Anita Pointer was an American singer-songwriter who was a founding member of the Pointer Sisters.
Anita Pointer died from cancer at her home in Los Angeles on December 31, 2022, at the age of 74. She was surrounded by family at her Beverly Hills home, according to her publicist, Roger Neal.
Anita Pointer was born on January 23, 1948, in Oakland, California. Pointer was born in California, but her parents were from Arkansas. As a result, her family drove almost every year from California to Arkansas to visit Pointer’s grandparents in Prescott.
She and her sisters rose to prominence in 1973, when Anita’s “Yes We Can Can” charted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Pointer’s songwriting abilities helped the group make music history in 1974 when “Fairytale” became a hit on the country music charts by becoming the first black female group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.
In 1975, “Fairytale” earned the group its first Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group, as well as a Grammy Nomination for Best Country Song.
Anita Pointer retired from performing in 2015. Her sister Ruth is now the only surviving Pointer Sister, as June died in 2006 and Bonnie in 2020.