Singer Anita Pointer has died aged 74. She passed away from cancer at her home in Los Angeles on December 31st.
Pointer formed the group The Pointer Sisters with her siblings Bonnie and June in 1969. They later became a foursome with the addition of a fourth sister Ruth Pointer in the early 1970s.
The group recorded several albums but failed to find mainstream success. One recording they did make early in their career had surprising longevity and reach, the recorded the vocals to Pinball Count, an animated segment on the children’s TV show Sesame Street, the segment was replayed on the show for decades.
Bonnie left the band in 1978. After her departure the remaining three sisters started having more significant hits with Slow Hand, Fire, He’s So Shy and later Jump, Neutron Dance, Dare Me and Automatic.
Antia sang lead vocals on many of the group’s hits including Slow Hand, I’m So Excited and Twist My Arm.
There tunes have found longevity and continued to be played on radio. British band Girls Aloud covered Jump for the soundtrack to Love, Actually but it is the Pointer Sister’s original recording that is heard in the film.
While the band stopped having hits in the mid-80s they never stopped touring. When youngest sister June left the band in 2004 Ruth’s daughter Issa stepped in to replace her. Later Ruth’s granddaughter Sadako Pointer would also perform with the band. The band performed in Perth in 2009, 2011 and 2018. Anita stopped touring with the band in 2015 citing poor health as the reason for her retirement.
In 2020 she authored a book alongside brother Fritz Pointer that shared the family’s history, and their journey to fame. Aside from her work with her sister Anita Pointer released a solo album in 1987 which included a duet with Earth Wind and Fire vocalist Philip Bailey.
Anita Pointer was married several times. Her daughter Jada Pointer died of cancer in 2003 aged 37. The song Jada is featured on the band’s 1971 debut album.
June Pointer passed away in 2006, and older sister Bonnie died in 2020. With the passing of Anita, June is the last of the original Pointer Sisters.
OIP Staff
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