Following the death of Rochelle Fleming on November 5, 2026, at age 72 in Philadelphia, fellow artists and her label are celebrating the voice that shaped Philadelphia soul and disco.

Sister Sledge — fellow Philly-born artists — wrote on Instagram that Fleming's legacy will live on through her "beautifully soulful voice and music."

BMG, which represents part of the First Choice catalog through Salsoul, called her a "beloved founding member" whose extraordinary voice left a lasting mark on dance music.

BMG's statement, attributed to Dan Baxter, SVP of Global Catalog Recordings, singles out the recordings fans keep returning to: "Doctor Love," "Love Thang" and "Let No Man Put Asunder."

According to BMG, remixes and samples have introduced Fleming's voice to successive generations, and those records "still connect with dancers and DJs around the world."

The company notes that "Let No Man Put Asunder" in particular became influential through reinterpretations, bridging Philadelphia soul, disco and the emerging sound of house music.

Fleming began singing with school friends in the group that became First Choice, which formed in 1971 with Annette Guest and Wardell Piper. Their breakthrough came in 1973 with "Armed and Extremely Dangerous," followed by "Smarty Pants" and "The Player."

Working with producer Norman Harris, the group recorded the 1977 album *Delusions*, and London's Evening Standard notes "Let No Man Put Asunder" was later covered by Mary J Blige for her 1999 album *Mary*. First Choice disbanded in 1980, after which Fleming pursued a solo career.

The Christian Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, which Fleming attended, wrote on Facebook that it was "heartbroken," saying the world knew her as First Choice's founding singer but "we knew her first as one of our own."

According to the church's post, she came to Christian Hope as a child and remained a faithful member all her life, continuing to serve and share her gift there even as a world-renowned artist.

Fleming's manager, George Iz Correia, announced her passing on her Instagram account, saying services to celebrate her life will be announced at a later date.

AOL reports that no cause of death was revealed, and that Correia urged supporters to keep celebrating her and the legacy of First Choice's music rather than stay sad.

Fans flooded the announcement with tributes, with AOL quoting readers calling her "a true pioneer" and recalling First Choice as the first three-girl group of disco.