Singer and The Pointer Sisters’ hitmaker Anita Pointer died on Saturday at home in Beverly Hills. She was 74 years-old.
The cause was cancer, according to her publicist, Roger Neal, said.
Anita Pointer and her sisters rose to fame in 1973, when the Anita-led “Yes We Can Can” reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1974, Anita’s writing talents helped the group make music history when “Fairytale” became a hit on the country music charts and enabled The Pointer Sisters to become the first black female group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. “Fairytale” won the group its first Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group, and a Grammy Nomination for the Best Country Song of the year in 1975.
In the late-1970s and early-1980s, The Pointer Sisters rose to higher levels of success with “Fire” (1978), “He’s So Shy” (1980), “Slow Hand” (1981) and “I’m So Excited” (1982). In 1983, the trio’s album Break Out reached multi-platinum status and won the group two more Grammy Awards. In 1986, Anita found chart success with country superstar Earl Thomas Conley on the song “Too Many Times”, which reached no. 2 on the country chart and in 1987, she released her first solo album Love for What It Is.
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Her album’s first single “Overnight Success” reached mo. 41 on the Billboard R&B chart. A second single from the album, “More Than a Memory,” also charted, reaching #73 R&B in 1988.
In 1994, Anita and her sisters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 1998, Anita was singularly inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.
A statement on the artist’s official website read: In light of the global pandemic, coming together to celebrate Bonnie’s life in the style she would have wanted would be socially irresponsible. The Pointer family will be putting together an event that will properly honor Bonnie’s exuberant spirit, with singing, dancing and disco when we can all come together safely. Until then we thank you for your outpouring of condolences.
More info at https://www.anitapointer.com/tribute-to-bonnie-pointer
