Before becoming The Weather Girls, these two tons of fun helped make Sylvester the Queen of Disco

When “It’s Raining Men” was released in 1982, the song was an instant hit in queer circles because it had all the trappings of a Pride anthem: powerhouse vocals, campy music video, disco, and deftly sexy lyrics extolling the joys of getting “absolutely soaking wet” in lust.

Yet if it seemed like Martha Wash and Izora Armstead’s voices fit gay culture like a glove, it’s only because they had years of practice as singing backup for the Queen of Disco himself: Sylvester.  

Throughout the late ’70s, Wash and Armstead could be spotted in the flesh singing back up during live performances of Sylvester’s hits “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” (1978) “Dance (Disco Heat)” (1978). But the pair came together earlier in 1976 as “Two Tons o Fun” to be the official backing vocalists on Sylvester’s self-titled third album Sylvester (1977). 

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Wash remembers in BBC’s “Queens of Disco” documentary that there were “two, white, tall females … blonde, leggy,” who had auditioned for Sylvester before she got her turn. When Sylvester heard her voice, he immediately dismissed the other girls. 

“He said, ‘Do you know of anybody else that’s as large as you are and can sing?’ I said, ‘Yes.’” Wash recalled.

That other person was Armstead.

Together, she and Armstead sang backup vocals on Sylvester’s singles “Down, Down, Down” and “Over and Over,” but then they blew up with their contributions to his fourth album “Step II,” which included “Dance (Disco Heat)” and “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).”

By 1979, Wash and Amstead had their own record deal, and were on their way to becoming stars in their own right.

They started with a self-titled album, Two Tons o’ Fun (1980), which included dance charting singles “Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven” and “I Got the Feeling,” before renaming themselves as The Two Tons for their second album Backatcha (1980).

By the start of the ’80s, they had split with Sylvester, and disco was officially out. Yet whereas many acts were trying to find their place in the world without sequins and hot pants, Wash and Amstead helped usher in a new sound with “It’s Raining Men.” 

Written by Paul Jabara, who wrote the Oscar-winning “Last Dance,” and the legendary Paul Shaffer, “It’s Raining Men” incorporates elements of post-disco R&B, soul, and Hi-NRG, a style of music created by frequent Sylvester collaborator, Patrick Cowley—which could explain why gay men seem to gravitate toward the song on a molecular level. 

Although just about everyone can recognize the genius of “It’s Raining Men” today, Wash and Armstead reportedly had some trouble at first. Wash recounted in an interview with Huffington Post that they thought it was a “crazy song.” 

“In fact, too crazy to record. I kept saying, ‘It’s raining men? Really? Are you kidding me?’… I just did not think people would buy it… That’s why I kept saying no,” she said. Allegedly they weren’t alone, with the song being offered to Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Cher, and Barbra Streisand—all of whom turned it down. 

Eventually Wash and Armstead did record the song. “We recorded it in about 90 minutes, then walked out of the studio and said ‘OK, Paul, see you later.’ And we went about our business,” Wash remembered in an interview with SFGate, having no clue that they caught lightning in a bottle.

After “It’s Raining Men” became a certified hit, Two Tons changed their name again to The Weather Girls, to match the way they introduced themselves as “the weather girls” on the song.

In 1983, the song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, and Wash and Armstead’s delivered unmatched stage presence during live renditions of the song. But despite their obvious vocal talents and charismatic stage presence, their weight seemed to hold their careers back from really taking off.

The Weather Girls followed the success of “It’s Raining Men” with albums Success (1983), Big Girls Don’t Cry (1985), and finally the self-titled The Weather Girls (1988) before the ladies officially disbanded.

In 1991, Armstead brought the group back with her daughter and released three albums over the ’90s, including Double Tons of Fun (1993), Think Big! (1995), and Puttin’ On the Hits (1999), before she passed away in 2004 due to heart failure at age 62.

Meanwhile, Wash went on to work behind the scenes in the music business and became a popular session vocalist. In fact, Wash’s voice was so popular that it was often kept on the final versions of songs without her permission, including 15 dance singles that hit No. 1, leading Rolling Stone magazine to declare her “The Most Famous Unknown Singer of the ’90s.”

In 1989, Wash recorded “(You’re My One and Only) True Love” as a demo, which was later given to Michelle Visage’s group Seduction with Wash’s vocals kept on the song without her credit. Italian house music group Black Box also used Wash’s voice on their 1990 hit “Everybody Everybody.” Then the C+C Music Factory released their debut single and hit “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” with Wash’s vocals uncredited.  

In order for Wash to get the credit her big voice oh-so-deserved, she had to file several lawsuits resulting in settlements out of court. Yet the fact that she had to take legal action to be heard and acknowledged as the real vocal talent behind the aforementioned songs gave credence to the theory that what held The Weather Girls back from true stardom was their weight. 

Throughout the twists and turns of their careers, Wash and Armstead have no doubt weathered many storms. Nevertheless, the way their distinct voices shined on so many classic songs continue to brighten the lives of LGBTQ+ people around the world.  

Watch a behind the scenes look at how “It’s Raining Men” all came together below.