Sister Sledge performs during the Festival of Families, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, in Philadelphia as Pope Francis visits the city. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, Pool)
Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” was the perfect soundtrack to the Festival of Families, a celebration held during Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia on Sept. 26.
For the three sisters who performed the song during the event, however, the theme apparently did not apply: Kathy Sledge, the youngest member of the quartet, was blocked from the performance by her sisters due to an unresolved feud.
“I don’t want my fans to think I’m a ‘no-show,’” Sledge said before the event, according to Philly.com. “I want them to know that this isn’t about disgruntled sisters, but about reconciliation.”
According to TMZ, though it was unclear what caused this particular fracture, there have been ongoing tensions for some time between the youngest Sledge and her sisters, Joni, Debbie and Kim.
Kathy Sledge said she was the one who came up with the idea of the sisters reuniting to perform for the pontiff, but she never received confirmation. And, while she’s tried to reach out to her siblings, her efforts have been to no avail, she said.
Still, she offered encouraging words to her estranged sisters.
“I wish my sisters the best of luck,” she said. “This would’ve been an amazing platform to express that we are family.”