Bonnie Pointer, of 'The Pointer Sisters,' Dead at Age 69
A talented vocalist who got her musical start in her dad’s church has died. Bonnie Pointer, 69, died Monday morning after battling cancer.
Bonnie and her sisters June, Anita and Ruth were exposed to music through their dad’s church, West Oakland Church of God in Oakland, California.
In 1969, Bonnie and June started performing, and two members soon grew to four. They were unstoppable and became well known around the world.
“They went on to achieve world-wide fame and have secured a place in pop music history,” the bio on their website reads. “In 2017, Billboard listed them as one of the Top 5 female groups of all time.”
The Grammy-Award-winning group produced hits like “Yes We Can Can” and “Fairytale,” but in 1977 Bonnie left her sisters to pursue a solo career. The three remaining sisters continued to record hits, topping charts and making history.
Bonnie had her own successes, including her disco cover of “Heaven Must Have Sent You” in 1978, which made it to number 11 on the charts. She also created a total of four albums during her time as a solo artist.
In 1978 she married Motown Records producer Jeffrey Bowen. The couple divorced in 2016 after being separated over a decade.
The 90s saw Bonnie playing shows in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
One of the last songs she recorded, according to what one spokesperson told Variety, was alongside sister Anita in memory of their sister June, who died of cancer in 2006. The song, “Feels Like June,” was released earlier this year.
When it was time for Bonnie to leave this world, she was surrounded by her surviving siblings: sisters Anita and Ruth and brothers Aaron and Fritz. According to the U.K. Daily Mail, the type of cancer she had has not been revealed.
Anita told TMZ that the family is grieving and would appreciate prayers.
“It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning,” she said. “Our family is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.”
“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.”
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