Anita Pointer Founding Member Of The Pointer Sisters Dies @ 74
Anita Pointer of legendary R&B group The Pointer Sisters has died at age 74 surrounded by family, confirms rep Roger Neal. “ Anita Pointer, founded the Pointer Sisters with her real sisters June, Bonnie, and Ruth, has died at age 74.
Her publicist says she was surrounded by family, but does not give a cause of death.
Here’s the family statement: “While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter, Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace. She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long. Her love of our family will live on in each of us. Please respect our privacy during this period of grief and loss. Heaven is a more loving beautiful place with Anita there.”
Pointer passed away Saturday at her home in Los Angeles where she was surrounded by her family, Neal said in a statement to CNN. The cause of death was cancer, he said.
“While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter, Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace,” Pointer’s family said in a statement. “Heaven is a more loving beautiful place with Anita there.”
“She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long. Her love of our family will live on in each of us,” the statement said, while also asking that the family’s privacy be respected “during this period of grief and loss.”
The four Pointer Sisters began singing together more than 50 years ago in their hometown church in Oakland, California, where their father ministered. Bonnie Pointer and her youngest sister, June, made their professional singing debut as a duo in 1969. They later recruited older sisters Anita and Ruth to join them, before releasing their first album together in 1973.
The group won their first Grammy Award for their crossover hit, “Fairytale,” in 1974. They are also known for hits like “Slow Hand,” “Neutron Dance,” and “Jump.”
The group won three total Grammy Awards and had 13 US Top 20 hits between 1973 and 1985.
The Pointer Sisters hit it big in the early 70s with hits like “Yes We Can Can” and “Betcha Got A Chick on the Side.” They were R&B favorites.
But then they hooked up with star producer Richard Perry and their lives changed. Beginning with a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire,” the Pointers had hit after hit with “Jump,” “I’m So Excited,” “Slow Hand,” “Automatic,” “Dare Me,” “He’s So Shy,” “Neutron Dance,” and so on. They were atop the music industry for a full decade after that.
Pointer Sisters are one of my favorite groups of the eighties , they were the perfect combination of R&B, disco, funk, ,pop and disco nit the mention their fashion style loved their image.
