Anita 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.