Grammy-winning singer and co-founder of The Pointer Sisters, Bonnie Pointer has died. Pointer passed away Tuesday morning, and a cause of death has yet to be reported. She was 69.
Bonnie Pointer’s sister, Anita, revealed the news to TMZ in a heartfelt statement in which she asked for prayers from fans during this time:
It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning. Our family is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.
Anita Pointer also spoke on how close she was with her sister, referring to her as her best friend and saying that they never fought:
Bonnie was my best friend and we talked every day, we never had a fight in our life, I already miss her and I will see her again one day.
Born Patricia Pointer on July 11, 1950, the singer grew up in Oakland, California where she and her brothers and sisters were raised by their mother and reverend father. As children they were encouraged to listen to and sing gospel music and were discouraged from listening to rock and roll or the blues, which they did when their parents weren’t around to watch them.
Bonnie Pointer, along with sisters Anita and June, would develop a particular fondness for music and would eventually the Church of God in Christ in West Oakland. Shortly after graduating high school, the three would seek out a career in show business and would begin singing touring and providing backup vocals for artists like Sylvester James and Elvin Bishop throughout the late ‘60s to early ‘70s.
By the ‘70s, The Pointer Sisters, who had become a quartet after sister Ruth joined, had become staple in the music industry, with hits like “Yes We Can Can,” "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)” and “Fairytale,” which earned the group a Grammy and earned Bonnie Pointer a Grammy nomination for writing the song.
By 1978, Bonnie Pointer had left group to pursue a solo career and signed with Motown Records. As a solo artist, Pointer would produce several albums and a few singles. Her biggest hit is arguably her 1978 single, “Heaven Must Have Sent You.” During the ‘80’s she also made a notable appearance on Soul Train.
Despite having left The Pointer Sisters, Pointer would still reunite with her sisters to perform on occasion and they were all present when the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
Bonnie Pointer is survived by her two sisters, Anita and Ruth, and by her brothers Aaron and Fritz. She is preceded in death by her sister, June, who died from cancer in 2006.
We here at CinemaBlend extend our deepest thoughts to the family of Bonnie Pointer during this time.
