Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters dead at 74

Anita Pointer, a three-time Grammy Award winner and co-founder of the R&B sibling group The Pointer Sisters, died Saturday. She was 74.

>> Read more trending news

Pointer and her sisters had seven top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, including “Fire,” “Slow Hand,” “Jump (For My Love)” and “Automatic.”

“She fought a very heroic battle with cancer,” the singer’s publicist, Roger Neal, told The Hollywood Reporter. “She was surrounded by family at the time of her death.”

Pointer’s family, including her sister Ruth, brothers Aaron and Fritz and granddaughter Roxie McKain Pointer, released a joint statement Saturday night.

“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 and Bonnie and at peace,” their statement read. “She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long.”

Anita Pointer was born in Oakland, California, on Jan. 23, 1948. She was the fourth of six children, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Three of the Pointer sisters -- Anita, Bonnie and June -- formed the group in 1969, Variety reported. The sisters had begun singing at the West Oakland Church of God in Oakland, California, which was their father’s church.

A fourth sister, Ruth, joined the group in 1972, and the quartet released their debut album the following year, which went to No. 13 on the Billboard charts, Variety reported. The record yielded the hit “Yes We Can Can,” which peaked at No. 11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart.

The album also included their first Grammy Award-winning hit, “Fairytale,” which crossed over from country charts to pop and led them to become the first Black group to perform at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, according to Variety.

The sisters had their first and only No. 1 Billboard R&B chart hit in 1975 with “How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side),” which spent two weeks on top.

In 1976, the sisters made their film debut in “Car Wash,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Their song “Neutron Dance” was featured in “Beverly Hills Cop.”

Their success continued in 1978 with a version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire” that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Anita Pointer sang lead on the single, which became a gold record.

Their sister’s biggest-selling album, “Breakout,” went triple platinum and featured the hits “Automatic” and “Jump (For My Love).” The songs led to a pair of American Music Awards, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In 1980, “He’s So Shy” peaked at No. 3 and “Slow Hand” rose to No. 2 the following year.

“I’m So Excited,” with Anita Pointer singing lead vocals, was a minor hit in 1982 but went to No. 9 in a remixed form two years later, according to Variety.

Anita Pointer remained with the group until 2015 when she was forced to retire due to unspecified health reasons, Variety reported. June Pointer died in 2006, and Bonnie Pointer died in 2020.

The sisters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.

©2022 Cox Media Group