anita pointer

Anita Pointer, Founding Member of The Pointer Sisters, Dead at 74

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ezgif.com gif makerAnita Pointer, Founding Member of The Pointer Sisters, Dead at 74

Anita Pointer, a founding member of the Grammy-winning group the Pointer Sisters, has passed away at 74 due to cancer. “She was surrounded by family at the time of her death,” Anita Pointer’s publicist Roger Neal stated.

Anita’s sister Ruth, brothers Aaron and Fritz, and granddaughter Roxie McKain Pointer made a statement:

“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.”

Anita Marie Pointer was born in Oakland on Jan. 23, 1948. She was the fourth of six children to Reverend Elton & Sarah Pointer. Anita left her work as a secretary in 1969 to form the POINTER SISTERS with her younger sisters Bonnie, June, and Ruth.

In 1973, their debut album yielded a hit single that peaked at #11 on the Billboard charts. In 1974, Anita and Bonnie wrote their first major Grammy-winning hit, “Fairytale,” which crossed over from the country charts to the pop charts. The Pointer Sisters were the first African American group to perform on the Grand Ole Opry. The Pointer Sisters made their feature film début in 1976, performing in the film Car Wash, starring Richard Pryor. They won two additional Grammy Awards for their top ten song “Automatic,” which peaked at #5 on Billboard, and they were one of the first black groups to be heavily featured on MTV and Jump.

You can learn more about the life of Anita Pointer here.

The post Anita Pointer, Founding Member of The Pointer Sisters, Dead at 74 appeared first on The Source.

Anita Pointer Dead At 74, Grammy-Winning Singer’s Family & Fans Mourn

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2021 previously ended on a sad note with the death of Hollywood icon Betty White. In 2022, we once again closed out the year by saying goodbye to another legend – Anita Pointer.

The recording artist was best known for her work alongside her three sisters, Ruth, Bonnie, and finally, June. Together they were chiefly known as the Pointer Sisters, and they crafted hit songs like “Jump (For My Love)” and “Fire.”

Anita Pointer attends The Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce 98th Annual Board Installation And Lifetime Achievement Awards Gala at Avalon Hollywood on April 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

In 1975, they concurrently won a Grammy thanks to their work on “Fairytale.” The track came out on top in the Best Country Vocal Performance category, which has been markedly dominated by white acts, as BBC notes.

Their music style is specifically “a blend of funk, soul, and R&B.” The Pointer Sister’s debut eponymous album arrived in 1973, with “Yes We Can Can” firstly arising as a breakout hit.

Presently, Pointer’s cause of death remains unknown. Unfortunately, she’s not the first of her siblings to die – both Bonnie and June departed several years ago, leaving Ruth as the sole surviving member.

Ruth Pointer, Anita Pointer, Bonnie Pointer and June Pointer 1974 (Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)

Additionally, the late singer was faced with the tragedy of her own daughter’s death. In 2003, her only child, Jada Pointer, consequently passed away at age 37 after battling cancer. She left behind a little girl, Roxie McKain Pointer. After that, Anita spent her life raising her granddaughter.

On the positive side, the famous family says that they’re “comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace.”

“Heaven is a more loving beautiful place with Anita there,” they later added.

Check out more heartfelt tributes, as well as favourite performances below. RIP Anita Pointer.

[Via]