| Women Heroes
With Sister Sledge
Vocal Group
Wednesday, May 21, 2003; Noon ET "We Are Family" by Philadelphia family group Sister Sledge reached Number One on the U.S. music charts in 1979 and quickly became a worldwide hit and family anthem. That same year the Pittsburgh Pirates adopted the song as the team's theme and just happened to win the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. Sister Sledge (Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy) was online Wednesday, May 21 at Noon ET, to talk about their upcoming Washington, D.C. performance, career and forthcoming new album, "Style." The group has continued to make music through the decades and says their dedication to family and combined strength as a unit has had a vital influence on their success. Because of their international reputation as music legends they have been chosen to be the featured act at Wednesday's (May 21) tribute, "Women Are Heroes Too," sponsored by America's Heroes of Freedom, to be held at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial at the gates of Arlington National Cemetery at 8 p.m. America's Heroes for Freedom is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring those who make a difference during a national tragedy (Sept. 11, 2001). This tribute will honor women from the armed forces, law enforcement, fire and rescue services and volunteer organizations that focus on national defense and homeland security. A transcript follows. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
washingtonpost.com: Sister Sledge -- Debbie, Joni, Kim and Kathy -- thanks for coming by washingtonpost.com on this first of many rainy days to come. Let's brighten things up a bit. Through the years your music has been heard worldwide and "We Are Family" has become an anthem used in many instances to signify togetherness, unity. Do you all feel that way? Sister Sledge: Al: Yes, definitely.
Kathy: Thank you.
Debbie: We feel blessed and honored to have been the carriers of that anthem.
Vienna, Va.: What keeps you all together? Sister Sledge: Kim: A good sense of humor. A lot of prayer. Good food. Sisterhood and we are family, we stick together.
Joni: Ditto.
Kathy: Ditto, ditto.
Bethesda, Md.: Where can people see you? Are you going to be on tour? Sister Sledge: Cathy Patterson (Manager): Sister Sledge is prelaunching their new CD "Style" on the Internet on July 1, 2003 at www.sistersledge.com and we will be posting their performance schedule subsequent to the release at the site.
Joni: Hi. Thanks for asking.
Arlington, Va.: How did you get started in the business? Sister Sledge: Kathy: We always sang together all of our lives. We just started doing it professionally at a very young age.
Joni: Our grandmother was a lyric opera singer who taught us how to sing and how to love singing.
Kim: And in agreement with Kathy and Joni, through our grandmother we were asked to sing professionally at an affair we attended with her.
Debbie: Through a series of appearances we were approached by a record company representative.
Long Beach, Calif.: Has the city of Baltimore forgiven you for providing the Pirates with juice against the Orioles? I sure hope so! Sister Sledge: All: Yes. We have family in Baltimore. And the Pirates still love us.
Harrisburg, Pa.: Please tell us more about America's Heroes of Freedom. What are their goals and how did you become involved with them? Sister Sledge: Cathy (Manager): America's Heroes of Freedom is a non-profit organization which approached Sister Sledge to participate in this evening's event to honor women who have served in the armed services. Sister Sledge was honored to be asked to participate in recognizing these American heroes. You can find out more about the organization by visiting their Web site at America's Heroes of Freedom Web Site.
Joni: Thanks for asking.
Fairfax, Va.: I see you're performing tonight at the Women Are Heroes Too tribute. Do you often do benefits like this and are you active in women's or other issues? Sister Sledge: Kim: Yes. When we are able we are privileged and honored to be asked to support women's organizations and various nonprofit organizations.
Arlington, Va.: All those songs you've done. So great. Why can't they make music like that today? What is your new album going to be like? Sister Sledge: Debbie: Thank you. We are very excited about our new album, "Style," which you'll be able to purchase starting July 1 at www.sistersledge.com. I'm particularly proud of the various performances by my sisters. Every sister is featured individually and as a group on the CD.
The album has a diversity of styles: jazz, dance groove, gospel, R&B and most of all, romance.
The first part of your question, that's what motivated us to do the "Style CD."
Kathy: It's actually the kind of project highly requested from our fans.
Arlington, Va.: Dear Kathy: I saw a 1979 concert with you and the Jackson 5 in Birmingham and when you pointed to me on the front row during "Greatest Dancer" it kept me going for years. I saw you at Washington Harbour once, do you live in the area? Anyway, welcome back. Sister Sledge: Kathy: That was you? (SMILES) Thank you for the compliment. Yes, I do live here on the east coast.
Washington, D.C.: Is the event tonight open to everyone? Sister Sledge: Cathy (Manager): There's an invitation-only reception at 6:30 followed by an 8 p.m. performance. Information regarding access to the performance may be found at America's Heroes of Freedom.
Laurel, Md.: When you started out you worked with the Chic guys -- Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. That was a great combination -- them producing and you singing. What did you think of them then and did you have any idea about what future success you all would have? Sister Sledge: Debbie: We were amazed at the magnitude of talent from these two young and innovative producers. We had no idea of the amount of success the collaboration would bring. We're very happy to have worked with them.
Bowie, Md.: Your image always seems like it's All American -- with the music you do and the fact that you're a real family. Do you agree with this? Sister Sledge: Joni: Thank you. Yes, I agree with you that we're all-American girls. We feel that America is a melting pot of cultures and we are grateful that our music is appreciated.
Lyme, Conn.: Do the members of Sister Sledge devote their lives to performing with Sister Sledge, or do you have other careers? If so, what do you do when you are not performing as Sister Sledge? Sister Sledge: Debbie: First of all, I'm a mom of some wonderful children and that's a career in itself. We all are soloists but we find it extremely rewarding to sing together as a unit. I feel this increases the power four-fold.
Kathy: Yes, we do devote a huge amount of our time as the group Sister Sledge and we love performing together. As Debbie says, we do have our own careers as well. We are all mothers. What do we do when we're not performing? Resting.
Joni: I have a 10-year-old soccer playing, basketball shooting kid who wants to build cyber-homes. Sister Sledge gets squeezed in-between. (SMILES) Thank God I love to sing.
Kim: I love to sing with my sisters and I do have other things that I do: attend basketball, softball, field hockey, piano recitals and it goes on and on. Can you guess that I'm a mom? Also, I'm active in church and I have a solo gospel CD project called "Peaceful" which is out now.
Detroit, Mich.: I understand that Sister Sledge will be touring this summer with "all" it's original members. What was the deciding factor in this decision? Also, "All American Girls" is my favorite LP by Sister Sledge. Are selections from this LP featured in the concert line up? Do you ladies plan to work with Narada or Nile in the future?
(Sorry, I have a "few" questions ... Thanks) Sister Sledge: Cathy (Manager): We are delighted that you are a fan and we are planning a tour; however it does not begin this summer. We will be posting our appearances on our Web site so please stay tuned.
You are right that all four of the original members are continuing to record together and to perform together. We'll be looking for you.
Kathy: Yes, we definitely will be singing the hits that you're familiar with. All things are possible. We may work with Nile or Narada in the future. Thanks.
Washington, D.C.: Why isn't VH1 booking you for Diva's Live?! Sister Sledge: Cathy (Manager): That's a very good question!
Alexandria, Va.: I hear you perform a lot overseas. Do you all like that? Sister Sledge: Kathy: Yes, we do quite a bit of concerts overseas. I love the fact that our music is so popular in so many different territories.
Debbie: Yes, we all love traveling.
Joni: J'adore Paris!
Kim: Yes, it's a privilege.
Dover, Del.: Do you all still live in the Philadelphia area? And, a second one if you don't mind, have any of you written books about the group? I'd love to read about you. Sister Sledge: Joni: Kathy and Kim live in the Pennsylvania area. I live in Arizona and Debbie commutes between Holland and Arizona.
Cathy (Manager): The Sledges are currently planning a book project regarding what family means to them and others and they will be seeking fan input. Details will be announced within the next few months on their Web site.
Washington, D.C.: Who were your musical inspirations or heroes? Sister Sledge: Kathy: Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald. There are so many. That's just a start.
Debbie: I agree with Kathy and I'll add again Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. I love Maxwell, Sade, Aretha, Patti and Sarah Vaughan, to name a few.
Joni: Kiri Takanawa, Sting, Aretha, Patti, Stevie Wonder. Anything with real rhythm, like Baba Maal. And I love Puccini. Also, Bebel Gilberto.
Kim: James Brown, Josh Groban, Ohio Players, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, CeCe Winans, Freddie Hayler, James Taylor. And my sisters.
Sister Sledge: Kim: I have to add Freddie Hammond.
Falls Church, Va.: Since remixes featuring older hits are common, have any of your songs been featured in newer artists' material or have you worked with any younger artists? Sister Sledge: Kathy: Yes, lots of our hits have been featured in remixes such as Will Smith's Gettin' Jiggy Wit It and loads of club remixes and movie soundtracks. It's a real compliment. To me, it makes me feel our music is timeless.
Joni: Speaking of younger, my kid is a real hit at school because "We Are Family" is on heavy rotation on Radio Disney.
Debbie: We are happy to say that our children are new artists which you will soon be hearing about. For example, my daughter Camille who is currently the reigning Miss Pennsylvania will be featured on our "Style" CD. And see if you can find the voice of Kim's son Mark.
Sister Sledge: Debbie: We are looking forward to particpating in tonight's event. We'll be both opening and closing the show. We're particularly happy to honor the women who have served this country and to support their families.
Kim: The tribute will honor women from the armed forces, law enforcement, fire and rescue services and the volunteer organizations that focus on national defense and homeland security. What a privilege to be in the company of such great women.
Joni: Thanks to washingtonpost.com for having us on today. This was an awesome experience. Rocci Rocks!
Kathy: Ditto.
washingtonpost.com: That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.
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