From a Philadelphia church to the top of the UK charts

Sister Sledge began in Philadelphia in 1965 with four siblings: Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy Sledge. Their grandmother Viola Williams, an opera singer, trained their voices, and their mother Florez managed them. They sang regularly at the family's church, Williams Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal, and then in local clubs and at political events. The name changed several times along the way. In 1971 they debuted as Sisters Sledge with the single “Time Will Tell” on Money Back Records.

In 1972 they moved to Atco Records, part of Atlantic. Two dance songs reached the top ten, “Love Don't You Go Through No Changes on Me” and “Pain Reliever”, and in 1976 they were shifted to another Atlantic label, Cotillion. Between 1977 and 1983 they made six studio albums, among them We Are Family and Love Somebody Today. Singles such as “He's the Greatest Dancer”, “We Are Family” and “Lost in Music” came from that run.

The 1980s brought a second life. “Thinking of You” revived their popularity, and a remix of “Lost in Music” peaked at number four in the United Kingdom. In 1985 “Frankie” topped the UK Singles chart for four consecutive weeks and became the fifth highest-selling single in the UK that year. When Kathy Sledge left in 1989 the remaining three carried on, and she rejoined for a European tour in 1993 as dance remixes of “We Are Family”, “Lost in Music” and “Thinking of You” entered the UK Top 40.

Later years were messier. After Joni's death in 2017 and Kim's exit in 2019, rival versions of the group appeared, with Kathy performing as Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge and Debbie as Sister Sledge featuring Sledgendary. Kathy holds the trademark as of 2025. The group have sold over 20 million records, were inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame in 2017, and saw “We Are Family” inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the National Recording Registry.