Anita Pointer passed away in her California home in Beverley Hills, surrounded by her loved ones.
Her family expressed their profound sorrow at her passing. They stated in a statement, “Heaven is a more loving, beautiful place with Anita there.
Ms. Pointer, the second-oldest of the four sisters, gained popularity with songs like Jump (For My Love) and Fire.
The group’s self-titled debut album was released in 1973, fusing funk, soul, and R&B. The album’s breakthrough hit was the funky song “Yes We Can Can,” which at a time of racial unrest in the US encouraged tolerance and unity.
And in 1975, their hit song, “Fairytale,” won a Grammy award for Best Country Vocal Performance. The win remains a rarity in a category dominated by white acts.
The group almost disbanded in 1979 after Bonnie Pointer left to pursue a solo career, but the remaining sisters regrouped and went on to shed their previously retro image for a modern pop sound.
Throughout the 1980s, they remained a powerhouse in the US charts, and their hits, which included He’s So Shy, Jump (For My Love) and Neutron Dance, have stood the test of time, remaining heavily streamed to this day.
But Pointer’s personal life was marked by tragedy. In 2003, her only child – Jada Pointer – died from cancer aged just 37. She went on to raise her granddaughter, Roxie McKain Pointer.
Her family said they were “comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter Jada and her sisters June and Bonnie and at peace.”