Rest In Peace: Bonnie Pointer Of The Pointer Sisters Has Passed Away At 69

 

 (June 8, 2020) We are very sad to report that Bonnie Pointer, member of the iconic group The Pointer Sisters has died at age 69. The Pointers were of the truly original acts of the 70s and 80s, with their own sense of style and song that made them stand out and be noticed.

The outlet shared the following family statement from Bonnie’s sister Anita

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning. Our family is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.”
Anita continues, “Bonnie was my best friend and we talked every day, we never had a fight in our life, I already miss her and I will see her again one day.”

 Bonnie was one of the original Pointer Sisters but she left the group in the mid-1970s to pursue a successful solo career. She was signed by Motown Records after leaving her family’s group and released three albums and several successful singles, probably most notably, “Heaven Must Have Sent You.” A disco version of the song peaked at #11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

 As a member of the Pointer Sisters, Bonnie also won a Grammy for Best Vocal by a Duo or Group in the country music category for their crossover hit “Fairytale.”

Bowen was wed to Motown exec Jeffrey Bowen until the early 2000’s.

Pointer’s sister June passed away in 2006 from cancer. She is survived by two other sisters.

She was 69.

 Bonnie and youngest sister June began singing together as teenagers and in 1969 the duo co-founded The Pointers (otherwise known as The Pair). After Anita joined the duo that same year, they changed their name to The Pointer Sisters and recorded several singles for Atlantic Records between 1971 and 1972. In December 1972, they recruited oldest sister Ruth and released their debut album as The Pointer Sisters in 1973. Their self-titled debut yielded the hit "Yes We Can Can." Between 1973 and 1977, the Pointers' donned 1940s fashions and sang in a style reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters; they also melded the sounds of R&B, funk, rock and roll, gospel, country and soul.

Anita and Bonnie wrote the group's crossover country hit, "Fairytale," in 1974, which also became a Top 20 pop hit and won the group their first Grammy for Best Vocal by a Duo or Group, Country. Anita and Bonnie also were nominated for Best Country Song at the same ceremony. In 1977, Bonnie left the group to begin a solo career. The remaining sisters continued scoring hits from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s and had a major breakthrough with their 1983 album Break Out.

In 1978, Bonnie signed a solo with Motown, and released "Heaven Must Have Sent You," which reached No. 11 on Billboard Hot 100 chart. She released three solo albums, including two self-titled albums for Motown, before retiring from the studio. She came out of retirement to release Like a Picasso independently in 2010.

She still continued to perform, and reunited with her sisters on two separate occasions: when the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994, and during a Las Vegas performance in 1996 singing "Jump (for My Love)".

This is a sad loss for the music world, and for fans who dug the truly unique, fun talent that Bonnie Pointer and her sisters brought. Bonnie is survived by brothers Aaron and Fritz, and sisters Ruth and Anita. She will be missed.