No Ordinary Sisters: Sister Sledge, a Sledgendary Work of Art

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

Who is Sister Sledge? Sister Sledge is an American musical vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formed in 1971 siblings: Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy who ranged in age from 12 to 16 under the name Sisters’ Sledge took America by storm. They debuted that year on the local Money Back label with “Time Will Tell,” written and produced by Marty Brown.

From their early years singing in church, school programs, fashion shows, and political events under the guidance of their grandmother, who was an opera singer, the Sledge Sisters have come a very long way.

This group of sisters was born into talent. Having a tap-dancing dad, and a mother who was an actress, it came as no surprise that these four sisters were destined for great things.

At the high point of the disco era, the sisters started achieving musical fame internationally. In 1979 the sisters released their breakthrough album “We Are Family,” which peaked at number three on the US Album Chart and went Platinum.

The album included the single “We Are Family” which reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and earned them a Grammy Award nomination, together with two other 1979 top 20 international hits “He’s the Greatest Dancer” and “Lost in Music.”

Sister Sledge has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages including Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, London’s Royal Albert Hall, and Glastonbury’s iconic Pyramid Stage.

Over the years, the family group has amassed a string of Gold and Platinum hits, generating total sales of over 20,000,000 worldwide, and earning hundreds of awards and commendations including: GRAMMY Nominations for Record of the Year, Best R&B Duo or Group, and Best Produced CD for (Joni Sledge’s work on) their ‘African Eyes’ album. Their worldwide anthem We Are Family was entered into the prestigious Library of Congress in 2017.

Their upcoming “Sledgendary” performance promises a night of iconic hits, infectious energy, and a celebration of unity that brought down the house at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga on November 30^th, 2024.

“Watching my mom and my aunt has been such an influence on my music. I have learned from the best about: stage presence, vocals, harmonies, just writing songs, vocal arrangements, and choreography.”

Not many groups that started in that era have had the longevity of Sister Sledge, not to mention still being available for shows and tours, so when I was given the assignment to speak with the group and pen this article I could not resist.

I asked Sister Sledge, what is the secret of their longevity and what keeps them going. “I think the main thing is God. God gave us a legacy, he kept us going, he has kept our music going and we are very amazed at what he has done, and we give him the credit for all of that,” Debbie Sledge said.

“I also think we are a real family and that keeps us together. We have a very strong upbringing, with very strong men and women who left us a legacy of love.”

“How was it growing up under the musical guidance of Grandma,” I asked? “Such a joy because she is a beautiful person, she has a gentle way about her, and she would just sit us around the piano and give us lessons on very clear diction, making us understand the words because she was an Opera singer.”

“She was a stickler about breath control and harmonies, and it was just a joy. I think we all learned so much about respect for doing something with skill, and heart and loving what we do.”

I could not resist asking the Sledge Sisters about their monster hit (We Are Family)

Sledge told me that there were young artists newly signed with Atlantic Records back then. We were assigned to these two new young producers whose first hit was with the artist Norma Jean.

“We were invited to New York to do an album with them, and they introduced us to their music while in the studio. We heard these awesome tracks, smoothed RnB that had you dancing, and it turned out to be some of the most moving music in the dance music scene,” Debbie Sledge shares.

For the record, the Sledgendary Sister’s group includes a few younger siblings of the Sledge family. This means that this group has grown just as a family should.

I wanted to find out what lessons over time this legendary group had learned. “Time has taught us to just be patient and step into the right timing. Do not rush things or take things for granted. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself and appreciate those around you. If we are rushing too much, we can miss some great stuff,” Debbie explained.

Daughter Camille has made sure she has not missed out on such great stuff.

“Watching my mom and my aunt has been such an influence on my music. I have learned from the best about: stage presence, vocals, harmonies, just writing songs, vocal arrangements, and choreography. It is the best training that I could ever get. I feel good about the show tonight, I am excited.”

For the younger members of the group, this is their first time performing in Canada, but the original Sledges have been here already.

I asked the Sledges how it feels when the world sings their song? “I think it’s amazing that the song has transcended time,” Joni Sledge’s son Thaddeus Sledge shares. “I would ask kids; do you know Sister Sledge and they would be like who? Then I would sing We Are Family, and they would go ‘Ohhh Yeah.”

The Sledge family had some advice for upcoming artists or groups. “Go for the important things in life, find your relationship with your creator. That will give you a solid path to walk on, know yourself, develop your skills, be authentic to yourself, and have integrity for sure. Maintaining your integrity as an artist, as a person, is very important.”

“This business can be very unpredictable, you can meet all kinds of different characters, so it’s important to have integrity in every step that you take. When you do so, you are giving people the real thing,” the Sledges sister said.

Speaking of the real thing, I was privileged to attend the November 30^th show of this Slegendary group and for those of you who missed it, what can I say, you missed the real thing. This family shelled the venue down with hit after hit after hit for 90 minutes nonstop. The Sledge family also paid tribute to their sister and family member Joni who passed away a few years ago, all this and more while keeping the audience on their toes with a variety of musical styles as only the Sledges could. If I had to describe their band in three words, it would be–Cooking with gas.

I could tell that this group lives and breathes what they do and loves it too. This love and family vibe was evident when I finally got backstage to meet the Sledges. The Sledges left a message for Canada, “We love you, and get ready to put on your dancing shoes because “We Are Family.”