Joni Sledge, one of the founding members of disco-soul group Sister Sledge, has died at the age of 60.

Sister Sledge came to prominence in the early '70s with We Are Family, the song and album of the same name which was written by Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. Joni, together with her sisters, Debbie, Kim and Kathy, formed the band in '71 and only achieved breakthrough success in 1979.

Sister Sledge had recently played Ireland at the Punchestown Festival last year, playing alongside Lionel Richie and Corinne Bailey Rae. They were also due to play Leopardstown's Bulmers Live on August 10th, however it's not yet certain if they'll still play.

No cause of death has been officially announced, however a statement for the group confirmed that Joni Sledge had not been ill.