Anita Pointer, singer, songwriter, and founding member of the vocal group, The Pointer Sisters, has died. She was 74.
Her passing was announced by her family, who said she was surrounded by her loved ones when she died. A cause of death was not disclosed.
“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.”
A native of Oakland, California, Pointer was the fourth of six children born to Reverend Elton & Sarah Pointer and formed The Pointer Sisters with her siblings, Bonnie, June and Ruth, in 1969.
The Pointer Sisters found their first chart success with the release of their debut studio album, the self-titled Pointer Sisters in 1973, following successful live performances at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
The album included the group’s first charting singles with “Yes We Can Can” and “Wang Dang Doodle” but height of the group’s commercial success came in 1983 when their album Break Out charted in the top ten of the Billboard 200.
The album, which featured hits such as “Jump” and “Automatic” went triple platinum and earned The Pointer Sisters 2 American Music Awards and two Grammys for “Automatic” which skyrocketed to #5 on Billboard
The remixed version of “I’m So Excited” went to #3 on the pop charts in 1984 and 1985 with “Neutron Dance” going to #3 on the pop charts, was featured in the hit film Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy.
In all, The Pointer Sisters had 13 U.S. top 20 hits between 1973 & 1985, won 3 Grammy Awards and received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
Anita and her sisters have been honored with the Soul of America Music Awards and inducted in the Soul Train Hall of Fame. They performed at the White House for then President Bill Clinton, in 1996 performed at the closing ceremonies at the Olympics in Atlanta and toured overseas in Europe to SRO concerts.
In 2020, Anita and her brother Fritz wrote a book about growing up Pointer & about the Pointers Sisters climb to fame entitled “Fairytale.”
Anita was survived by her sister, Ruth Pointer, brothers Aaron Pointer, Fritz Pointer and granddaughter Roxie McKain Pointer.
She was preceded in death by her only daughter Jada Pointer, who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2003 at the age of 37.
