Gwendolyn ‘Blondy’ Chisolm Dies: The Sequence Musician Was 66

Gwendolyn “Blondy” Chisolm, a rapper, singer and songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1970s as a member of hip-hop trio The Sequence, has died. She was 66.

Chisolm passed away on Monday, April 6, in Atlanta after a brief illness, her sister Monica Scott told People magazine.

“My sister gave a lot of herself to the music industry. Everyone knows her famous lyrics and melodies, which continue to bring joy to millions of people,” Scott said. “She was a creative force who touched countless hearts.”

Scott added that family members “take comfort in knowing that her beautiful spirit lives on through the songs she shared with the world.”

The Sequence was formed in Columbia, South Carolina by high school friends Angie Stone, Cheryl “The Pearl” Cook, and Chisolm. The group recorded under Joe and Sylvia Robinson’s Sugar Hill rap music label, and scored their first hit with the 1979 single “Funk You Up.”

The single is credited as the first song released by a female hip-hop act. The groundbreaking track remains popular decades later, and has been sampled by Dr. Dre (“Keep Their Heads Ringin’”), En Vogue (“Whatever”), Erykah Badu (“Love of My Life Worldwide,” and others.

The trio’s other hits included the singles “Funky Sound (Tear the Roof Off)” and “I Don’t Need Your Love (Part One),” which peaked at No. 39 and No. 40 respectively, on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

In 2016, The Sequence accused music producer Mark Ronson and musician Bruno Mars of using elements of “Funk You Up” without permission in their hit song “Uptown Funk,” and filed a copyright lawsuit. According to published reports, the suit was eventually dropped, although Ronson settled with the groups Zapp and Collage after they filed similar complaints over the Grammy-winning single.

The Sequence released three studio albums before disbanding in 1985. The albums were Sugarhill presents The Sequence (1980), The Sequence (1982), and The Sequence Party (1983).

Chisolm’s bandmate Angie Stone, 63, was killed in a car accident in Montgomery, Alabama in March 2025. Cheryl “The Pearl” Cook spoke at her memorial service.