The 74-year-old Anita Pointer of the Grammy-winning Pointer Sisters has passed away, according to her publicist.
In her California home in Beverly Hills, she passed away surrounded by her loved ones. The cause of death has still not been disclosed.
Her relatives expressed how grieved they were by her death. With Anita present, they claimed in a statement, “Heaven is a more lovable, lovely place.”
Pointer, who was born on January 23, 1948, in Oakland, California, came from a musical family. She and her younger sisters Bonnie, June, and Ruth founded the Pointer Sisters in 1969. In Oakland, California, where their father was a priest, the sisters learned to sing in the church.
Ms. Pointer, the second oldest of the four sisters, gained recognition together with her family thanks to the successes of songs like Jump (For My Love) and Fire.
The trio released their self-titled debut album in 1973, blending funk, soul, and R&B. The album’s breakthrough smash was the groovy song “Yes We Can Can,” which encouraged tolerance and unity during a period of racial strife in the US. The song “Yes, We Can Can,”
appeared on their self-titled debut album from 1973. Between 1973 and 1985, The Pointer Sisters had 13 U.S. top 20 hits and received three Grammys for their work. The singers, who are well-known for classics like “I’m So Excited,” “Slow Hand,”” and “Jump (For My Love),” received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
Furthermore, their popular song “Fairytale” received the Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1975. In a field dominated by white acts, the victory continues to be unusual. After Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1979 to pursue a solo career, the group almost split up, but the surviving sisters got back together and continued, shedding their prior retro image for a more contemporary pop sound.
Beginning with their cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire,” which peaked at No. 2 on the American pop charts in 1978, the group enjoyed a string of successes in the 1970s and 1980s. They were a dominant force in the US charts during the 1980s, and their classics, such as He’s So Shy, Jump (For My Love), and Neutron Dance, have endured and are still widely streamed today.
The enduring pinball counting tune was also sung by The Pointer Sisters for Sesame Street in the 1970s.
The survivors of Anita Pointer include her sister Ruth, brothers Aaron and Fritz, and granddaughter Roxie McKain Pointer.
But tragedy dominated Pointer’s private life. In 2015, Pointer ended his career as a performer. With the passing of June in 2006 and Bonnie in 2020, Ruth is currently the sole remaining Pointer Sister. Jada Pointer, her lone child, passed away from cancer in 2003 at the age of just 37. Roxie McKain Pointer, her granddaughter, was raised by her after that.
Ruth has been singing together with her daughter Issa and granddaughter Sadako throughout the group’s recent performances. Pointer and her sister Ruth were set to perform a duet as contestants in The Masked Singer’s Season 6 in 2021. Ruth performed alone while dressed as a cupcake because she was ill and unable to perform.
After being revealed as Ruth, she commented on the show, “There were supposed to be two cupcakes, but Anita is experiencing some health concerns we couldn’t avoid, so I ended up doing it alone.” Sweetheart, I completed the task at hand. I love you and can’t wait to see you at home so that I can be there for you.
Anita’s daughter Jada and her sisters June and Bonnie are now at peace, according to a statement made by publicist Roger Neal. “While we are very grieved by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with them and at peace,” the statement read. For such a long time, she was the one who kept us all close and connected. We will all carry on her affection for our family. In this time of sorrow and loss, please respect our privacy. With Anita there, heaven is a more lovable, lovely place.
Social media was flooded with tributes. When asked about her 1985 tour with Wham! And the Pointer Sisters, Katrina Leskanich of Katrina and the Waves recalled it. “Anita was incredibly generous and kind to me, offering me companionship and advice. Standing stage left every night to see her astound and electrify the audience, I picked up a lot of knowledge. As I saw Wham! I will never forget what she told me. It all comes down to energy. I’m grateful for your enthusiasm, energy, and the music that makes me and the rest of the world adore you.”
Her family expressed consolation in the knowledge that she was “now with her daughter Jada and her sisters June and Bonnie and at peace,” according to her relatives.
