The Weather Girls

About The Weather Girls

Originally backup singers for disco star Sylvester, R&B duo The Weather Girls are best known for their campy 1982 dance-pop crossover “It’s Raining Men.” • The duo of Martha Wash and Izora Armstead first performed together as members of a gospel group called N.O.W. (News of the World) before landing a gig as Sylvester’s backup singers. • After singing with Sylvester on four albums—a successful period that included the No. 1 dance hits “Dance (Disco Heat)” and “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”—the duo began releasing albums under the name Two Tons O’ Fun. • They changed their name to The Weather Girls after two albums and scored their biggest hit with 1982’s “It’s Raining Men.” Cowritten by longtime David Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer, the hi-NRG track topped Billboard’s dance chart and just missed the US pop Top 40. It reached No. 2 in the UK. The song remains a gay anthem. • The pair continued to release music through the ’80s and ’90s but failed to match their early success. • In the early ’90s, Wash sang on a slew of club hits for Black Box and C+C Music Factory, including the latter’s blockbuster “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s pop, dance, and R&B charts. But the singer was improperly credited and replaced with skinnier women in the music videos. She sued both groups and reached undisclosed settlements. • Armstead died in September 2004.

ORIGIN
United States of America
FORMED
1982
GENRE
Pop

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