Since its 1979 release, Sister Sledge’s”We Are Family” has become a Black cookout anthem. Decades later, you can believe aunties, uncles and cousins will break out into the electric slide as soon as the first beats drop.
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Joni, Kim, Debbie and Kathy Sledge were taught how to sing by their grandmother Viola Williams, a former lyric soprano opera singer and protégée of civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune, the sisters recounted in various interviews.
“When we were very little, our grandmother, who played the piano and sang, used to take us up to the keyboard and say ‘sing.’ She’s the one who taught us how to properly use our voices,” remembers Kim Sledge, in an interview with Philadelphia Tribune. “She was a tough task master and taught us discipline. But we loved to sing so we didn’t mind at all.”
With their voices in sync, Sister Sledge was born and the sisters launched into superstardom. But no one could prepare them for how life in the spotlight would change their lives. Tragically, the group lost sister Joni, who passed away in 2017 at age 60. But her siblings continue to carry on the group’s legacy. On Mar. 7, they’ll be taking the stage at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, AZ to perform some of their most memorable hits.
This Women’s History Month, we’re looking at the story of Sister Sledge.
The Birth of Sister Sledge
Sisters Joni, Kim, Debbie and Kathy and Carol were born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“My childhood summers were spent on the sandy beaches of Atlantic City, in New Jersey,” remembered Kim Sledge in an interview with The Times. “We were five sisters, and our mom, Florez, would pack us all up into our Chevrolet Impala.”
From humble beginnings, the sisters formed a group called “Mrs. Williams’ Grandchildren,” referencing their grandmother who taught them how to sing. They performed at churches and community events around their neighborhood and vacationing on the nearby beaches.
“It was a couple of hours’ drive from our home town, Philadelphia,” added Kim. “I’d spend the whole day in the water, only coming out for sausage sandwiches or salt water taffy candy. At the end of the boardwalk was the Steel Pier amusement park and the Diving Horses. It was dazzling.”
The Sisters Make It Big
Officially forming Sister Sledge in 1971, the sisters enjoyed moderate success. But then when they teamed up with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, known as Chic, to revamp their sound and image, they hit it big in 1979. The partnership resulted in hit songs like “We Are Family,” “He’s the Greatest Dancer,” “Lost in Music,” and “Thinking of You.”
How Nile Rogers Rebirthed Sister Sledge
In many interviews throughout the years, Sister Sledge has credited the legendary Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards for taking them under their wings. The duo brought spontaneity to their music and a sense of fun that the sisters said also went into the way they recorded music.
“I was never allowed to hear anything before it was time to record it in the studio,” remembered Kathy Sledge in an interview with Headline. “Everyone can see we’re together’, and I’d repeat, ‘Everyone can see we’re together.’ ‘Okay, cut; ‘And we fly just like birds of a feather,’, and it was like that. I had braces and I used to follow Nile around the studio like a little nerd.”
A Sister Goes Solo
When Kathy left the group to go solo in 1989, there was a fracturing of audiences’ attention as the youngest sister began to roll out her solo projects. her sisters Debbie, Kim and Joni continued to perform as Sister Sledge. However, Kathy says she was hit with a lawsuit that aimed to prevent her from using the Sledge name at all.
Sister Sledge Divided
Although they were sisters, the group was plagued by legal drama. In 1989, Kathy Sledge left the group to try singing solo. But as her sisters kept performing as Sister Sledge, they pursued legal action to keep Kathy from using the name that first made her famous.
“I was actually sued by my sisters,” Kathy explained in an interview with Headline. “I’d like to really make this clear: I never sued anyone, I never would. And I never left the band. I did a solo project and I was asked to leave the band. I was sued so that I couldn’t perform as or from Sister Sledge, and that was frustrating to me. I like singing with a group! I’m not fighting my sisters, but I had to fight for the right to sing.”
Joni Sledge
The third of five sisters, Joni was a singer and also a songwriter and producer. She wrote and produced the song “Brother, Brother Stop” for a Sister Sledge greatest hits album in 1996. And Joni’s production of the album African Eyes, released in 1997, was nominated for a best-production Grammy.
Debbie Sledge
As sister Debbie began to start a family, she passed on her musical talents to her children. Outside of her sisters, she has cultivated a big following as a vocalist in the United Kingdom, collaborating with many musicians in special performances, per her official website.
Kim Sledge
While singing with her sisters for decades, Kim also found a greater appreciation for her faith. She has continued to create new music, producing faith-focused songs “RTWO: Rest, Trust, Worship, and Obey.” She also wrote a children’s book titled “Jul & Dre,” included as part of a six-book series for children.
“My decision to become a minister was because of my love for the Lord. As a believer in Jesus Christ, which is my faith, I think it’s more a lifestyle,” she told Starts at 60.
Kathy Sledge
Kathy has continued to keep the legacy of Sister Sledge alive, albeit on her own terms. She gave a triumphant performance at the 2015 Black Girls Rock Award show that still makes us dance to this day.
Sisters Back to Together … For a Moment
In light of the tragedy of 9/11, all four of the sisters got back together to record “We Are Family” as a benefit record, which included Patti LaBelle and others.
Losing a Sister
The sisters were hit with tragedy when Joni, born September 13, 1956, died of natural causes at her home in Phoenix, Arizona in 2017. She was 60.
After Joni’s death, Debbie and Kim announced that they would still perform as Sister Sledge but the tragedy did not bring youngest sister Kathy back to the group.
Debbie’s Sister Sledge
As recent as 2024, Debbie still keeps the legend of Sister Sledge alive as part of Sister Sledge ft. Sledgendary, including her daughter Camille Sledge, son David Sledge, nephew Thaddeus Sledge, and vocalist Tanya Ti-et.
But she is still hoping to get all of her family back together.
“Yes, that would be me always bringing it up,” said Debbie about a reunion with her sisters, in an interview with Smooth Radio. “But at the moment, they’re very clear to me that they want to do their own thing.”
She added, “Everybody has different creative choices that they want to try, and they’re also creative. But I just believe it’s going to happen.
Kathy’s Version of Sister Sledge
Kathy Sledge also still performs today as part of the tribute group, Sister Sledge ft. Kathy Sledge, featuring guest vocalists and dancers.
The Legacy of Sister Sledge
Despite their ups and downs as a group, Debbie, Kim, Joni and Kathy Sledge have forever changed what it means to be family. And there inspirational voices are still a hit on music stations around the world.
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