Kim Sledge

Kim Sledge (born August 21, 1957) is an American singer–songwriter, music producer, and evangelist. She rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of Sister Sledge, one of the highest-selling female groups of the 1970s.

In 2000, she departed from the group to focus on her ministry. In 2002, she released a gospel album Peaceful, on her own record label Malaju Records. She obtained her ministry license from International Fellowship of Christian Ministries in 2003 and further pursued her evangelism. In 2011, she rejoined Sister Sledge for an international tour lasting to early 2012. She rejoined the group again in 2015 and left in 2019.

Kim Yvonne Sledge was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 21, 1957. 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 sisters Carol, Debbie, Joni, and Kathy, are also singers. Her maternal grandmother, Viola Williams, was an opera singer.

Kim attended Olney High School and graduated in 1975. She later attended Temple University, majoring in Pan African studies and economics.

In 1965, Sledge formed the female group The Sledge Sisters; alongside her sisters Debbie Sledge, Joni Sledge, and Kathy Sledge. The group performed in local clubs. In 1971, they debuted as Sisters Sledge, releasing their first single "Time Will Tell" on New York City-based record label Money Back Records. In 1973, they began performing as Sister Sledge and signed with Atco Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. They released two singles, "The Weatherman" and "Mama Never Told Me", the latter of which had minor success on the UK singles chart. In 1975, Sister Sledge released their debut album Circle of Love, which peaked at number 56 on Billboard's Soul LP's chart. In mid-1970s, Atco Records began focusing more on hard rock acts and some British and European bands. As a result, Sister Sledge changed label rosters to Cotillion Records, another subsidiary of Atlantic Records.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.