Anita Pointer, founding member of the Pointer Sisters, dies at age 74

Anita Pointer, one of many founding members of the Pointer Sisters, died Saturday, her household introduced. She was 74.

“Whereas we’re deeply saddened by the lack of Anita, we’re comforted in figuring out she is now together with her daughter, Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace,” her household mentioned in an announcement. “She was the one which stored all of us shut and collectively for therefore lengthy. Her love of our household will stay on in every of us. … Heaven is a extra loving lovely place with Anita there.”

Pointer’s solely daughter Jada Pointer died in 2003, and her sisters Bonnie and June died in 2020 and 2006 respectively.

Pointer’s publicist Roger Neal mentioned the Grammy winner was surrounded by household on the time of her loss of life.

Ruth, Anita, Bonnie and June, born the daughters of a minister who additionally had two older sons, grew up singing in his church in Oakland, California. The quartet introduced a singular fusion of funk, soul and Nineteen Forties-style jazz, scat and pop to their act, usually dressing in a retro model that resembled their forerunners the Andrews Sisters.

They labored as backup singers for Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs, Elvin Bishop and others earlier than releasing their self-titled debut album in 1973, and the tune “Sure We Can Can,” a cool anthem calling for unity and tolerance, turned their breakout hit.

They adopted up with “That is A A lot,” which featured an eclectic mixture of musical types starting from jazz to gospel to pop.

They even delved into nation. Bonnie and Anita co-wrote the tune “Fairytale” a couple of crumbling relationship. The tune earned them a groundbreaking gig performing as a uncommon African American act on the Grand Ole Opry, and they might win their first Grammy, for finest nation vocal efficiency by a gaggle.

Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1977, signing a solo take care of Motown Data. Her three sisters, who had practically disbanded when she stop, as an alternative regrouped, shed their retro picture for a contemporary pop sound, and have become one of many greatest acts of the Nineteen Eighties with large hits together with “He is So Shy,” “Soar (For My Love)” and “Neutron Dance.”

Following Bonnie Pointer’s loss of life in 2020, Anita Pointer mentioned the group “would by no means have occurred had it not been for Bonnie.”