Sister Sledge

Formed in 1971 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sister Sledge consists of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy Sledge. The sisters received vocal training from their grandmother, Viola Williams, a former lyric soprano opera singer. Their early career involved touring the East Coast, performing at charity and political events, and releasing their first single “Time Will Tell” in 1971. They gained initial international success with “Love Don’t Go Through No Changes On Me” in 1974, which was a hit in Japan and led to their performance at the Tokyo Music Festival, where they won the Silver Prize. They also performed at the Zaire 74 concert in Africa alongside James Brown.

Sister Sledge achieved breakthrough success in 1979 with their album “We Are Family,” produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic. The album featured chart-topping singles “He’s the Greatest Dancer” and “We Are Family.” “We Are Family” received a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and was adopted as the official anthem for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the World Series in 1979. They were recognized as Billboard Best New Artists. Subsequent albums like “All American Girls” (1981) and “The Sisters” (1982) produced further hits, including a cover of Mary Wells’ “My Guy” which reached number 14 on the R&B chart and number 23 pop, leading to an appearance on “The Jeffersons” in 1984.

Their career continued with European success, including the 1985 UK Singles Chart number-one hit “Frankie.” Even after Kathy Sledge began a solo career in 1989, the group continued to perform and released new material, collaborating with artists like Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick from Incognito in 1992. Remixed versions of their classic hits in 1993 brought them back to the UK Top 20. In 2015, Sister Sledge performed for Pope Francis at the World Festival of Families in Philadelphia. Following Joni Sledge’s passing in 2017, the group has continued to evolve, with Debbie Sledge performing as part of Sister Sledge ft. Sledgendary, alongside her daughter Camille Sledge, her son David Sledge, nephew Thaddeus Sledge, and vocalist Tanya Ti-et, ensuring the legacy of their music and message of “Nothing is Greater Than Love” endures.