Anita Pointer, a founding member of the genre-spanning vocal group the Pointer Sisters, has died. According to a press release from the group, Pointer died at residence in Beverly Hills surrounded by her household. Publicist Roger Neal recognized the reason for loss of life as most cancers. Pointer was 74.
Pointer was born in Oakland in 1948, the fourth of six youngsters. She and her siblings grew up singing of their father’s church. In 1969, she fashioned the Pointer Sisters together with her sisters Bonnie, June, and Ruth. They discovered work singing backup and opening for artists reminiscent of Grace Slick, Sylvester, Boz Scaggs, Betty Davis, and Elvin Bishop; at a present opening for Bishop, they have been signed to Atlantic in 1971. Though the association in the end went nowhere, they quickly launched into a sequence of different file offers that spun off twenty years’ value of hits and three Grammy wins.
The Pointer Sisters scored hits in plenty of codecs together with pop, R&B, and nation, and you may hear traces of rock, jazz, and synth-funk of their sound relying on the file. They’re now maybe finest identified for his or her exultant #9 hit “I’m So Excited,” although they really charted larger many occasions, together with with “Fire,” “He’s So Shy,” “Slow Hand,” “Automatic,” “Jump (For My Love),” and “Neutron Dance.” The sisters tailored nimbly to the altering currents of pop, sustaining a connection to their gospel roots whilst they embraced digital sounds and located nice success within the ’80s.
Anita Pointer was preceded in loss of life by her solely baby, Jada Pointer, who died of most cancers in 2003. From then on Anita raised her granddaughter Roxie Pointer. Roxie, together with Anita’s sister Ruth and brothers Aaron and Fritz, shared this assertion:
While 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. She was the one which saved all of us shut and collectively for therefore lengthy. Her love of our household will stay on in every of us. Please respect our privateness throughout this era of grief and loss. Heaven is a extra loving stunning place with Anita there.
Below, revisit some Pointer Sisters classics.