The Weather Girls facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Weather Girls
Martha Wash (left) and Izora Armstead (right)
Background information
Also known as	Two Tons O' Fun The Two Tons
Origin	San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres	Hi-NRG disco pop soul
Years active	1976–1988, 1991–present
Labels	Columbia Fantasy Records Carrillo Music
Associated acts	Paul Jabara Sylvester Patrick Cowley
Members	Dynelle Rhodes Dorrey Lin Lyles Joan Faulkner
Past members	Izora Armstead Martha Wash Ingrid Arthur

The Weather Girls are an American music group famous for their hit song "It's Raining Men". The most well-known members were Martha Wash and Izora Armstead. They started in 1976 in San Francisco, California.

Before they were called The Weather Girls, they were known as Two Tons O' Fun. They sang backup for the disco singer Sylvester. After gaining some experience, they signed with Fantasy Records in 1979. Their song "It's Raining Men" (released in 1982) made them very famous. It became their first number-one song on the dance charts. Even though they were successful, they found it hard to have another hit as big as "It's Raining Men". The group eventually broke up in 1988 after their fifth album.

In 1991, Izora Armstead started the group again with her daughter, Dynelle Rhodes. They released three albums over ten years. In 2004, Izora Armstead passed away. Ingrid Arthur joined the group in 2005. After two more albums, Ingrid left in 2012, and Dorrey Lin Lyles became the new member.

The group was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1983 for their R&B performance.

How The Weather Girls Started

Early Years: 1970–1975

Izora Rhodes and Martha Wash met when they were young. Martha went to a church that was very close to Izora's church. Izora was the main singer and piano player for the San Francisco Inspirational Choir. Both Martha and Izora sang in a gospel group called N.O.W. (News of the World). While singing part-time, Martha worked as a secretary, and Izora worked as a bartender and nurse assistant. Izora also taught piano and singing.

Singing with Sylvester: 1976–1979

In 1976, Martha Wash tried out to be a backup singer for American singer-songwriter Sylvester. He liked her voice and asked if she knew another tall Black friend who could sing. Martha then introduced him to Izora Rhodes. Sylvester simply called them "the girls," but Martha and Izora formed their own duo called Two Tons O' Fun.

They first sang backup on Sylvester's album Sylvester in 1977. They sang on his songs "Down, Down, Down" and "Over and Over," which did well on the Billboard Dance chart.

In 1978, Sylvester released Step II, and The Two Tons sang backup on this album too. Their songs "Dance (Disco Heat)" and "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" became number-one hits on the Dance chart. In 1979, the duo got their own record deal with Fantasy Records. They sang on Sylvester's live album Living Proof, which was one of their last performances with him as they started working on their own music.

First Albums and Name Change: 1980–1981

On January 24, 1980, the duo released their first album, Two Tons o' Fun. It had two popular dance songs: "Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven" and "I Got the Feeling." Soon after, they changed their name to The Two Tons. This was because another gospel group had already used the name "Two Tons o Fun" since 1958.

Their second album, Backatcha, came out later that year. The song "I Depend On You" reached number seventy-two on the Dance chart. Another song, "Never Like This," reached number fifty-five on the R&B chart.

Becoming The Weather Girls: 1982–1988

In September 1982, the duo released their song "It's Raining Men". They chose the name The Weather Girls as a fun way to connect with the song's theme. This song became their biggest hit! It reached number one on the Dance chart and number forty-six on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. It also reached number two in the UK Singles Chart. The song sold over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.

"It's Raining Men" was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1983. After the huge success of the song, The Two Tons officially changed their group name to The Weather Girls. On January 22, 1983, they released their third album, Success. Even though "It's Raining Men" was a big hit, the album itself was only moderately successful. Other songs from the album did not become big hits.

In 1984, The Weather Girls sang on the song "Centipede" by Rebbie Jackson. This song was written and produced by Michael Jackson. It became a gold-certified hit. In 1985, The Weather Girls released their fourth album, Big Girls Don't Cry. The songs from this album didn't do as well. People started to see the group as a "one-hit wonder." In 1988, they released their fifth album, The Weather Girls. It was not a commercial success, and soon after, The Weather Girls broke up. Martha Wash then started a solo career.

Reforming the Group: 1991–2004

After three years, Izora Armstead started The Weather Girls again in 1991. She moved to Germany and brought in her daughter, Dynelle Rhodes, as the new member. Their first album together, Double Tons of Fun, came out in 1993. The song "Can You Feel It" reached number two on Billboard's Dance chart. It also charted in Germany.

Their next album, Think Big!, was released in 1995. Izora Armstead helped write some of the songs. This album also included a cover of Sylvester's song "Stars," which they sang with Scottish pop singer Jimmy Somerville.

In 1999, The Weather Girls released Puttin' On The Hits, which was a collection of famous disco songs. In 2002, they took part in the German National Final for the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Get Up," but they finished 13th. Their last single before a change in the group was "Big Brown Girl" in 2004. On September 16, 2004, Izora Armstead passed away at age 62.

New Members and Recent Activity: 2005–Present

In 2005, Dynelle Rhodes continued The Weather Girls to honor her mother. Ingrid Arthur joined the group. They released a new album, Totally Wild. In 2006, Joan Faulkner also began performing with Dynelle, often filling in for Ingrid. In 2008, The Weather Girls released "Break You," which topped the Dance chart. In 2009, they released another album called The Woman I Am.

In 2012, The Weather Girls released "It's Raining Men 2K12," a new version of their big hit. Later that year, Ingrid Arthur left the group to focus on her solo career. Dorrey Lin Lyles, who had worked with the duo before, joined The Weather Girls in mid-2012.

The Weather Girls started touring around the world in 2013. In 2018, they released a new song called "We Need Love."

Legacy

The Weather Girls are mostly known for their song "It's Raining Men." VH1 ranked it as one of the greatest dance songs and one of the greatest one-hit wonders of the 1980s. Paste Magazine also listed it as one of the best dancefloor classics.

"It's Raining Men" is often seen as a gay anthem. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2014. Rolling Stone and Billboard have included it on their lists of essential LGBTQ Pride Songs and best gay anthems. The Gay UK ranked it as one of the top gay anthems for Pride.

Overall, The Weather Girls have had four number-one dance songs. Dynelle Rhodes now owns the rights to the Weather Girls name and performs across Europe.

Members

Joan Faulkner often performs as the second member of the group.

Discography

Albums

Singles

See also

In Spanish: The Weather Girls para niños

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart