Kathy Sledge

Kathy Sledge (born January 6, 1959) is an American singer–songwriter and music producer. She rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of Sister Sledge, one of the highest-selling female groups of the 1970s.

Sledge sang lead on their US top 10 songs "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family", the latter of which received a nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1980. She also sang lead on their UK number-one song "Frankie. She continued performing with group until 1989.

In 1989, Sledge pursued her solo career, releasing her debut album Heart on Epic Records in 1992. The album's lead single, "Take Me Back to Love Again", peaked atop of the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. In 1997, she featured on an international hit song "Freedom" with Robert Miles. From 1993 to 2011, Sledge occasionally reunited with Sister Sledge in one-off performances. In 2011, Sledge began collaborating with several music producers and releasing songs that have found success on the US Dance Club Songs chart. In 2021, Sledge began touring with her own spin-off group Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge.

Katherine Sledge was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 6, 1959. Her mother, Florez Sledge (née Williams), was an actress, while her father, Edwin Edgar Sledge, was a Broadway performer and member of tap dance duo Fred and Sledge. Her elder sisters Norma Carol, Debbie, Joni, and Kim, are also singers. Her maternal grandmother, Viola Williams, was an opera singer.

Her vocals were discovered by her grandmother at the age of six. Sledge's interest in music and performing grew after she competed in local talent shows at the age of six. She also performed at her family church Williams Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. During her teenage years, she enrolled in Olney High School, where she graduated from in 1977.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.