ABOVE PHOTO: Joni Sledge (Courtesy of Rogers and Cowan)
Funeral services for Joni Sledge are set for Saturday March 25, 9 a.m. at Deliverance Evangelistic Church, 2001 W. Lehigh Ave., Philadelphia. The interment will follow in Ivy Hill Cemetery.
Joni Sledge, founding member of Philadelphia’s own Sister Sledge, died Friday, March 10, in her home in Phoenix. She was 60.
Formed in 1971, Sister Sledge consisted of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy Sledge. The sisters saw the release of their breakthrough album “We Are Family”, which peaked at number three on the US Album Chart Top 200 Billboard Charts and went multi-Platinum delivering the global anthem, “We Are Family”.
In a statement from the Sledge Family “Yesterday, numbness fell upon our family. We welcome your prayers as we weep the loss of our sister, mother, aunt, niece and cousin, Joni Sledge. We thank you for privacy and prayers during these very difficult times”, mentions the family.
Sister Sledge’s 1979 single “We Are Family” reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and earned them a Grammy Award nomination. Their other US hits include a 1982 cover of “My Guy”. The group had several international hits including the UK Top 20 hits with “Mama Never Told Me” (1975), “He’s the Greatest Dancer” (1979), “We Are Family” (1979), “Lost In Music” (1979), and “Reach Your Peak” (1982) which Joni sang lead.
The Sledge Family would like to thank you for privacy for her presence, but also for embracing Joni’s radiance and the sincerity with which she loved life.
At press time, there was no word on the cause of Joni Sledge’s death.
Leave a Comment