Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters dies at age 74

(January 1, 2023) What a sad way to start the new year. Anita Pointer, a key member of the iconic group The Pointer Sisters, has died at age 74 after a battle with cancer. The Pointers were of the truly original acts of the 70s and 80s, with their own sense of style and song that made them stand out and be noticed.

Anita was the second oldest sister. Bonnie and June began singing together as teenagers and in 1969 the duo co-founded The Pointers (otherwise known as The Pair). After Anita joined the duo that same year, they changed their name to The Pointer Sisters and recorded several singles for Atlantic Records between 1971 and 1972. In December 1972, they recruited oldest sister Ruth and released their debut album as The Pointer Sisters in 1973. Their self-titled debut yielded the hit "Yes We Can Can." Between 1973 and 1977, the Pointers' donned 1940s fashions and sang in a style reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters; they also melded the sounds of R&B, funk, rock and roll, gospel, country and soul.

Anita and Bonnie wrote the group's crossover country hit, "Fairytale," in 1974, which also became a Top 20 pop hit and won the group their first Grammy for Best Vocal by a Duo or Group, Country. Anita and Bonnie also were nominated for Best Country Song at the same ceremony. In 1977, Bonnie left the group to begin a solo career.

The remaining three sisters began an Imperial Period as a trio, hitting new heights of success in 1979 with a #2 hit cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire,” and top 5 hits in 1980 with “He’s So Shy” and “Slow Hand.” They had another breakthrough with their 1983 album Break Out, which had an amazing four top 10 hits (“Automatic,” “Jump (For My Love),” “I’m So Excited” and “Neutron Dance”).

The hits continued for a few more years, and the sisters occasionally worked solo. Anita released the album Love For What It Is in 1987. They also spent more time with their families. For Anita, there was also tragedy, as her only daughter, Jada, died of cancer in 2003.

But the Pointer Sisters continued to perform well into the 21^st Century, with Issa Pointer and Sadako Pointer (daughters of Ruth Pointer) joining the group.

Anita Pointer was a key part of one of the truly unsung acts of the latter 20^th Century, and she and her sisters brought so much joy to their millions of fans around the world. May she rest in peace.

By Chris Rizik