jeudi 26 février 2026
Rhythm of the Night (1985)
Rhythm of the Night is the fourth studio album by DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on March 14, 1985. It reached #19 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the R&B Album Chart. The album was also certified Gold by the RIAA.
DeBarge continued their success streak with their third album, 1983's In a Special Way. They went back into the studio to record what became Rhythm of the Night. Although the group had creative control, the group's managers Tony Jones and Suzanne de Passe elected to have outside producers to helm the project.[1] Producers included Richard Perry, Giorgio Moroder and Jay Graydon with the members of DeBarge on a few songs.[1] Rhythm of the Night contained six new songs, which were recorded specifically for the album. The remaining songs were old material that had been previously released. "Single Heart" originally appeared in the 1983 film D.C. Cab, while "Share My World" originally appeared on their 1981 debut The DeBarges.[1] When asked why the group's contributions were minimal on Rhythm of the Night, El noted that it was largely due to them being busy touring with singer Luther Vandross.[1]
However, in a 2008 episode of TV One's Unsung, the group members revealed that drugs were the real reason behind their limited involvement.[2] Most of the members were drug addled - much like their brothers in the group Switch.[2] El DeBarge was zero tolerance when it came to drug use, and as such, Motown solely relied on him to complete the album.[2] As the remaining members of the group were increasingly affected by their drug use, El threatened to attempt a solo career on the Vandross tour.[2] Motown then handed El the task of recording and finishing Rhythm of the Night with little to no input from his siblings.[2] Most of the backing vocals were performed by El with an array of session vocalists.[2] James DeBarge mentioned that he had no idea where the studios were to record his vocals and the only song he actually sang on was the title track, while Bunny was asked to sing over the background singers' parts.[2]
When the album was released in early 1985, the label made it obvious about the future of the group. El's picture was enlarged while the other members' photos were downsized.[2] Also, on the singles released from the album, the group was billed as El DeBarge with DeBarge. Despite the success of the album, Motown released the group from their recording contract and offered solo deals to El, Bunny and the youngest member of the DeBarge family, Chico.[2] After modest sales of all three solo efforts, Motown dropped Bunny and Chico, while El left Motown for Warner Bros. Records.
DeBarge gained airplay on MTV, VH1 and BET with the release of their single "Rhythm of the Night". The song reached #1 on the R&B chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their biggest hit and jump-starting the career of its writer, Diane Warren. The single was certified gold. This hit single also made an appearance in the film The Last Dragon, which was primarily financed by Motown president Berry Gordy.
The second single "Who's Holding Donna Now" would become the group's second most successful single. The song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the R&B chart. The single was certified gold.
The third single "You Wear It Well" was a moderate hit for DeBarge, reaching #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the R&B chart. This song also went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
The fourth and final single was the ballad "The Heart Is Not So Smart", which was another moderate hit for the group. It reached #75 on the Pop chart and #29 on the R&B chart. It still gains occasional airplay on radio stations in the U.S.
In a Special Way (1983)
In a Special Way is the third studio album by American R&B group DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on September 23, 1983. It was recorded at Kendun Records in Burbank and Westlake Audio in West Hollywood;[2] written and produced by lead vocalist El DeBarge with additional writing by Mark, James and Bunny DeBarge.
In a Special Way was certified gold in the United States after the release of the singles "Time Will Reveal" and "Love Me in a Special Way", which hit number one on the Billboard R&B and adult contemporary singles chart. The album is most memorable for not only its singles but album tracks such as "Stay with Me" and "A Dream" - largely due to subsequent sampling in modern hip-hop and R&B tracks. The album has been regarded by some critics as the "classic" in the family group's catalog.
Group member Bunny DeBarge revealed the group were given complete creative control because Motown Records founder Berry Gordy liked their sound.[3] Gordy also liked the sound of their brothers' band Switch – who were also signed to Motown – which prompted him to sign DeBarge as well.[3] Originally performing as a gospel group, the siblings changed to performing secular music after gospel music labels were unsure how to market them.[3] After making the move to Los Angeles, DeBarge signed with a small label Source Records- much to Bunny's chagrin.[3] She asked the record company CEO to let them out of their contract, to which he obliged.[3] Their older brother Bobby DeBarge set up a meeting with Jermaine Jackson and Hazel Gordy to sign with Motown,[3] as Jermaine and Hazel were also responsible for bringing Switch to the label. Due to them still being contractually obligated to another label at the time, they could not speak to the group, as it would have been seen as a breach of contract.[3] After waiting out the label release, the group met with Jackson and were signed to Motown.[3]
The group recorded their 1981 debut album, The DeBarges, which failed to chart due to lack of promotion. Things changed for them with the release of their second album, All This Love, due to the success of the singles "I Like It" and the album's title track. They went back in the studio in 1983 to record the follow-up In a Special Way. The siblings recorded the album with the promise that each member would get a song to sing by themselves.[3] In the end, it was determined that each member would be given two songs to perform for the album.[3] According to Bunny, In a Special Way took a few months to record. The reason for the lengthy recording process was to give the group time to work out the songs before recording and decide their intended execution of the material.[3]
Mark DeBarge was initially scheduled to sing lead on "Stay With Me", although no one could locate his whereabouts.[3] At the time, the song was unfinished and the group was hoping to get Mark's input.[3] In the end, Bunny and El were forced to complete the song, with El having to perform lead vocals at the last minute.[3] Bunny also liked the song "Need Somebody", but was critical of its mixing, which she felt watered down the song's sound.[3] She also revealed that "Love Me In a Special Way" was originally conceived as a gospel song.[3] The group also wanted to revisit the material from their debut album, for which they felt was mishandled.[3] They decided to use two songs from the album: "Queen of My Heart", which was included on In a Special Way,[3] while "Share My World" would be included on their next album, Rhythm of the Night. The song "I Give Up On You" was written by James DeBarge with their labelmate Billy Preston, and was recorded at Preston's house.[3]
Recording engineer Barney Perkins was particularly fond of the album's closing track, "A Dream", and played it every time the group came to the studio to record.[3] As they were close to finishing the project, Berry Gordy imposed a deadline for them to complete the album.
All This Love (1982)
All This Love is the second studio album by DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on July 22, 1982.
After their first album saw limited success, this album featured productions and compositions by the DeBarge members, primarily led by singer El DeBarge, whose countertenor vocals (a mixture of tenor and falsetto) would lead the group to success throughout the mid-1980s. Due to the release of the hit singles "I Like It" reaching number two on the R&B charts and the title track "All This Love" reaching number 5 on the R&B charts and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts, the album eventually reached gold status.
The DeBarges (1981)
The DeBarges is the debut album by DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on April 6, 1981. It saw limited success and stalled on the charts; the group felt it was not properly promoted.[4] As a result, they revisited The DeBarges by including two songs on their subsequent recordings: "Queen of My Heart" was included on their third album, In a Special Way,[5] while "Share My World" was included on their fourth, Rhythm of the Night.
mercredi 25 février 2026
mardi 24 février 2026
Aquarian Dream - Chance To Dance (1979)
With Aquarian Dream's first two albums having bombed commercially, the band decided to shift gears and try something different on their third album, Chance to Dance. This LP marked the first time that an Aquarian Dream album wasn't produced by Norman Connors -- Jeff Lane handled the production this time, and a new female vocalist, Connie Harvey, came on board as well. Disco was huge in 1979, so that year, Dream reasoned that the way to finally have a hit was to be as disco-minded as possible. Instead of continuing to sound like a cross between Connors, New Birth, and Earth, Wind & Fire, Dream goes for maximum disco appeal on uptempo numbers like "Big Boy," "Disco Juice," "Love Slave," and "Gettum Up and Dance." The result is an album that often sounds mechanical and insincere and isn't as strong as Dream's two previous albums -- nothing on Chance to Dance is in a class with "You're a Star" from Fantasy or "I'll Always Love You, T" from Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream. However, the Chic-ish "Dirty Trick" is rather catchy, and the gritty "Why Can't We Do It Like We Used To" is an enjoyable funk item that employs guitarist Eddie Hazel of Parliament/Funkadelic fame. So while Chance to Dance is Dream's least impressive album, it has its moments.
Aquarian Dream - Fantasy (1978)
Aquarian Dream moved from Buddah to Elektra with their second album, Fantasy. With lead vocalist Gloria Jones having left the band, a new singer, Sylvia Striplin, was added. (Striplin would be gone by the third album, Chance to Dance). Despite changing labels and undergoing some personnel changes, however, Dream hadn't changed their sound much; this LP is fairly similar to its predecessor, Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream. Connors can take some of the credit for that -- the producer knew how he thought Aquarian Dream should sound, and on sleek, Connors-produced material such as "Gentle Thoughts," "Do You Realize," and the Earth, Wind & Fire-flavored "You're a Star," his guidance clearly serves the band well. Arguably, Fantasy is Aquarian Dream's finest album, but even so, it wasn't the commercial breakthrough that the band was hoping for.
Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream (1976)
In 1976, Norman Connors was hot in the R&B market. Having enjoyed major hits with "Valentine Love" and "You Are My Starship," the Philadelphia jazz improviser-turned-soul-star was being denounced as a sellout by jazz's hardcore while commanding a lot of respect in R&B circles. So when Connors produced Aquarian Dream's debut album, Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream, in 1976, it should have done well. However, this little-known LP was a commercial disappointment (by R&B standards) despite Connors' presence and despite the fact that the material is generally respectable. The album detours into instrumental jazz-funk on "East 6th Street," but for the most part, it favors a sleek, sophisticated soul/funk approach that could be described as Connors-meets-New Birth-meets-Earth, Wind & Fire. Dream has an impressive lead singer in Gloria Jones, whose gospel-influenced belting serves the band well on cuts that range from the exuberant yet sentimental "I'll Always Love You, T" and the mystical "Phoenix" to the gritty "Guitar Talk." Like Dream's two subsequent albums, Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream has long been out of print and it's unlikely that it will ever be reissued on CD, but it's worth obtaining if you're able to track down a copy.
lundi 23 février 2026
samedi 21 février 2026
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The Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American female vocal group from Oakland, California, who achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. They have had a repertoire with many genres and have sold around 40 million records throughout their career. The Pointer Sisters have won three Grammy Awards and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. The group had 13 US top 20 hits between 1973 and 1987.
The group had its origins when sisters June and Bonnie Pointer began performing in clubs in 1969 as "Pointers Au Pair". The line-up grew to a trio when sister Anita joined them. Their record deal with Atlantic Records produced several unsuccessful singles. The trio grew to a quartet when sister Ruth joined in December 1972. They then signed with Blue Thumb Records, recorded their debut album and, with their new label, began seeing more success, winning a Grammy Award in 1975 for Best Country Vocal Performance for "Fairytale" (1974). Bonnie left the group in 1977 to commence a solo career with modest success.
After signing with Richard Perry's independent label Planet Records, in 1978, the group achieved its greatest commercial success in the 1980s as a trio consisting of June, Ruth, and Anita. With Perry emphasizing electronic pop and dance stylings, they won two more Grammys in 1984 for the top 10 hits "Automatic" and "Jump (For My Love)". The group's other U.S. top 10 hits are "Fire" (1979), "He's So Shy" (1980), "Slow Hand" (1981), the remixed version of "I'm So Excited" (1984), and "Neutron Dance" (1985).
June, the youngest sister, suffered from drug addiction for several years, leaving the group in April 2004 prior to her death from cancer in April 2006, at the age of 52.[1] She was replaced by Ruth's daughter Issa Pointer. This trio had a No. 2 hit in Belgium in 2005, covering "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" with Belgian singer Natalia.
Between 2009 and 2015, the group consisted of Anita, Ruth, Issa, and Ruth's granddaughter Sadako Pointer. While all four women remained in the group, they most often performed as a trio rotating the lineup as needed. In 2015, Anita was forced to retire due to ill health, leaving Ruth the sole member of the original sibling lineup.
In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked them as the 80th most successful dance artists of all time.[2] In December 2017, Billboard ranked them as the 93rd most successful Hot 100 Artist of all time[3] and as the 32nd most successful Hot 100 Women Artist of all time.
As children in West Oakland, the Pointer sisters and brothers were encouraged to listen to and sing gospel music by their parents Reverend Elton and Sarah Pointer, both natives of Arkansas. However, they were told rock and roll and the blues were "the devil's music", and it was only when they were away from their watchful parents that they could sing these styles. They regularly sang at a local Church of God in Christ congregation in West Oakland, but as the sisters grew older their love of other styles of music began to grow.[5]
The sisters were first cousins of NBA basketball player and head coach Paul Silas, and sisters of Aaron Pointer. Aaron was one of very few major league baseball players who became less famous than his own sisters; he later officiated in the National Football League for 17 seasons. The sisters graduated from Oakland Technical High School: Ruth in 1963, Anita in 1965, and Bonnie in 1968.[6][7] After leaving school, oldest sister Ruth was already married with two children Faun (born 1965) and Malik (born 1966),[8] Anita, the second-oldest sister, also was married with a child Jada. Bonnie, the third oldest sister, and June, the youngest, sought a show business career and they formed a duo, 'Pointers Au Pair'. Later, Anita quit her job to join the group. They began touring and performing and provided backing vocals for artists such as Grace Slick, Sylvester, Boz Scaggs, Taj Mahal, Elvin Bishop and Betty Davis.
It was while supporting Bishop at a nightclub appearance in 1971 that the sisters were signed to a recording contract with Atlantic Records. The resulting singles that came from their Atlantic tenure failed to become hits, but the sisters were enjoying their fledgling recording career. One recording has become a Northern Soul classic: "Send Him Back" (Atlantic 45 2893). Concentrated at Wigan Casino around 1973–1974, Northern soul was an underground music scene comprising American 45 rpm records released at the same time as Tamla Motown and imported into the United Kingdom. "Send Him Back" remains a favorite with the worldwide Northern soul audience. Ruth joined the group in December 1972.[5] The quartet signed with Blue Thumb Records and began to record their first album.[9]
In 1976, they were asked to record "Pinball Number Count" for Sesame Street, which was a series of educational cartoons teaching children how to count. It made its debut in 1977 and was a feature on the show for many years. They made their television debut performance at the Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles on The Helen Reddy Show. In 1974, they joined Reddy on the track "Showbiz" which appeared on her Free and Easy album.
The Pointer Sisters' second album, the 1974 release That's a Plenty, continued in the jazz and be-bop style of its predecessor but provided one exception that caused a great deal of interest: "Fairytale", written by Anita and Bonnie, was a country song that reached No. 13 on the pop charts, and No. 37 on the country chart. Based on this success, the group was invited to Nashville, Tennessee where they achieved the distinction of becoming the first Black group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. In 1975, the Pointer Sisters won a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, with Anita and Bonnie also receiving nominations for the Grammy Award for Best Country Song as songwriters of "Fairytale".[5] The song was also recorded by Elvis Presley.
Subsequent to the live double album Live at the Opera House—a recording of April 21, 1974 Pointer Sisters concert at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco—the group's third studio album Steppin' was released in 1975. Steppin' produced their Grammy-nominated No. 1 R&B single, "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)", which was sampled by female rap icons Salt-N-Pepa a decade later and faithfully covered by Queen Latifah on her 2007 album "Travelin' Light". The Pointer Sisters also scored another R&B hit from the album with "Going Down Slowly", another Allen Toussaint cover, and in 1976 appeared in the classic film Car Wash with their song from the movie: "You Gotta Believe", making the R&B top 20 in early 1977.
The Pointer Sisters were featured on the 1977 album Saffo Music by Italian R&B singer Lara Saint Paul and produced by Leon Ware, with bass by Chuck Rainey, guitar by Ray Parker Jr. and mixed by Bill Conti. It was released in Italy under LASAPA records.
November 1977 saw the release of the jazz-funk oriented Having a Party which would be the final album release featuring the Pointer Sisters in their original four-woman format. It was only on the title cut that all four members sang; the album's other songs featured Anita, Bonnie, and Ruth, but not June, who had taken a break from the group at this time. Recorded in 1976 the album's release was so delayed as to cause an eighteen-month gap between Having a Party and the precedent Pointer Sisters' album Steppin'—the compilation album The Best of the Pointer Sisters had been issued in July 1976—and without the impetus of a major hit single the Having a Party album itself caused scant commercial interest.
By 1977, both June and Bonnie had left the group.[5] June wanted to take a break, and Bonnie left to start a solo career. Bonnie married Motown Records producer Jeffrey Bowen in 1978. She subsequently signed a contract with Motown and this led to a brief, moderately successful, solo career. Her first self-titled album produced the disco song "Heaven Must Have Sent You". The album was produced by Berry Gordy and husband Jeffrey Bowen. The song became a top 20 pop hit in the US in September 1979.
On January 22, 1978, Ruth gave birth to her second daughter and, now a duo, Ruth and Anita cut back their schedules and concentrated on raising their families. They began talking about the future of the group and what direction it should take. They agreed to dispense with the 1940s nostalgia and go in a contemporary direction.[5] In July of that year, June married William Oliver Whitmore II.
The three sisters then signed a deal with producer Richard Perry's Planet Records, which was distributed by Elektra Records.[5] After contributing guest vocals on the group's cover of Sly Stone's "Everybody Is a Star", June had returned to the act, making it a trio.[5] With Perry, the trio began working on an album of soft rock, which was released in 1978 with the title Energy.[5] The first single, a cover version of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire", climbed to No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1979,[5] and a third Allen Toussaint cover, "Happiness", also charted.
In 1979, the trio released an album with a harder-edged rock sound, entitled Priority.
Over the next few years, the Pointer Sisters achieved their greatest commercial success.[5] In 1980, their single "He's So Shy", reached No. 3 on the chart, and the following year "Slow Hand" reached No. 2,[5] as well as the UK Top Ten. The follow-up, "Should I Do It", featured a 1950s sound and became a major hit, peaking in the top 20 of the US Hot 100. Richard Perry then sold Planet to RCA Records in 1982. The group's next album after this merger would be So Excited!, which featured the singles "American Music", a patriotic-themed, modernized take on the girl-group sound, and an early version of "I'm So Excited". Both of these singles charted in the US and were also successful in Australia. The group also made an appearance on the sitcom Gimme a Break! in the episode "The Return of the Doo-Wop Girls".
In 1983, the Pointer Sisters released Break Out.[5] With the advent of MTV, videos of the Pointer Sisters' songs began to be played in heavy rotation. In 1984, they achieved four US Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in a row.[5] "Automatic" reached No. 5; "Jump (For My Love)" reached No. 3; a remix of "I'm So Excited" was added to the album almost a year into its shelf life and reached No. 9; and "Neutron Dance", also featured on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, reached No. 6.
"I Need You" had been the lead single from the album, and was a significant R&B hit, peaking at No. 13 on the R&B chart and also becoming a moderate Hot 100 hit. The album's sixth and final single, "Baby Come and Get It", became a moderate Hot 100 hit and R&B hit. They received Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Jump (For My Love)" and Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices for "Automatic".[5] This would be the first Pointer Sisters album to feature six singles. The group later performed on the charity hit song "We Are The World" along with other major American recording acts.
In 1984, Ruth became a grandmother for the second time.
These Planet Records singles marked the end of their run of Top 10 hits in the US, although they did score a major hit with their subsequent RCA Records song "Dare Me", which reached No. 11 in 1985. That song would also be the group's last Australian top 10 hit. Another single, "Goldmine", reached No. 33 on the US Hot 100 in 1986.
In 1987, the Pointer Sisters starred in an NBC primetime special titled "Up All Night", which opened with footage of them performing "Jump" at one of their concerts, and which then followed the trio as they socialized and performed around the L.A. night scene. The special, which featured guest appearances by Bruce Willis, the McGuire Sisters, and Whoopi Goldberg, was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. The sisters also were featured in a lavish Diet Coke commercial, which aired during the program, and which presented them singing a soulful jingle about the soda.
The sisters eventually left RCA Records to record for Motown Records and SBK Records, releasing several group albums but these albums did not achieve the level of success of their earlier releases.
Ruth became a grandmother as "Break Out" reached success; Anita became a grandmother in 1990 when her only child Jada gave birth to Roxie. On September 8, 1990, Ruth married a man named Michael Sayles (born 1957). The sisters entertained US troops in the Persian Gulf in 1991 with Bob Hope. By 1991, June had ended her thirteen-year marriage to William Oliver Whitmore II. In August 1993 at age 47 Ruth gave birth to twins Ali and Conor Sayles. 1994 saw the release of the Various Artists album Rhythm, Country and Blues which featured duets of country artists with R&B artists. This album contains a duet with the Pointer Sisters and Clint Black together on the classic song "Chain of Fools".
Also in 1994, the Pointer Sisters were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and began touring with a production of the Fats Waller-based musical Ain't Misbehavin'. In 1995 Pointer Sisters recorded "Feel for the Physical" as a duet with Thomas Anders (of Modern Talking fame) for his album Souled. They were also one of the featured acts at the closing ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
In 1995–1996, the Pointer Sisters returned to their original jazzy incarnation touring nationally in Ain't Misbehavin'. During this tour issues with June came to the fore as she missed many performances. Understudy Wendy Edmead replaced her on these occasions. In 2002, Ruth's daughter Issa Pointer began performing with the Pointer Sisters in June's stead. On June 9, 2002, June and Bonnie performed as a duo on the bill at the San Jose Gay Pride Celebration the pair having been recruited by a promoter who had failed to recruit the official Pointer Sisters trio for the event.[10]
The June/Bonnie appearance at San Jose Pride was promoted as a "Pointer Sisters" gig, with pictures of June performing with Anita and Ruth utilized in its promotion, causing Anita and Ruth to sue the promoter and other affiliates of the San Jose Pride gig. Neither Bonnie nor June was named in the suit.[10] Bonnie and June performed as a duo at other Gay Pride celebrations and participated in the Get Up 'n' Dance disco music tour in the summer of 2003, the duo being officially billed as "Bonnie and June Pointer, formerly of the Pointer Sisters".
In fall 2002, the Pointer Sisters played the Night of the Proms tour in Europe marking the inauguration of Issa Pointer, the daughter of Ruth, as the replacement for June. Ruth would recall: "We sort of pulled a fast one by waiting until the last minute to inform the promoters of [the] roster change...because we didn't want to give them the chance to change their minds."[11] She also said, "Anita and I had talked for some time about having Issa and [Anita's] daughter Jada alternate in the third spot in the lineup...Issa was chosen [to go] first because she had experience singing solo at a lot of New England-area functions."[11] Issa's membership in the Pointer Sisters would remain constant until 2009, Jada having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the autumn of 2002 and dying June 10, 2003.
The Pointer Sisters recorded their first album with Issa rather than June in April 2004 with The Pointer Sisters - Live in Billings recorded at the Alberta Bair Theatre in Billings, Montana. The first studio recording by the Pointer Sisters to feature Issa was "Christmas in New York" for YMC Records www.ymcrecords.com recorded in the summer of 2005 for release for the multi-artist seasonal release Smooth & Soulful Christmas Collection on YMC Records: "Christmas in New York" afforded the Pointer Sisters their last appearance on a Billboard chart to date, the track reaching No. 21 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Christmas In New York was written by Nathan East and Chris Christian and produced by them.[12]
The group's next recording was a remake of the Eurythmics' "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" recorded with Natalia: this track spent sixteen weeks in the Top 20 of Belgium's Flemish chart from October 2005 with a peak of No. 2. In 2008, Anita and Ruth recorded the last Pointer Sisters album to date The Pointer Sisters Favorites consisting of remakes of ten of the group's biggest hits: recorded in response to the group's failure to receive royalties from the inclusion of any Pointer Sisters' hits on multi-artist hits compilations, "...Favorites" was sold exclusively at the group's live gigs and at the website ThePointerSisters.com, but was added to iTunes in 2013.[12]
In recent years, many Pointer Sisters songs have been covered by contemporary artists, such as "Jump (For My Love)" by Girls Aloud, which reached No. 2 at the UK singles chart in 2003, "Dare Me" was turned into the dance smash "Stupidisco" by Belgian DJ Junior Jack, indie band Le Tigre covered in 2004 "I'm So Excited" on their third album This Island, and French DJ Muttonheads sampled "Back in My Arms" on his 2005 club hit "I'll Be There". In 2005, "Pinball Number Count" was re-edited for Coldcut's Ninja Tune label, becoming a surprise dance hit. The same song has also been sampled by Venetian Snares of the Planet Mu record label.[13] Most recently in 2007, Tommy Boy recording artist Ultra Naté has released a dance-pop cover of "Automatic" that reached No. 1 at the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts. The same year, How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side) was faithfully covered by Queen Latifah on her 2007 album "Travelin' Light".
On June 7, 2006, Anita guest-starred on Celebrity Duets singing with Olympic gymnast Carly Patterson on "I'm So Excited": on the following night's results show the duo's encore was "Jump (For My Love)".
On August 4, 2009, Ruth, Anita and Bonnie stopped by The Kibitz Room at Canter's in Los Angeles and jammed with the band and Ruth's son Malik. They sang "Fire", "Yes We Can Can", and "Going Down Slowly".[14][15] On November 4, 2009, the Pointer Sisters played "I'm So Excited" and "Neutron Dance" on CBS morning show The Early Show with Ruth's granddaughter, Sadako Johnson. Issa is currently pursuing a solo career.
While promoting an October 28, 2010, Detroit gig by the Pointer Sisters –then comprising Anita and Ruth and Sadako Pointer Johnson — Ruth Pointer, asked "Do you [and Anita] plan on recording an album with Sadako?", replied: "Hmm...not really. We talk about it from time to time, but the business has changed so much. It's not like the old days when you just have a record deal and go in the studio and record with a producer and then start promoting."[16] In the same interview Ruth commented on the Pointer Sisters' profile having dropped in recent years: "We've performed a lot in Europe and Asia and Australia, and it's just that we haven't been very visible publicly in the [US]. We still do a lot of corporate parties and private parties because I mean, let's face it, those are the people that are in our own age group and know our songs."[16]
In November 2011, the Pointer Sisters toured Australia and played one gig in New Zealand with a lineup consisting of Ruth, Sadako Johnson and Issa; the last-named was a last-minute and presumably temporary replacement for Anita, who did not feel up to travel due to an unnamed health concern.[17] Ruth, Sadako Johnson and Issa were the personnel for a February 11, 2012 Pointer Sisters concert in Metairie, Louisiana. At the July 6, 2012 Essence Fest show in New Orleans, Anita had rejoined the group, the lineup for that concert being Ruth, Anita and Sadako Johnson.[18]
In an August 2012 interview Ruth stated: "Anita has had some health issues recently so we try to give her a break when she needs it. When that happens we bring my daughter [Issa] in to fill in for her."[18] At a later Pointer Sisters concert, performing with the Columbus Symphony on June 14, 2013 (and filling in for Chaka Khan with a week's notice), the lineup was Anita, Ruth and Issa Pointer.[19]
The Pointer Sisters were scheduled to play six Australian dates in May and June 2016 [20] with the lineup of Ruth, Issa and Sadako Johnson. Media reports indicated that Anita's health issues necessitated her retiring from the group.[21][22] In a February 25, 2016 interview with News.com.au, Ruth said of the Pointer Sisters recent live performance history: "I'm almost inclined to call [the group's live engagements] pop-up engagements, not tours. We don't do the tours like we used to do back in the day. We'll leave that to the young folks, out on the road in buses for months at a time....We still have a good time, we do a lot of corporate dates, a lot of casinos, special events, fundraisers, that's our audience. We're so glad [the Pointer Sisters's songs are] still relevant and people still want to hear them being sung and we love singing them."[21]
The Pointer Sisters were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005.
The Pointer Sisters' song "Hot Together" was featured as the lead soundtrack in the second trailer to the upcoming 2026 video game Grand Theft Auto VI and will be featured on the soundtrack of the game.
In November 2000, the sisters lost their mother, Sarah.[23]
In 2003, sister Anita lost her only child Jada to cancer.[24] Jada was the subject of the 1973 song "Jada".
On April 11, 2006, June, who suffered from drug addiction, died of cancer at the age of 52. According to a family statement, she was surrounded by Ruth and Anita as well as brothers Aaron and Fritz. On May 4, 2006, Bonnie appeared on Entertainment Tonight saying the other sisters had not fulfilled June's burial wishes, instead having her cremated because it was cheaper. Bonnie also stated the sisters had not let her ride in the family car at the funeral. Anita and Ruth responded that Bonnie had demanded to rejoin the group and was upset that she had been rejected, and that June had left no instructions for her burial. The sisters seemed estranged from Bonnie until she joined Anita on the Idol Radio Show in 2007.[25]
Bonnie was arrested for allegedly possessing crack cocaine on November 18, 2011, in South Los Angeles, after the car she was riding in was pulled over for a mechanical malfunction.[26] She filed for divorce from Motown Records producer, Jeffrey Bowen, on July 1, 2014.[27] On June 8, 2020, she died at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 69.[28]
Anita died from cancer on December 31, 2022.
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