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| Sister Sledge singer Joni dies at 60 | Sister Sledge singer Joni dies at 60 |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Joni Sledge, the singer best-known for the disco anthem We Are Family, has died aged 60. | Joni Sledge, the singer best-known for the disco anthem We Are Family, has died aged 60. |
| Sledge, who formed Sister Sledge with her three siblings in 1971, was found unresponsive by a friend at her home in Phoenix, Arizona, her publicist said. | Sledge, who formed Sister Sledge with her three siblings in 1971, was found unresponsive by a friend at her home in Phoenix, Arizona, her publicist said. |
| She had not been ill and the cause of death is unknown. | She had not been ill and the cause of death is unknown. |
| Sledge, who is survived by her adult son, last performed with the band in October. | Sledge, who is survived by her adult son, last performed with the band in October. |
| Her death was announced on social media on Saturday - a week before the group were due to perform in Los Angeles. | Her death was announced on social media on Saturday - a week before the group were due to perform in Los Angeles. |
| "Yesterday, numbness fell upon our family," a statement released on Facebook read. | "Yesterday, numbness fell upon our family," a statement released on Facebook read. |
| "We are saddened to inform you that our dear sister, mother, aunt, niece and cousin, Joni passed away yesterday." | "We are saddened to inform you that our dear sister, mother, aunt, niece and cousin, Joni passed away yesterday." |
| It added: "We miss her and hurt for her presence, her radiance, and the sincerity with which she loved and embraced life." | It added: "We miss her and hurt for her presence, her radiance, and the sincerity with which she loved and embraced life." |
| Aside from the Grammy-nominated We Are Family, the hit which sold more than a million copies after it was released in 1978, the group were also known for He's the Greatest Dancer, Lost in Music and a cover of the Motown classic My Guy. | |
| They sang We Are Family for Pope Francis in 2015. | They sang We Are Family for Pope Francis in 2015. |
| The Sledge sisters came from a family of performers, including an actress mother, a Broadway star for a father and an opera singer for a grandmother. | The Sledge sisters came from a family of performers, including an actress mother, a Broadway star for a father and an opera singer for a grandmother. |
| They performed together from a young age, leading Sledge to note "I can't remember not singing" during an interview with the BBC in 2015. | They performed together from a young age, leading Sledge to note "I can't remember not singing" during an interview with the BBC in 2015. |
| However, the four have not stayed together throughout their careers. Instead, the band became a trio after sister Kathy left the band in 1989. | However, the four have not stayed together throughout their careers. Instead, the band became a trio after sister Kathy left the band in 1989. |