Disco Diva Izora Armstead Dies

Fri Sep 17,10:31 PM ET

By Michael Paoletta

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Izora Rhodes Armstead, one-half of disco/pop acts the Weather Girls and Two Tons O' Fun, died Thursday (Sept. 16) at San Leandro Hospital, near Oakland, Calif.



The cause was heart failure. Her age is not known.


Armstead began her career as a backup singer for disco artist Sylvester, along with her future music partner Martha Wash. They lent vocals to four Sylvester albums, including the 1978 Fantasy Records set "Step II," which spawned two No. 1 Billboard club hits: "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real." The former was also a top-20 hit on the Hot 100, while the latter reached the top 40.


In 1979, Armstead and Wash left Sylvester to record as Two Tons O' Fun. Honey/Fantasy released two albums by the duo, "Two Tons O' Fun" (1980) and "Backatcha." The pair's debut included such now-classic dancefloor hits as "I Got the Feeling," "Just Us," "Do You Wanna Boogie, Hunh?" and "Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven."


In the early '80s, without a label to call home, Armstead and Wash regrouped as the Weather Girls and signed with Columbia Records.


The duo scored a global smash with "It's Raining Men," which spent two weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1982. A follow-up single, "No One Can Love You More Than Me," was an underground club hit. After three albums, the Weather Girls were dropped by Columbia, and Armstead and Wash, while remaining friends, went their separate musical ways.


Armstead moved to Frankfurt, Germany, 15 years ago. It was there that she formed a new version of the Weather Girls with her daughter Dynell Rhodes. In addition to nonstop touring, the mother/daughter act recorded a handful of albums for WEA Germany, including "Double Tons of Fun" in 1994.


Last month, Armstead returned to the Bay Area to undergo treatment for heart-related problems. She is survived by a sister, Laversa, seven children and several grandchildren.


Reuters/Billboard

"Its Raining Day" was the 1st video my eyes eva laid on. It was the 1st song I eva danced to when I was 3 yrs old(according to my mama).

R.I.P. Izora, may allah have mercy on your soul

Very sad...

Harlepolis said:

and its called "its raining men"

Sylvester, then Izora...I hope Martha Wash will be around forever.
No one can love you more than me..is the shizzit!!

TheRealFiness said:

And thanx for embarrassing the shit outta me, old man
[Edited 9/18/04 8:44am]

It's a shame isn#t it...*sigh*.....real shame..

I saw her perform on tv a couple o'months ago, with her daughter...on a so-called "comeback show"... she seemed to be fine

Oh no.... ("Just Us" is my jam!) R.I.P. Ms. Armstead.

Very sad. I really hope that Martha watches herself. This is going to influence me to lose some weight.

Maybe if she wasn't so disgustingly obese, she'd still be alive.

A sincere R.I.P. to her.....but somebody please ban that dreadful ' It's Raining Men' from all airwaves!

Marrk said:

Now, my sense of humor is kinda twisted...but damn that's a horrible way to say somethin'. Even though you probably mean well.

abierman said:

nooooo....that song ain't goin' nowhere.

WOW Hadn't heard anything about this

Marrk said:

You taking over for Aaron?

That's a truly fucked up thing to say. Food is an addiction just like everything else.

i'm SORRY BUT....

Harlepolis said: