[citation needed]. Ruth Pointer’s Family One recording, however, has become a Northern Soul classic: "Send Him Back" (Atlantic 45 2893). The musician’s sister and bandmate, Anita Pointer, confirmed the news in a statement to ET. Upon signing, they agreed that they did not want to follow the current trend of pop music but wanted to create an original sound that combined jazz music, jazz singing, and bebop music. August 08, 2018 | by Edduin Carvajal. On January 22, 1978, Ruth gave birth to her second daughter and, now a duo, Ruth and Anita cut back their schedules and concentrated on raising their families. She subsequently signed a contract with Motown and this led to a brief, moderately successful, solo career. ", replied: "Hmm...not really. [citation needed], On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed The Pointer Sisters among hundreds of artists who lost master recordings in the 2008 Universal fire. The song became a top 20 pop hit in September 1979. It made its debut in 1977 and was a feature on the show for many years. Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters has died at age of 69. We never had a fight in our life. If you have any unfortunate news that this page should be update with, please let us know using this form. While promoting an October 28, 2010 Detroit gig by the Pointer Sisters - then comprising Anita and Ruth Pointer and Sadako Johnson - Ruth Pointer, asked "Do you [and Anita] plan on recording an album with Sadako? Enjoy. Most recently in 2007, Tommy Boy recording artist Ultra Naté has released a dance-pop cover of "Automatic" that reached #1 at the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts. They received Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Jump (For My Love)", and Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices for "Automatic". How Many Pointer Sisters Are Alive Following Bonnie Pointer’s Death? The Pointer Sisters also scored another R&B hit from the album with "Going Down Slowly", another Allen Toussaint cover, and in 1976 appeared in the classic blaxploitation film Car Wash with their song from the movie: "You Gotta Believe", making the R&B top 20 in early 1977. The first studio recording by the Pointer Sisters to feature Issa Pointer was "Christmas in New York" for YMC Records www.ymcrecords.com recorded in the summer of 2005 for release for the multi-artist seasonal release Smooth & Soulful Christmas Collection on YMC Records: "Christmas in New York" afforded the Pointer Sisters their last appearance on a Billboard chart to date, the track reaching #21 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Later, Anita quit her job to join the group. In 1987, the Pointer Sisters starred in an NBC primetime special titled "Out All Night," which opened with footage of them performing "Jump" at one of their concerts, and which then followed the trio as they socialized and performed around the L.A. night scene. The Pointer Sisters have received three awards from ten nominations. In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the Malibu club in the game featured a Village People tribute in which they danced to "Automatic". "Our family is devastated. The group had 13 US top 20 hits between 1973 and 1985. The sisters also were featured in a lavish Diet Coke commercial, which aired during the program, and which presented them singing a soulful jingle about the soda. All these singles charted in the US and were also successful in Australia, where all but "American Music" reached the Top 20. In 2003, sister Anita lost her only child Jada to cancer. June Pointer, a member of singing group the Pointer Sisters, died yesterday (April 11) of cancer. The Pointer Sisters recorded their first album with Issa Pointer rather than June Pointer in April 2004 with The Pointer Sisters - Live in Billings recorded at the Alberta Bair Theatre in Billings, Montana. It was originally produced in 1976 by Imagination, Inc. in San Francisco, California for the Children's Television Workshop. Ruth became a grandmother as "Break Out" reached success; Anita became a grandmother in 1990 when her only child Jada gave birth to Roxie. In 2015, Anita was forced to retire due to ill health, leaving Ruth the sole member of the original sibling line-up. At the July 6, 2012 Essence Fest show in New Orleans, Anita Pointer had rejoined the group, the lineup for that concert being Ruth and Anita Pointer and Sadako Johnson. Steppin' produced their Grammy-nominated number one R&B single, "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)", which was sampled by female rap icons Salt-N-Pepa a decade later. [9] Bonnie Pointer and June Pointer subsequently performed as a duo at other Gay Pride celebrations and participated in the Get Up 'n' Dance disco music tour in the summer of 2003, the duo being officially billed as "Bonnie and June Pointer, formerly of the Pointer Sisters". She left in 1989 to become a solo artist, while her three sisters continued to perform as Sister Sledge. In this regard, how many of the Pointer Sisters are still alive? "[10] According to Ruth Pointer "Anita and I had talked for some time about having Issa and [Anita's] daughter Jada [Pointer] alternate in the third spot in the lineup...Issa was chosen [to go] first because she had experience singing solo at a lot of New England-area functions. Her sister Anita confirmed the news to TMZ revealing that she died on Monday. "The Pointer Sisters never would have happened had it not been for Bonnie," she said. In 1983, the Pointer Sisters released Break Out. The line-up grew to a trio when sister Anita Pointer joined them. On behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time," Anita Pointer said in a statement to CNN. The ladies are the daughters of Reverend Elton Pointer and his wife Sarah and the sisters of brothers Fritz and Aaron. The same song has also been remixed by Venetian Snares of the Planet Mu record label. They agreed to dispense with the 1940s nostalgia and go in a contemporary direction. Her sister Anita confirmed the news to TMZ. This trio had a number two hit in Belgium in 2005, covering "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" with Belgian singer Natalia. June and Bonnie were actually the first two members of the group. On June 9, 2002, June Pointer and Bonnie Pointer performed as a duo on the bill at the San Jose Gay Pride Celebration the pair having been recruited by a promoter who had failed to recruit the official Pointer Sisters trio for the event: the June/Bonnie Pointer duo's appearance at San Jose Pride was promoted as a "Pointer Sisters" gig with pictures of June Pointer performing with Anita Pointer and Ruth Pointer utilized in its promotion, causing Anita Pointer and Ruth Pointer to sue the promoter and other affiliates of the June/Bonnie Pointer duo's San Jose Pride gig (neither Bonnie Pointer nor June Pointer was named in the suit). They were also one of the featured acts at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. Fortunately, they didn't care too much about what their parents thought, and June and Bonnie formed a group that was known as Pointers, a Pair. By 1991, June Pointer had ended her thirteen-year marriage to William Oliver Whitmore II. Here are 9 of the best facts about Pointer Sisters Automatic and Pointer Sisters Fire I managed to collect. Ruth now tours with her daughter, Issa, and her granddaughter, Sadako. Bonnie was one of the OG Pointer Sisters -- which started out as a duo, with her as one of the leads -- but eventually left the group in the mid-1970s to pursue a successful solo career. However, they went through a tragedy that made them drastically change. We’re so glad [the Pointer Sisters' songs are] still relevant and people still want to hear them being sung and we love singing them."[19]. In 1975, the Pointer Sisters won a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal with Anita and Bonnie Pointer also receiving nominations for the Grammy Award for Best Country Song as songwriters of "Fairytale". Bonnie Pointer performs once in a while, but it is really Ruth Pointer who is keeping the band alive today. She still continued to perform, and reunited with her sisters on two occasions: when the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994, and during a Las Vegas performance in 1996 singing "Jump (for My Love)". The follow-up, "Should I Do It," featured a classic girl-group sound. In 2005, "Pinball Number Count" was re-edited for Coldcut's Ninja Tune label, becoming a surprise dance hit. The album's last single, "Baby Come and Get It", did well on the Black Singles charts too but did not make the top 40. They began talking about the future of the group and what direction it should take. With Perry the trio began working on an album of West Coast soft rock, which was released in 1978 with the title Energy. In 2008, Anita Pointer and Ruth Pointer recorded the last Pointer Sisters album to date The Pointer Sisters Favorites consisting of remakes of ten of the group's biggest hits: recorded in response to the group's failure to receive royalties from the inclusion of any Pointer Sisters' hits on multi-artist hits compilations, "...Favorites" was sold exclusively at the group's live gigs and at the website ThePointerSisters.com, but was added to iTunes in 2013. Please ignore rumors and hoaxes. The group had its origins when sisters June and Bonnie Pointer began performing in clubs in 1969 as "Pointers, a Pair". The Pointer Sisters are an American R&B group that has been actively performing since 1969. STARS have paid tribute to Sister Sledge star Joni Sledge who has died at her home at the age of 60. The Pointer Sisters, Soundtrack: Spaceballs. Ruth Pointer along with her daughter, Issa Pointer, and her granddaughter, Sadako Pointer, still performs as The Pointer Sisters. November 1977 saw the release of the jazz-funk oriented Having a Party which would be the final album release featuring the Pointer Sisters in their original four-woman format. The entire Pointer family was raised in church and encouraged to sing gospel music, but they were also told that rock n' roll and blues were the "devil's music." On August 4, 2009, Ruth, Anita and Bonnie stopped by The Kibitz Room at Canter's in Los Angeles and jammed with the band and Ruth's son Malik Pointer. In 1995 Pointer Sisters recorded "Feel for the Physical" as a duet with Thomas Anders (of Modern Talking fame) for his album Souled. The band tours both in the U.S. and abroad, drawing crowds even today. We were the opening act for artists including the Pointer Sisters and Aretha Franklin, and learned so much. Distractify is a registered trademark. [2] In December 2017, Billboard ranked them as the 93rd most successful Hot 100 Artist of all-time[3] and as the 32nd most successful Hot 100 Women Artist of all-time. Jada was the subject of the 1973 song "Jada". However, they were told rock and roll and the blues were "the devil's music", and it was only when they were away from their watchful parents that they could sing these styles. On September 8, 1990, Ruth married a man named Michael Sayles (born 1957). Subsequent to the live double album Live at the Opera House - a recording of April 21, 1974 Pointer Sisters concert at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco - the group's third studio album Steppin' was released in 1975. Ruth Pointer still performs with the group, and Anita Pointer is alive but retired because of health problems. The special, which featured guest appearances by Bruce Willis, the McGuire Sisters, and Whoopi Goldberg, was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. [8] It was released in Italy under LASAPA records. Searching for a visual style for their act, they remembered the poverty of their childhood; using their experience and ability to improvise, they assembled a collection of vintage 1940s clothes from thrift shops, comprising period costumes to give them their distinctive look. The group had its origins when sisters June and Bonnie Pointer began performing in clubs in 1969 as "Pointers, a Pair". [5] After leaving school, oldest sister Ruth was already married with two children Faun (born 1965) and Malik (born 1966),[6] Anita, the second oldest sister, also was married with a child Jada. Following this, the group performed on the famous "We Are The World" song/music video, alongside such legendary artists as Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder. The first release from this new union was "American Music", a patriotic-themed, modernized take on the girl-group sound, featuring an early version of "I'm So Excited". In November 2000, the sisters lost their mother Sarah. In 1974, they joined Reddy on the track "Showbiz" which appeared on her Free and Easy album. It was only on the title cut that all four members sang; the album's other cuts featured Anita, Bonnie, and Ruth, but not June Pointer. These songs also followed "Slow Hand" into the UK Top 10, with "Automatic" peaking at number 2 in that country. They then signed with Blue Thumb Records, recorded their debut album, and began seeing more success, winning a Grammy Award in 1975 for Best Country Vocal Performance for "Fairytale" (1974). The first single, a cover version of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire", climbed to #2 on the US singles charts in early 1979, and a third Allen Toussaint cover, "Happiness", also charted. Here is what happened to 'The Pointer Sisters'. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Anita is alive and kicking and is currently 73 years old. Over the next few years, The Pointer Sisters achieved their greatest commercial success. Their lineup grew to a trio after Anita joined them, and they were signed to Atlantic Records. June Pointer passed away over ten years ago, followed by Bonnie Pointer this year, 2020. After contributing guest vocals on the group's cover of Sly Stone's "Everybody Is a Star" June was persuaded to return to the group, making it a trio. All Rights Reserved. After she went solo, Bonnie found modest success on her own. Offers may be subject to change without notice. They sang "Fire", "Yes We Can Can", and "Going Down Slowly". [12][13] On November 4, 2009, The Pointer Sisters played "I'm So Excited" and "Neutron Dance" on CBS morning show The Early Show with Ruth's granddaughter, Sadako Johnson. We’ll leave that to the young folks, out on the road in buses for months at a time....We still have a good time, we do a lot of corporate dates, a lot of casinos, special events, fundraisers, that’s our audience. “It’s common knowledge that I don’t perform with my sisters anymore,” Sledge told EURweb’s Lee Bailey recently. By 1977, both June and Bonnie had left the group. Although she was less prominent in recent years, Bonnie still performed occasionally. On April 11, 2006, June, who suffered from drug addiction, died of cancer at the age of 52. "[10] Issa Pointer's membership in the Pointer Sisters would remain constant until 2009, Jada Pointer who was to alternate with her having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the autumn of 2002 and dying June 10, 2003. The Pointer Sisters enjoyed massive success in the 70s' and 80s' after expanding to include their sisters Anita and Ruth. [11], In recent years, many Pointer Sisters songs have been covered by contemporary artists, such as "Jump (For My Love)" by Girls Aloud, which reached number two at the UK singles chart in 2003, "Dare Me" was turned into the dance smash "Stupidisco" by Belgian DJ Junior Jack, indie band Le Tigre covered in 2004 "I'm So Excited" on their third album This Island, and French DJ Muttonheads sampled "Back in My Arms" on his 2005 club hit "I'll Be There". In August 1993 at age 47 Ruth Pointer gave birth to twins Ali and Conor Sayles. Joni Sledge, who with her sisters recorded the defining dance anthem We Are Family, has died, the band’s representative has said. The Pointer Sisters Death Fact Check. June Pointer: 1953-2006 Sad news to report.. EURweb and others are reporting that June passed away yesterday April the 11th at the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, CA. In fall 2002, the Pointer Sisters played the Night of the Proms tour in Europe marking the inauguration of Issa Pointer, the daughter of Ruth Pointer, as the replacement for June Pointer: Ruth Pointer would recall: "We sort of pulled a fast one by waiting until the last minute to inform the promoters of [the] roster change...because we didn't want to give them the chance to change their minds. The Pointer Sisters were featured on the 1977 album Saffo Music by Italian R&B singer Lara Saint Paul and produced by Leon Ware, with bass by Chuck Rainey, guitar by Ray Parker Jr. and mixed by Bill Conti. June wanted to take a break, and Bonnie left to start a solo career. Between 2009 and 2015, the group consisted of Anita, Ruth, Issa, and Ruth's granddaughter Sadako Pointer. In 1979, the trio released an album with a harder-edged rock sound, entitled Priority. The Pointer Sisters - The Pointer Sisters' lineup has changed a couple of times over the years, but the Oakland-bred group continues to perform under that name. In an August 2012 interview Ruth Pointer stated: "Anita has had some health issues recently so we try to give her a break when she needs it. Miguel and Emily's Relationship Will Never Be the Same Again in 'Mayans M.C.'. Is the Ride Over for 'Mayans M.C.' [17], The Pointer Sisters are scheduled to play six Australian dates in May and June 2016 [18] with the lineup of Ruth Pointer, Issa Pointer and Sadako Johnson: recent media reports indicate that Anita Pointer's health issued have necessitated her retiring from the group. The Pointer Sisters' second album, the 1974 release That's a Plenty, continued in the jazz and be-bop style of its predecessor but provided one exception that caused a great deal of interest: "Fairytale", written by Anita and Bonnie Pointer, was a country song that reached #13 on the pop charts, and #37 on the country charts. "I Need You" had been the lead single from the album, and was a significant R&B hit, peaking at #13 on the Black Singles charts. [citation needed]. The Pointer Sisters have maintained a high international profile as performers: in 2002 they participated at the annual Night of the Proms, a successful series of concerts combining pop and classical music, taking place in the Benelux, France and Germany: the Pointer Sisters received the highest audience ratings of all participating Night of the Proms acts in 2002. Would They Dare Kill [SPOILER] in the 'Prodigal Son' Finale? This dance involved the dancers crossing the hands by their knees for two beats then raising the roof for another two. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked them as the 80th most successful dance artists of all-time. We still do a lot of corporate parties and private parties because I mean, let's face it, those are the people that are in our own age group and know our songs." They regularly sang at a local Church of God in Christ congregation in West Oakland, but as the sisters grew older their love of other styles of music began to grow. Ruth now tours with her daughter, Issa, and her granddaughter, Sadako. Ruth, Bonnie, Anita, and June Pointer were the original members of the grout and, thanks to their outstanding voice and great music, they reached … The group's next recording was a remake of the Eurythmics' "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" recorded with Natalia: this track spent sixteen weeks in the Top 20 of Belgium's Flemish chart from October 2005 with a peak of #2. The Pointer Sisters have won three Grammy Awards and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. Bonnie Pointer, who rose to fame as a member of the Pointer Sisters, has died at age 69.A representative said the cause of death was cardiac arrest. They got a record deal with Atlantic Records and released several unsuccessful singles. [19][20] In a February 25, 2016 interview with News.com.au Ruth Pointer said of the Pointer Sisters recent live performance history: "I'm almost inclined to call [the group's live engagements] pop-up engagements, not tours. The group's self-titled first album, featuring the backing of Bay Area stalwarts the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils, was released in 1973 and received strong reviews, with the group being lauded for their versatility and originality: its first single "Yes We Can Can" - an Allen Toussaint-penned song which had been a minor R&B hit for Lee Dorsey in 1970 - afforded the Pointer Sisters the first chart hit reaching #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, while both "Yes We Can Can" and the follow-up single: the Willie Dixon cover "Wang Dang Doodle" were major R&B hits with respective R&B chart peaks of #12 and #24. [citation needed], The sisters graduated from Oakland Technical High School: Ruth in 1963, Anita in 1965, and Bonnie in 1968. In July of that year June married William Oliver Whitmore II. The sisters entertained US troops in the Persian Gulf in 1991 with Bob Hope. The Pointer Sisters have won three Grammy Awards and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. The group's other U.S. top 10 hits are "Fire" (1979), "He's So Shy" (1980), "Slow Hand" (1981), the remixed version of "I'm So Excited" (1984), and "Neutron Dance" (1985). [14], In November 2011, the Pointer Sisters toured Australia and played one gig in New Zealand with a lineup consisting of Ruth Pointer, Sadako Johnson and Issa Pointer; the last-named was a last-minute and presumably temporary replacement for Anita Pointer, who did not feel up to travel due to an unnamed health concern. The song would later be covered by Elvis Presley. Vince Lovegrove: He would be 74 years 1 month 4 days old if still alive: He was 65 when he died 9 years ago: Born : 19 March 1947: Died : 24 March 2012: - IMDb Mini Biography By: woodyanders Trivia (2) In 1995–96, the Pointer Sisters returned to their original jazzy incarnation touring nationally in Ain't Misbehavin'; during this tour issues with June Pointer came to the fore as June Pointer missed many performances—understudy Wendy Edmead replaced her on these occasions—and in 2002, Ruth Pointer's daughter Issa Pointer began performing with the Pointer Sisters in June Pointer's stead. Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters - a pop group whose hits included Fire, Slow Hand and I'm So Excited - has died at age of 69. Ruth Pointer still performs with the group, and Anita Pointer is alive but retired because of health problems. Her sisters who remained in the group went on to earn several Grammy Awards and a number of chart-topping singles throughout the end of the 1970s and into the 1980s. "[16] At most recent Pointer Sisters concert, performing with the Columbus Symphony on June 14, 2013 (and filling in for Chaka Khan with a week's notice), the lineup was Anita, Ruth and Issa Pointer. Earlier this year, Anita and Bonnie Pointer released a single in memory of their sister June, who died in 2006. in the episode "The Return of the Doo-Wop Girls". [26], The Pointer Sisters (Ruth, Anita, and Bonnie) performing on the Dutch television programme, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side), Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus, List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart, List of number-one dance hits (United States), List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart, "June Pointer - youngest sister in famed Oakland singing group", "Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists: Page 1", "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists: Page 1", "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Women Artists: Page 1", "Malik Pointer | Gratis muziek, tourneedata, foto's, video's", "Still So Excited: An Interview with Ruth Pointer", "Lara Saint Paul - Saffo Music (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs", "Pointer Sisters still available for inauguration - Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008 | 2 a.m.", "Concert review - The Pointer Sisters with the Columbus Symphony: Trio provides hot opener to summer", "Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters on her cocaine addiction and escaping Scientology rehab", "Pointer sisters coming to Jupiters on May 28", Pointer Sister arrested for crack possession, "Bonnie Pointer: I'm Not So Excited Anymore ... My Marriage Is Over", "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire", American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Band/Duo/Group, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Pointer_Sisters&oldid=1021911665, Musical groups from the San Francisco Bay Area, Articles needing additional references from July 2008, All articles needing additional references, Pages using Template:Infobox musical artist with unknown parameters, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2017, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, This page was last edited on 7 May 2021, at 10:48. The group's greatest success actually came after Bonnie had decided to pursue a solo career, though. [25], The American Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Dick Clark in 1973. The album was produced by Berry Gordy and husband Jeffrey Bowen. THE Nolan sisters have enjoyed an illustrious career as a chart topping girl group. One track, "Don't It Drive You Crazy" with Bonnie Pointer on lead, would become a cult hit in the UK as part of the rare groove phenomenon. Bonnie married Motown Records producer Jeffrey Bowen in 1978. After seeing the Sisters last year-with original members, Anita and Issa Pointer (now in the mid-sixties) keeping it in the family and joined onstage by Anita’s daughter, Ruth- I can attest that they’ve still got every glittering ounce of flair and musical talent, and their live set was certainly, ahem, on point. The family was native to Oakland, Calif., and the group formed more than 50 years ago. It's not like the old days when you just have a record deal and go in the studio and record with a producer and then start promoting. [15] Ruth Pointer, Sadako Johnson and Issa Pointer were also the personnel for a February 11, 2012 Pointer Sisters concert in Metairie, LA. According to a family statement, she was surrounded by Ruth and Anita as well as brothers Aaron and Fritz. June Pointer sadly died of cancer at age 52 on April 11, 2006. Only two Pointer Sisters are alive today, since a second Pointer Sister died this year. The Pointer Sisters continue to perform in concerts all over the world; the current band members are Ruth and Anita along with Ruth's daughter Issa. The Pointer Sisters; Name Born Status Died Age; Ruth Pointer: 3/19/1946: alive: 75: Anita Pointer: 1/23/1948: alive: 73: Bonnie Pointer: 7/11/1950: dead: 6/8/2020 (69) June Pointer… On May 4, 2006, Bonnie appeared on Entertainment Tonight saying the other sisters had not fulfilled June's burial wishes, instead having her cremated because it was cheaper. [1] She was replaced by Ruth's daughter Issa Pointer. While all four women remained in the group, they most often performed as a trio rotating the lineup as needed. In 1976, they were asked to record "Pinball Number Count" for Sesame Street, which was a series of educational cartoons teaching kids how to count. June and Bonnie were actually the first two members of the group. Following the news of her death at the age of 69 due to cardiac arrest, the number of original members of the group that are still alive has decreased, and this isn't the first time. It was while supporting Bishop at a nightclub appearance in 1971 that the sisters were signed to a recording contract with Atlantic Records. [24], The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Bonnie was arrested for allegedly possessing crack cocaine on November 18, 2011, in South Los Angeles, after the car she was riding in was pulled over for a mechanical malfunction. Bonnie left the group in 1978 to commence a solo career with modest success. The Pointer Sisters are an American R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Kathy, the youngest of the Sledge sisters, sang lead on many of the group’s hits. I already miss her and I will see her again one day.". Ruth then joined to make the group a quartet in 1972, and they started to achieve greater levels of commercial success. 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