Post by Emerald City on Sept 21, 2004 17:55:20 GMT -5
Weather Girl Izora Rhodes Armstead Dies Of Heart Failure
Monday September 20, 2004 @ 03:00 PM
One of the women famous for singing "It's Raining Men" (no, not Geri Halliwell) has passed away. Izora Rhodes Armstead, a member of The Weather Girls, died Thursday (September 16) near Oakland, California. She is survived by seven children and many grandchildren.
Since the early '80s Armstead has focused on her success as a Weather Girl, but she actually got started in the '70s as a back-up singer for disco star Sylvester. While singing with Sylvester, Armstead met Martha Wash, who would become her partner in The Weather Girls.
After leaving Sylvester, Wash and Armstead formed the group Two Tons O' Fun, who released two albums. While the pair scored a few hits off of their debut (including "I Got The Feeling," "Do You Wanna Boogie, Hunh?" and "Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven"), it wasn't until they signed with Columbia and renamed themselves The Weather Girls that things really got cookin'.
But, seeing as "It's Raining Men" came out in 1982, The Weather Girls, like the rest of disco, didn't last long. Wash and Armstead released a total of three Weather Girls albums, but nothing managed to capture the public's imagination like "It's Raining Men." Still, after Wash left the partnership to pursue other work, Armstead held onto the Weather Girls name. After moving to Germany, she reformed the group with her daughter, releasing albums and touring overseas.
Monday September 20, 2004 @ 03:00 PM
One of the women famous for singing "It's Raining Men" (no, not Geri Halliwell) has passed away. Izora Rhodes Armstead, a member of The Weather Girls, died Thursday (September 16) near Oakland, California. She is survived by seven children and many grandchildren.
Since the early '80s Armstead has focused on her success as a Weather Girl, but she actually got started in the '70s as a back-up singer for disco star Sylvester. While singing with Sylvester, Armstead met Martha Wash, who would become her partner in The Weather Girls.
After leaving Sylvester, Wash and Armstead formed the group Two Tons O' Fun, who released two albums. While the pair scored a few hits off of their debut (including "I Got The Feeling," "Do You Wanna Boogie, Hunh?" and "Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven"), it wasn't until they signed with Columbia and renamed themselves The Weather Girls that things really got cookin'.
But, seeing as "It's Raining Men" came out in 1982, The Weather Girls, like the rest of disco, didn't last long. Wash and Armstead released a total of three Weather Girls albums, but nothing managed to capture the public's imagination like "It's Raining Men." Still, after Wash left the partnership to pursue other work, Armstead held onto the Weather Girls name. After moving to Germany, she reformed the group with her daughter, releasing albums and touring overseas.
