records.
Her family confirmed her death through longtime manager George Iz Correia. The cause was not disclosed.
Here are the songs worth revisiting, including those that went on to influence house music.
First Choice’s biggest hits: What to listen to
First Choice emerged from Philadelphia’s soul scene in the early 1970s, with Fleming joining Annette Guest and Wardell Piper in a group originally called the Debonettes.
Their breakthrough came in 1973 with «Armed and Extremely Dangerous», which reached No. 11 on the US Billboard R&B chart and No. 16 in Britain. That same year, «Smarty Pants» climbed to No. 9 in the UK, becoming the group’s highest-charting British single.
Their 1977 album Delusions produced two of their most enduring tracks: «Doctor Love» and «Let No Man Put Asunder».
The latter became a favourite among Chicago house DJs, including Frankie Knuckles. Its remixes and samples helped introduce First Choice to listeners who had not experienced the original disco era.
Another notable track, «Love Thang», released in 1979, later found a new audience when producer Kaytranada sampled it for «10%», featuring Kali Uchis. The song won a Grammy for best dance recording in 2021.
Other First Choice favourites include «The Player (Part 1)», «Guilty» and «Double Cross».
How Fleming’s disco classics took over house music
Fleming’s recordings remained influential long after First Choice’s original run ended in 1980.
«Let No Man Put Asunder» became particularly important to house music. Remixes by Frankie Knuckles and Shep Pettibone helped establish the track as a club classic, while elements of its sound influenced Steve «Silk» Hurley’s 1987 UK No. 1 «Jack Your Body».
Rolling Stone later included the song among its 200 greatest dance songs of all time.
After leaving First Choice, Fleming released solo recordings including «Love Itch», «Danger!» and «Suffer (The Consequences)». She also continued performing the group’s songs with later line-ups.
In 2025, she worked with Chicago house producer Terry Hunter on «Balls 2 Bounce», showing her continued involvement in the music scene that had embraced her earlier recordings.
Born in Philadelphia in 1954, Fleming began singing while attending Overbrook High School. She remained connected to her hometown throughout her career and was a longtime member of the Christian Hope Baptist Church choir.
Her songs continue to appear in DJ sets, remixes and samples, connecting the Philadelphia soul sound of the 1970s with subsequent generations of dance music.
