Pointer passed away last night at her Los Angeles home surrounded by her family, it said in a statement to CNN. The cause of death was cancer.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita. At the same time, we take comfort in the knowledge that she is now with her daughter Jada and her sisters June and Bonnie. Heaven has become a more loving place with Anita,” the family said.
Drie Grammy Awards
The four Pointer Sisters began singing together more than 50 years ago at their hometown church in Oakland, California, where their father preached. Bonnie Pointer and her youngest sister June made their professional singing debut as a duo in 1969. Later, older sisters Anita and Ruth joined them. In 1973 they released their first album together. In 2015, Anita left the group due to health problems.
The Pointer Sisters won their first Grammy with ‘Fairytale’ in 1974. Other hits included ‘Slow Hand’, ‘Neutron Dance’, ‘Jump’ and ‘I’m So Excited’. The group earned a total of three Grammy Awards and had thirteen US top 20 hits between 1973 and 1985.