American singer
Anita Pointer,
who enjoyed success in the 1970s and 1980s with her sisters in the rhythm and blues group the
Pointer Sisters
, died Saturday at the
age of 74
from cancer, her agent announced.
"I am saddened to announce that Grammy Award Winner Anita Pointer has passed away
after a heroic battle with cancer
," Roger Neal posted on Instagram.
She died on New Year's Eve at her Los Angeles home, surrounded by her family, she told CNN.
"Despite our deep sadness at the loss of Anita,
we take comfort in knowing that she is now with her daughter Jada and her sisters June and Bonnie, and at peace
," the Pointer family said in a statement.
Originally from Oakland, California, the group was originally formed by Anita and her sisters June (died April 2006), Bonnie (died June 2020), and then Ruth.
They had started singing at the Oakland church where her father was a pastor
.
The Pointer sisters, Ruth, Anita and June.Marty ReichenthalAP
Initially marked by jazz, bebop and gospel, The Pointer Sisters
released their first album in 1973 and won three Grammy Awards throughout their career
.
Their foray into country music with the song "
Fairytale
" in 1975 had earned them their first, and they had been invited to the legendary Grand Ole Opry hall in Nashville, a first for black artists.
The band was down to three members after Bonnie defected in 1977 to pursue a solo career
.
A march that did not prevent the Pointer Sisters from multiplying their hits at the beginning of the 80s - "
Fire
", "
He's So Shy
", "
Slow Hand
" or "
I'm so excited
" -, with a repertoire that oscillated between nods to
1940s
"
scat " and disco.
Although their popularity had waned by the late 1980s, the Pointer Sisters continued to perform.
June Pointer had left the group in 2004, replaced by a daughter of Ruth's,
Issa
.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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