Anita Pointer, a member of the Grammy-winning trio the Pointer Sisters, passed away on Saturday after a battle with cancer. She was 74 years old.

Roger Neal, her publicist, confirmed in a statement that Pointer was “surrounded by family at the time of her death.”

Ruth Pointer, Aaron and Fritz Pointer, and Roxie McKain Pointer issued a unified statement. While we are terribly grieved by Anita’s passing, we are comforted by the fact that she is now at peace with her daughter Jada and sisters June and Bonnie. “She was the one who kept us all together and close for so long. Her affection for our family will endure in each of us. Please respect our privacy during our time of mourning. Heaven is a more beautiful and caring place with Anita present.”

Ruth is the only remaining member of the Pointer Sisters after June Pointer and Bonnie Pointer passed away in 2006 and 2020, respectively.

Anita Marie Pointer Early Life

Anita Marie Pointer was born in Oakland, California, on January 23, 1948, and grew up singing in her father’s church with her sisters. In 1969, she left her position as a secretary to join the Pointer Sisters with her sisters June, Bonnie, and Ruth.

Their accomplishments are well-known. Their 1973 self-titled debut album includes the song “Jada,” which was inspired by Pointer’s deceased daughter Jada Pointer. The song peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Fairytale,” written by Anita and Bonnie and featured on their 1974 album That’s a Plenty, was the group’s first Grammy-winning song. It assisted the Pointer Sisters in crossing over from country to pop charts.

After performing in the 1976 film Car Wash alongside comedian Richard Pryor, they altered their sound with the assistance of record producer Richard Perry, producing successes such as “Fire” and “He’s So Shy.”

Their 1984 remix of “I’m So Excited” peaked at number nine on the Hot 100. Pointer and Ruth featured as guest judges on season 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2013, during which Coco Montrese and Jade Jolie performed a lip sync to “I’m So Excited.”

The Pointer Sisters’ best-selling album was Breakout, released in 1983. Three Grammy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were won by the group.

Anita Pointer and her brother Fritz published the book Fairytale: The Pointer Sisters’ Family Story in 2020.