Sister Sledge

Born in Philadelphia in 1965 into the family of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy Sledge, Sister Sledge initially rooted itself in the East Coast R&B and soul tradition before broadening its repertoire to disco, pop and Philly soul. The group made its first steps in talent shows, the church and local clubs, then recorded in the early 1970s for Atco. After "Circle of Love" (1975) and "Together" (1977), Sister Sledge reached a new level with "We Are Family" (1979), recorded with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, which established a crisper, more dance-oriented and highly crafted sound, propelled by tracks such as "He’s the Greatest Dancer", "We Are Family" and "Lost in Music". The quartet extended this period with "Love Somebody Today" (1980) and later evolved its aesthetic on "All American Girls" (1981), "The Sisters" (1982) and "When the Boys Meet the Girls" (1985), where pop and funk played a larger role. Kathy Sledge left the group in 1989 before several occasional returns, while Sister Sledge continued in various family line-ups over the decades. "African Eyes" appeared in 1998, followed by "Style" in 2003. The story of Sister Sledge has since continued through several incarnations tied to the group’s legacy after Joni Sledge’s death in 2017.