Anita Pointer. Source: Michael Tullberg / Getty
Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters has died. She passed away Dec. 31. Her family confirmed her death in a statement to Billboard:
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. Heaven is a more loving, beautiful place with Anita there.
Her cause of death was not revealed. Pointer died in her Beverly Hills home surrounded by family. She was 74.
The Pointer Sisters Performed For 40 Years
Source: United Archives / Getty
The Pointer Sisters consisted of sisters Anita, Bonnie, Ruth and June Pointer. They grew up singing in their father’s church and then decided to take their act on the road. At first, June and Bonnie performed as The Pointer Sisters in the 1960s. Anita and Ruth later joined the group and they released their first single, “Yes We Can,” and self-titled album in 1973.
They released their second album, That’s a Plenty, in 1974. They won their first Grammy award for best country vocal performance thanks to their 1975 track “Fairytale.” After this win, they became the first Black group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Their song “How Long (Betcha’ Got a Chick on the Side)” became their first number one hit on the Billboard R&B chart.
Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1977 and the sisters continued on as a trio. They achieved more commercial success with hits like “Neutron Dance,” “Jump (For My Love),” “Slow Hand,” “He’s So Shy” and “Fire.” Over the years, the group released six gold albums and six platinum albums. In 1994, they received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 1987, Anita Pointer released her solo debut, Love for What It Is, which spawned her single “Overnight Success.”
June Pointer died April 11, 2006 due to cancer. Bonnie Pointer died June 8, 2020 of cardiac arrest. Anita Pointer’s only daughter, Jada, died in 2003, leaving her to raise her granddaughter Roxie.
