Singer Joni Sledge has died aged 60.
Sledge, the second eldest sister in the hit pop group Sister Sledge, passed away at her home in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday March 10th.
We love you Joni. pic.twitter.com/6Zxj6gLoQh
— Sister Sledge (@SisterSledge_) March 12, 2017
“Yesterday, numbness fell upon our family.” Joni’s family said in a statement.
“Pray for us as we weep for the loss of our sister, mother, aunt, niece and cousin Joni Sledge.”
“We thank you for privacy as we hurt for her presence, but also for embracing her radiance and the sincerity with which she loved life.”
Formed in 1971, Sister Sledge consisted of sisters Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy Sledge.
After struggling to find success for a number of years, the band were introduced to Chic’s Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The girl group became best known for their single We Are Family.
Released in 1979, We Are Family was a massive hit worldwide for the girls and sold a million copies.
Sister Sledge went on to record classic hits He’s the Greatest Dancer, Lost In Music and Frankie.
Upon hearing the news, Nile Rodgers took to Twitter to pay tribute to the late singer.
#RIPJoniSledge #WeAreFamily My heartfelt condolences to your family because they are my family too. We did something pretty amazing together https://t.co/2UPcaD1zUL
— Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers) March 12, 2017
The Recording Session That Changed Our Lives – #WeAreFamily #RIPJoniSledge #RIPBernardEdwards Miss you for the rest of my days @nilerodgers pic.twitter.com/mjhccWsQET
— Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers) March 12, 2017
Joni Sledge is survived by son, Thaddeus, and sisters Debbie, Kim and Kathy.
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