
Orish Grinstead is an original member of the American all-girls musical group 702 (pronounced “Seven-Oh-Two”), named after the area code of their hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. The final and most known lineup of the group consisted of Kameelah Williams and sisters Irish and LeMisha Grinstead.
Orish Grinstead: Bio Summary
Full Name | Orish Grinstead |
famous as | Singer |
Age at Time of Death | 27 years old |
Date of Birth | June 2, 1980 |
Place of Birth | Houston, Texas, United States |
Date of Death | April 20, 2008 |
Place of Birth | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
Zodiac sign | Gemini |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Black |
Siblings | Irish Grinstead. |
Cause of Death | Kidney failure |
Orish Grinstead was born with her twin sister Irish Grinstead on June 2, 1980, in the United States of America. Original member Orish Grinstead, twin sister of Irish, died on April 20, 2008, from kidney failure at the age of 27. She can be seen as one of the original four members of 702 in the video, “This Lil’ Game We Play” with Subway, and has a brief cameo in the video, “Steelo”. She can also be heard providing background vocals and lead adlibs for a song on their first album titled ‘Not Gonna’.
The group was originally a quartet featuring the Grinstead sisters, which included identical twins Irish and Orish, (born June 2, 1980), their older sister LeMisha (born June 10, 1978), and their cousin Amelia Cruz whom they debuted as featured artists on Subway’s hit single “This Lil’ Game We Play”.
Amelia Cruz removed herself from the group for unknown reasons shortly after the release of that. Their close friend Kameelah Williams joined the group and replaced her, and at that point, they signed an album deal with Motown records. During the production of their debut album, Orish Grinstead withdrew herself from the group for undisclosed reasons, even though her vocals are heard on the album. Continuing as a trio, they released their debut single “Steelo” with great success.
Their first album, No Doubt, was released in 1996 and sold 500,000 copies in the United States. The trio released the most famous 702 song, “Where My Girls At?” on the album 702 in 1999, which was a huge success for the group, selling half a million copies in the United States. After the release of that album, Kameelah Williams left the Grinstead sisters for undisclosed personal reasons with the record label, and was replaced by Cree La’More, a solo singer whom Irish and LeMisha personally chose to join the group.
The new lineup released a single called “Pootie Tangin'” for the Pootie Tang soundtrack, but soon after, Kameelah Williams rejoined the group, and Cree La’More left for unspecified reasons. With Kameelah Williams’ return, they released the album Star, which is best known for the single “I Still Love You.” The band later disbanded in 2006. They reformed in 2017 and performed at the 2017 Soul Train Music Awards.
Orish Grinstead and the 702’s Rise to fame
Sisters LeMisha and Irish Grinstead were students at the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts in Las Vegas. Irish, her twin sister Orish Grinstead, and LeMisha performed in the lobby of Caesars Palace on occasion, where they were discovered by actor/comedian Sinbad. He paid them a visit in order to persuade their parents to send the trio to Atlanta for a convention and music competition. Despite the fact that the girls missed the entry deadline, Sinbad used his name to get them in. “Sweeta than Suga,” as they were dubbed at the time (Sinbad suggested the moniker), finished second in the competition. As the convention came to an end, they met Michael Bivins (of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe), who agreed to collaborate with the sisters.
Amelia Childs, a singer, briefly joined them. The renamed group was given the number “702,” which is the area code for Las Vegas and was suggested by Bivins. Amelia and Orish Grinstead were removed from the group due to poor vocals shortly after they made their recorded debut on Subway’s hit single “This Lil’ Game We Play,” and were replaced by Kameelah Williams and Tiffany Villarreal, who were classmates at the academy.
Tiffany would leave the group after six months to pursue a solo career. As a result, the most well-known and final line-up was a trio comprised of Meelah, Lemisha, and Irish. Orish did not rejoin the band, but he did provide background vocals on their first album and served as a fill-in for any absent members. Bivins continued to work with different producers and songwriters to get the right feel for their first album.

On the first episode of BET Presents The Encore, Irish and LeMisha opened up about their sister and former group member, Orish Grinstead, who passed away in 2008 from kidney failure.
“It was hard for me to hold that in for so long, and it was kind of relieving to be able to speak about it and to finally let it out my heart,” says Irish as Orish’s twin.
LeMisha adds, “I struggled with it just as equally, probably not as rough as Irish did, but it was just as bad for me losing Orish.” She then recalls watching Irish deal with the early “warning signs” of “depression” while taking care of her newborn son, Bryce, at the time.
Irish says the loss of their sister changed the “dynamic” of their entire family, adding that herself, Orish, and LeMisha were “literally like triplets.”
Fact Check
We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right and needs corrections, Kindly contact us!