Bonnie Pointer of the Pointer Sisters, Dies at 69
by Best Classic Bands Staff
The Pointer Sisters earned their first hit in 1973 with this song
Bonnie Pointer, who rose to fame with her sisters Anita, Ruth and June in the ’70s in the popular singing group the Pointer Sisters, died June 8, 2020. She was 69. The news was shared by her sister, Anita, who wrote, “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.” According to several reports, the cause of death was believed to be cardiac arrest.
Anita, 72, and Ruth, 74, are the two surviving sisters. Baby sister June died in 2006 at just 52, of cancer.
The sisters first found fame in 1973, when the Anita-led “Yes We Can Can” reached #11 on the Hot 100. A follow-up single, “Fairytale,” reached #14.
Related: The biggest radio hits of 1973
Bonnie, however, missed out on the group’s biggest successes when she left in 1977 for a solo career. Her biggest single outside of the Pointer Sisters was in 1979 with “Heaven Must Have Sent You,” which reached #11 on the U.S. chart.
Bonnie Pointer was born Patricia Pointer on July 11, 1950, in Oakland, Calif.
Bonnie (at L) with sisters Ruth and Anita in 1975
Without their sibling, the sisters caught fire with a trio of smash singles from 1979-1981. The first was their 1979 cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire,” which reached #2. That single was followed in consecutive years with “He’s So Shy” (#3) and “Slow Hand” (#2).
The hits kept coming. In 1984, the Pointer Sisters scored four Top 10 pop hits with “Automatic,” “Jump (For My Love,” “I’m So Excited” and “Neutron Dance.”
As a result, their 1983 album Break Out (via Planet Records/RCA) reached multi-platinum status and won the group two Grammy Awards.
In 1994, the sisters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationI saw these four ladies in the early 70’s at Disneyland. They put on quite a memorable show. Personally, I enjoyed the oldies version of the group before they went to their mainstream catalog. Pointer Sisters Live at the Opera House captures the tour I saw. Perfectly. It has a place in my iTunes library to this day. Wang Dang Doodle ladies, you rocked!