Anita Pointer, one of the Grammy Award-winning Pointer Sisters whose Seventies pop, country and R&B hits, had cancer on Saturday at the age of 74, her publicist said.
Pointer was surrounded by her family at her Beverly Hills home when she died, publicist Roger Neal said.
Anita was the second oldest of 4 sisters who began performing as the duo June and Bonnie in 1969 and shortly became a trio when Anita quit her job as a secretary to hitch the group, in keeping with the official biography.
The Pointer Sisters later became a quartet for some time with Ruth, the only surviving of the original singing sisters, although Bonnie left the group in the late Seventies they usually became a trio again. The Pointer sisters even have two surviving brothers, Fritz and Aaron.
Anita’s death was preceded by her daughter Jada, who died in 2003, when Anita took over raising her granddaughter, Roxie McKain Pointer.
“While we’re deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we’re comforted to know that she is now at peace along with her daughter Jada and sisters June and Bonnie. She was the one who kept us all close and together for thus long. Her love for our family will survive in all of us,” the family said in an announcement.
The sisters grew up singing at the church of their preacher father in Oakland, California.
Their 1973 debut album yielded their first hit, “Yes We Can Can”.
Amongst their biggest hits were 1978’s “Fire”, 1980’s “He’s So Shy”, 1981’s “Slow Hand” and 1983’s “Neutron Dance”, “Automatic” and “Jump”. ‘m So Excited’ from 1982 stays the standard.
Lately, the group has continued to perform with Ruth singing along along with her daughter Issa and granddaughter Sadako.