Bonnie Pointer (1950-2020)

[MA]

https://variety.com/2020/music/news/...rs-1234628072/

Jun 8, 2020 1:33pm PT

Bonnie Pointer of the Pointer Sisters Dies at 69

By Chris Willman

Bonnie Pointer, who rose to fame as a member of the Pointer Sister, has died at age 69.

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of the Pointer Sisters that my sister Bonnie died this morning,” said Anita Pointer of her sister, Patricia, aka Bonnie. “Our family is devastated. On behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.”

Bonnie was one of the founding members of the group and left in the mid-1970s to pursue a solo career.

“Bonnie was my best friend and we talked every day,” Anita said in a statement. “We never had a fight in our life. I already miss her and I will see her again one day.”

The family’s youngest sister, June, died in 2006. A few months ago, Bonnie and Anita released a tribute song for June, “Feels Like June.” A spokesperson said it was Bonnie’s final recording.

The sisters began singing in the West Oakland Church of God in Oakland, California, their father’s church, more than 50 years ago. Bonnie, June and Anita former the Pointer Sisters in 1969. A fourth sister, Ruth, joined the group in 1972, before they released their debut album in 1973 and had their first hit with “Yes We Can Can.”

Bonnie won a Grammy in 1974, along with Anita, in a country category for writing the crossover hit “Fairtytale.” She left the group in 1977, shortly before the Pointer Sisters — now a trio — had their biggest run of hits in the late ’70s and early ’80s with songs like “Fire” and “Neutron Dance.”

Her biggest song as a solo artist, “Heaven Must Have Sent You,” made it to No. 11 in 1979. She recorded and released a total of four solo albums, the last of which was “Like a Picasso” in 2011.

The sisters reunited on occasions, such as their receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. Pointer continued to perform as a solo artist into the 2000s.

She had a role as herself in the 2010 independent film “Road to Nowhere,” directed by Monte Hellman.

Bonnie Pointer is survived by her brothers Aaron and Fritz and sisters Ruth and Anita Pointer.

More to come…

[MA]

[MA]

Died of cardiac arrest at her home in Los Angeles:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/enter...69/5322395002/

[80sTrivia]

So sad to hear of her passing...so many great Pointer Sister songs...

[OH Nuts!]

May she R.I.P.

[Bonniegirl]

Very sad! Much too young to pass away ! May she RIP !

[Hawkee]

My first Pointer Sisters album was the 1994 album Only Sisters Can Do That and I found that album in a thrift shop and I bought it just to see if I liked The Pointer Sisters and to my surprise I liked them and then I bought another Pointer Sisters album and I liked it even more. But I knew very little about Bonnie Pointer because none of the albums I had featured Bonnie Pointer singing with The Pointer Sisters but I learned about her when I read about her solo career. But their song Yes We Can-Can was remade into a rap song with the same lyrics sung into rap but the original version of Yes We Can-Can is much better. June Pointer also was the singing voice of the character Rita who was the girlfriend of Billy Joel's character Dodger in Disney's Oliver And Company and June was amazing in the movie. Now that Bonnie Pointer is gone I wonder if her solo albums will get rereleased soon?
Bestie

[ponytail]

Sad to hear that. I loved the Pointer Sisters music.

[AB]

Rest in peace.

[MA]

Tributes pour in as legendary pop and R&B singer dies aged 69

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp...s-aged-69/amp/