Joni Sledge of Sister Sledge and ‘We Are Family’ Fame Has Died

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sledge sisters, their family, and their fans as they mourn the death of Joni Sledge. She was only 60 years old.

Joni was a founding member of Sister Sledge, a popular music group in the 1970s. True to their name, the band was made up of four sisters: Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy. Their 1979 hit “We Are Family” is arguably the group’s best-known single, although they did record other songs that charted, including “He’s the Greatest Dancer” and “Lost in Music.”

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Publicist Biff Warren confirmed her death at her Phoenix home, saying a friend had found her unresponsive. According to CNN, the cause of death is not known.

The sisters posted a tribute to Joni on their Facebook. “Yesterday, numbness fell upon our family. We are saddened to inform you that our dear sister, mother, aunt, niece, and cousin, Joni passed away yesterday. Please pray for us as we weep for this loss. We do know that she is now eternally with Our Lord.”

“We thank you in advance for allowing us the privacy to mourn quietly as a family. We miss her and hurt for her presence, her radiance, and the sincerity with which she loved & embraced life.”

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The group was most active during the ’70s and ’80s, but they still sporadically perform. In 2015, Debbie, Joni, and Kim were invited to perform for Pope Francis at the Save the Children Gala in London.

We’re sending our condolences to the family. So sad!

via HuffingtonPost.com

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