When talking about the great family acts of the 1970s, names like the Jacksons, Tavares, The Sylvers and more come up. But no act of siblings celebrated their relationships in a #1 song quite like Sister Sledge. And for many listeners, the voice most closely associated with the group’s biggest hits was that of Kathy Sledge.
Kathy Sledge grew up in Philadelphia surrounded by music alongside sisters Debbie, Joni and Kim. Their father, Edwin Sledge, was a Broadway tap dancer, while their mother, Florez, was an actress. Their grandmother, Viola Williams, was a trained opera singer who helped develop the girls’ voices. As youngsters, the sisters performed at church and community events under the name “Mrs. Williams’ Grandchildren,” giving Kathy and her sisters an unusually early introduction to both harmony singing and the stage.
As teenagers in the early 1970s, the girls named themselves Sister Sledge and began recording professionally. Their early releases brought modest success, including “Love Don’t You Go Through No Changes on Me,” and they released the albums Circle of Love and Together.
The sisters’ career changed dramatically toward the end of the decade, when they were teamed with Chic leaders Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. The resulting 1979 album, We Are Family, became one of the defining R&B/disco recordings of its era. It included “He’s the Greatest Dancer,” “Lost in Music,” “Thinking of You” and the chart-topping title track, with Kathy handling lead vocals on several of the group’s best-known recordings. “We Are Family” became one of the great anthems of the disco era, and an enduring 1970s jam.
Following up such a smash was difficult, but Sister Sledge continued to have hits for the next several years, including the Quiet Storm ballad “Next Time You’ll Know” and a Top 40 remake of Mary Wells’ “My Guy.”
Kathy eventually left the group to pursue a solo career, signing with Epic Records in the early 1990s. Her solo work included the dance hit “Take Me Back to Love Again,” and she continued recording and performing both as a solo artist and in collaborations with other musicians, issuing singles well into the 2020s (several of which we have reviewed on SoulTracks). Over the years, she also remained a popular live performer, particularly among R&B and dance music audiences.
Meanwhile, Debbie, Joni and Kim continued performing under the Sister Sledge name. Joni Sledge died unexpectedly in 2017 at age 60, a major loss for both the family and fans of the group.
While Sister Sledge’s time at the top was for a limited duration, there is no question that the group made a lasting impact on both R&B and dance music. And Kathy Sledge’s distinctive lead vocals helped define many of its greatest moments, leaving her voice forever connected to songs that continue to resonate nearly a half century after they first rocked our lives.
By Chris Rizik
