Bonnie Pointer Of The Pointer Sisters Passed Away At 69

We have some sad news to pass along to you as one of the founding members of the legendary vocal family "The Pointer Sisters" has passed away.

 

"The Pointer Sisters never would have happened had it not been for Bonnie," - Anita Pointer

Bonnie Pointer, a Grammy-winning singer and songwriter has died at the age of 69 according to a statement released by her family to NPR.

The Pointer Sisters was originally "The Pointers", a duo, started by Bonnie and her younger sister June in 1969. After years of singing in their church choir, their sister Anita quickly joined the group and not too long after Ruth followed suit and the group's legendary status took off from there.

In 1973, The Pointer Sisters scored their first major hit, "Yes We Can Can" which is still a classic.

By the next year, Bonnie and Anita wrote what would be a crossover COUNTRY smash hit for The Pointer Sisters called "Fairytale" which earned them a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and earned them an invite to Nashville to become the first Black female singers to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

Bonnie would leave the group in 1977 before they would achieve even bigger hits and success in the 1980s to go solo. She released two albums one of which contained the hit "Heaven Must Have Sent You".

After releasing one more album in 1984, Bonnie largely stepped away from the recording scene reuniting with her sisters periodically for performances. But if it wasn't for the fifth child of the Reverend Elton Pointer and his wife, Sarah, Bonnie, born Patricia Eva Pointer in Oakland in 1950 wouldn't have helped to create one of music's greatest genre bending vocal groups.

We send our condolences to her family, friends and fans.