Explained: Who was Anita Pointer, the Grammy winning Black singer who rose above her labels

American singer-songwriter Anita Pointer, who was also the founding member of the vocal group, The Pointer Sisters passed away on December 31 at the age of 74, after a battle with cancer. She breathed her last at her Beverley Hills home in California, surrounded by her family.

Back in 2003, her daughter Jada too has died of cancer at the age of 37 while her sister June, died of cancer in 2006. In the year 1969, she had joined her sisters — Bonnie and June to form the group The Pointer Sisters.

On her passing, her family said in a statement, “Heaven is a more loving beautiful place with Anita there.”

Here’s a look at the singer’s life who stood out to win a Grammy back in 1975 in a category full of white artists.

Early life

Anita Pointer was born in California’s Oakland in 1948 and was the fourth of six children. While in school, she played alto sax as a member of her school band. Later, she would go on to quite her job as a secretary to form The Pointer Sisters along with her two younger sisters. 

Claim to fame

The Pointer Sisters found fame in 1973, when Anita’s Yes We can reached the number 11 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, her Fairytale became a hit and the sisters became the first black female group to perform at the weekly American country music stage, Grand Ole Opry. Fairytale won a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group and a nomination for Best Country Song in the year 1975.

The sisters became a hit during the 1970s and 80s with Anita being the lead singer on most of the songs like Fire and Slow Hand. Their album Break Out won them two more Grammys in the year 1984. Her song Too Many Times with country star Earl Thomas Conley was a chart success in 1986. Her first solo was released in 1987 titled Love For What It Is. In 1987 and 1988 as well, her songs Overnight Success and More than a Memory reached prominent positions on the Billboard R&B chart. The Pointer Sisters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994 and in 1998, she was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.

She took a back seat in 2015 following her tryst with cancer but in 2020, her book Fairytale: The Pointer Sisters’ Family Story co-authored with her brother Fritz Pointer came out.

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