Bonnie Pointer, a Grammy-winning founding member of the Pointer Sisters, who was important to the group’s early success however left the group earlier than most of their largest hits, died Monday.
Pointer died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles, publicist Roger Neal stated. She was 69.
“It is with nice unhappiness that I’ve to announce to the followers of the Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning,” sister Anita Pointer stated in a press release. “Our household is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the complete Pointer household, we ask on your prayers at this time.”
The 4 Pointer sisters, Ruth, Anita, Bonnie and June, grew up singing in church in Oakland, California, the place their father was a minister.
It was Bonnie, shortly after graduating highschool, who first wished to maneuver out of church and into golf equipment to pursue knowledgeable singing profession.
“The Pointer Sisters would by no means have occurred had it not been for Bonnie,” Anita Pointer stated in her assertion.
She satisfied youthful sister June to hitch her, and the 2 started doing gigs collectively as a duo in 1969. Eventually they’d persuade their two older sisters, who have been already married with youngsters, to hitch them.
The quartet introduced distinctive fusion of funk, soul and 1940s-style jazz, scat and pop to their act, usually dressing in a retro fashion that resembled their forerunners the Andrews Sisters.
They labored as backup singers for Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs, Elvin Bishop and others earlier than releasing their self-titled debut album was launched in 1973, and the tune “Yes We Can Can” turned their breakout hit.
They adopted up with “That’s A Plenty,” which featured an eclectic combine of musical types starting from jazz to nation and pop. They gained a Grammy Award in 1974 for greatest nation vocal efficiency by a bunch for the tune “Fairytale,” which Bonnie co-wrote.
