Post by Admin on Dec 22, 2014 15:36:47 GMT -4
Here she is singing on stage Debbie is 59 now.
Sister Sledge were one of the most successful female groups of the 70s and 80s. From Philadelphia, the line-up comprised Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy Sledge. Their biggest success came with the 1979 album and single We Are Family, while other hits included Lost In Music. Kathy left in 1989 but Sister Sledge continue to perform and record as a trio. Here, Debbie (above left), who’s now 59 and lives in Arizona, tells us the story of the band…
“As young girls we had fun imitating our favorite artists such as The Supremes. Our grandmother was an opera singer and taught us how to sing and to appreciate all kinds of music. Our mother was a jazz fan and we grew up in a household full of music, so forming a group came naturally.
We weren’t concerned about making it big. We were just enjoying life, doing what we loved as a family and meeting awesome people
“When we were just starting out, aged between 14 and 17, we got to perform for the summer at a place called Club Harlem in Philadelphia. We were the opening act for artists including the Pointer Sisters and Aretha Franklin, and learned so much. We weren’t concerned about making it big. We were just enjoying life, doing what we loved as a family and meeting awesome people.
“In 1974 we were flown to Japan to perform at the Tokyo Music Festival. Tokyo was an incredible metropolis. That same year we went to Zaire and performed with James Brown. It was part of the build-up to the Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
“Although the group was doing well we kept up with our schoolwork – it was our mum’s pre-condition – and studied whenever we could. It was a blessing when Atlantic Records put us together with the producers Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the band Chic in the late 1970s. We recorded We Are Family and started getting Grammy nominations.
“We were shocked when we heard that We Are Family had become the official anthem for the baseball team Pittsburgh Pirates. We quickly became big baseball fans, met the players and sang the national anthem at their stadium. Experiences like that were the greatest in the world.
“In 1989 Kathy left to go solo. We didn’t announce it and we should have done. We thought we were protecting Kathy, but it wasn’t the best decision and there was some confusion. All the sisters are doing great, but unfortunately there is still an estranged relationship between us and Kathy.
“Another beautiful experience was being invited to sing at the Christmas party at the White House in 2000. We asked President Bill Clinton if he’d join us on stage for We Are Family and he said, ‘I’ll come up if Hillary and Chelsea come up.’ Hillary was very bold and Chelsea was shy. But President Clinton was singing at the top of his lungs! We were so thrilled to be there and it was such an honored. It was humbling.
“In recent years we’ve had a chance to diversify by doing some producing and writing, but we still love performing and have a 75-piece orchestra on stage with us. We’re coming out with some new music that will hopefully be ready in the summer.
“We find different ways to relax during our time off. Joni loves to sail and I like to spend time with my family. I have five grandchildren and another on the way. We all feel blessed to have met so many beautiful people along the way, not just artists but also fans that have become lifelong friends.”
Candy
