▁Paris , ▁Be ir ut , ▁Egypt , ▁and ▁Tokyo . ▁She ▁did ▁not ▁stop ▁until ▁she ▁was ▁ 5 0 ▁years ▁old . ▁When ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁she ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁tax i ▁driver ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁and ▁then , ▁worked ▁on ▁the ▁pipeline ▁in ▁Al aska . ▁ ▁Ger ald ine ▁" G eri " ▁Rh odes ▁Kennedy ▁( J uly ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁- ▁November ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 7 ) ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Mon roe ▁Township , ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁Kennedy ▁was ▁the ▁manager ▁of ▁The ▁Silver ▁B elles . ▁Working ▁as ▁a ▁bar ma id ▁in ▁Har lem , ▁Kennedy ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁ch orus ▁girls ▁after ▁hearing ▁stories ▁from ▁former ▁d anc ers ▁such ▁as ▁Ed na ▁" Y ak " ▁Taylor . ▁She ▁became ▁inspired ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁group ▁while ▁she ▁was ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁road ▁manager ▁for ▁the ▁rh ythm ▁and ▁bl ues ▁group ▁Sister ▁S ledge , ▁a ▁group ▁formed ▁by ▁her ▁nie ces ▁who ▁tou red ▁in ▁American ▁and ▁Europe . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁Kennedy ▁rec ru ited ▁former ▁d anc ers ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁benefit ▁for ▁senior ▁citizens , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Sw ing ing ▁Sen iors . ▁She ▁always ▁considered ▁the ▁ch orus ▁girls ▁the ▁stars ▁of ▁the ▁show ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁Ch