- Pop/R&B singing group from Oakland CA, formed in 1969.
- The original act began with sisters June and Bonnie Pointer. Sister Anita Pointer joined shortly after. Finally, sister Ruth joined in 1972.
- They enjoyed success as a foursome, including a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1975 for Fairytale.
- Bonnie left in 1978 to pursue a solo career. Too bad for her – they achieved their biggest success as a trio, from 1979 to 1984. Hits included Jump (For My Love), Automatic, Fire (written by Bruce Springsteen), He’s So Shy, Slow Hand and I’m So Excited. During this time, they won 2 more Grammy Awards.
- June left the group in 2004 as she battled drug addiction. She died in 2006 of cancer, at the age of 52. She was replaced by Ruth’s daughter, Issa Pointer. In 2009, Ruth’s granddaughter Sadako Pointer joined the group. Anita has contracted cancer, and as of 2016, no longer was touring with the group.
- They did not play instruments, instead focusing on the vocals. They wrote several of their songs, including some of their hits, and also performed music written by others.
- They continued to tour extensively, typically playing at casinos and smaller amphitheaters.
- They released 16 studio albums from 1973 to 2008. They released 51 singles, with 2 songs (Fire and Slow Hand) reaching #2 on the Billboard US Hot 100 chart. They also sang on the famous 1985 charity song We Are The World.
- June Pointer died in 2006, and Bonnie Pointer died in 2020. Anita retired in 2015 and passed away in 2022. Ruth, the eldest of the sisters, still performs occasionally.
- The Pointer Sisters had that classic 80s MTV pop/dance music aura. The songs were carefully produced with lots of catchy elements, upbeat dance beats and strong vocals. For all of you Bruce Springsteen fans out there…here’s the Pointer Sisters performing his classic Fire.