My girls the Pointer Sisters appeared on an episode The Love Boat, February 7, 1981. Isaac, the bartender, was trying to impress a talent scout and recruited three women from the crew to be his backup singers. June, Ruth, and Anita play housekeepers, whose singing ability gets Isaac's attention. However, at their debut, Isaac clammed up due to stage fright, and the Pointer Sisters carry on, singing He's So Shy.
Unfortunately, the talent scout was more impressed with the backup singers and took them away to sign them to a contact.
USA for Africa, a supergroup of America's top popular musicians, recorded We Are the World, for raise money for the famine in Ethiopia January 28, 1985. It was the brain child of Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, who wrote the song, and Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian produced it.
Recording began about 10:30pm that night after the American Music Awards ceremony held that night. The final recording was made about 8am the following morning.
The song was released March 7 and became the eighth best-selling single of all time, with a sales in excess of 20 million copies. Among the performers that night were Billy Joel who had a short solo, and Anita, June, and Ruth Pointer were in the chorus.
My girls released He's So Shy, the first single from their Special Things album, July 23, 1980. The was written initially as She's So Shy by Tom Snow and Cynthia Weil for Leo Sayer, but Richard Perry, the Pointer Sisters' producer, thought it had greater potential if the gender of the song was adjusted.
The Pointer Sisters' single went to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1980 and held the spot for three weeks. They performed He's So Shy on an episode of The Love Boat, which aired February 7, 1981.
The Pointer Sisters first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry October 25, 1974, becoming the first black female group to perform at the venue. They performed Fairytale which went on to win a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group.
My girls showed up again on the Carol Burnett Show February 8, 1975. This time they are the panel for the game show Up Your Income as the Shana-Nana-Noonie Sisters. Ruth, Bonnie, and Anita appeared in the skit.
Watch Stella Toddler and the Pointer Sisters in Up Your Income!
I am so sad right now. I've just learned that Anita Pointer passed just before the new year at age 74. I haven't been able to find a cause of death yet. She was a founding member of the Pointer Sisters, whom I adore and worship. She was surrounded by her family when she passed. She follows sisters June and Bonnie to the Grand Stage in the Sky. Ruth is the last surviving member of the original Pointer Sisters.
My girls, the Pointer Sisters, lovely as always, performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, November 26, 1998. Ruth, June, and Anita rendered an awesome, upbeat rendition of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
My girls the Pointer Sisters appeared on the Carol Burnett Show October 25, 1975, performing How Long? They appeared in a sketch with Harvey Korman playing a Wolfman Jack character called Sheep-man, which he plays hilariously. The finale was a song and dance arrangement of Get Me to the Church On Time, with Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence. The Pointer Sisters showed off their extraordinary talents and beautiful vocals to the upbeat, uplifting performance. I miss them so much!
My girls the Pointer Sisters released Jump (For My Love) April 11, 1984, the third single from their album Break Out. It was the best-selling American dance single of 1984 and became an international hit. It won a Grammy Award in 1985 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
My girls the Pointer Sisters appeared on American Bandstand February 5, 1977. They sang You Gotta Believe, from the movie Car Wash. They appeared on American Bandstand's 25th anniversary special the night before.
Dick Clark interviewed them after their performance. I couldn't find a video of the song but here is the interview with Clark.
My girls the Pointer Sisters released Automatic, the second single from their album Break Out, January 13, 1984. Ruth provided the lead vocal, featuring her wonderful contralto voice. June and Anita provided the backing vocals. Automatic reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard ranked it #94 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.
My girls the Pointer Sisters released their cover of Bruce Springsteen's Fire, October 2, 1978, with Anita taking the lead. It became their first gold single and was an international hit, reaching #1 in Belgium, the Netherlands, South Africa and New Zealand. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It was released prior to their album Energy, their fifth studio album, in November 1978.
My girls, the Pointer Sisters' first single from their album Steppin', Hold On (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side) reached #1 on the US Hot Soul Singles chart September 6, 1975. Anita and Bonnie wrote the song, and the sisters' soulful harmonies made it a major hit early in their career. It remained at the top for 2 weeks, their first and only number-one hit on the Hot Soul Singles.
Bonnie Pointer, born July 11, 1950 and a founding member of the Grammy-winning, ground-breaking Pointer Sisters, passed away earlier today. She and baby sister June started singing as teenagers and in 1969, Anita joined the pair and they changed their name to the Pointer Sisters. In 1972, big sister Ruth joined and they released their debut album in 1973.
Bonnie co-wrote their country hit Fairytale with Anita, which won their first Grammy Award. She is survived by her two sisters Ruth and Anita.
The Pointer Sisters win their first Grammy Award, March 1, 1975 for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for Fairytale. The song was written by Anita and Bonnie, who were also nominated for Best Country Song as the songwriters. Later Fairytale was covered by Elvis Presley.
Based on the song's success, the Pointer Sisters were invited to Nashville, and became the first African-American group to perform at the Grand Ol' Opry!
The Pointer Sisters released their fourth studio album Having A Party in November 1977. June participated in recording of the title track but had to leave the group for a short time. Ruth, Anita and Bonnie finished the album.
It was their final album featuring Bonnie, who would leave the group later, and the last album released on the Blue Thumb label. They would sign with Planet Records and welcome June back into the fold!
The Pointer Sisters released their 15th and final studio album Only Sisters Can Do That November 16, 1993. Ruth's daughter Issa joined her mother and two aunts, June and Anita, singing on two of the tracks and eventually replaced June in the group's line-up.
Don't Walk Away was one of the singles from the album.
Still beautiful and still so excited, Ruth Pointer, member of the awesome Pointer Sisters, was born March 19, 1946 in Oakland, California. She joined her younger sisters, Anita, June and Bonnie in 1972, making the group a quartet. They released their first album The Pointer Sisters in 1973.
Bonnie left the group after their third album, Steppin' and they continued as a trio.
In 1990, Ruth married Michael Sayles (her final husband) and in 1993 gave birth to twins at age 47. She continues to perform with her daughter Issa and her grandaughter Sadako.
She sings lead on Neutron Dance and Back in My Arms.
I read her autobiography Still So Excited back in January. Such a great woman!
Of course, I'm not going to let Black History Month go by without giving a shout out to my girls, the beautiful, talented Pointer Sisters. Not just because they are my favorite group but they also pushed back race barriers through their beautiful music.
October 25, 1974, they became the first African-American vocal group to perform at the Grand Ol' Opry. Charley Pride appeared in 1967. They performed Fairytale, a country song written by Anita and Bonnie which appeared on their album That's a Plenty, released in February 1974. It was a departure from their usual R&B sound, but it paid off. It gave them their first Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for 1974. It was the first Grammy to an all-female vocal group.
Anita and Bonnie were nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Song for writing Fairytale.
They planned to record an album of all C&W songs, but only one song was released, Live Your Life Before You Die. It was a minor hit but it did give them another Grammy nomination for Best Country Group Performance.
A founding member of the Pointer Sisters (my girls!), Anita Pointer was born January 23, 1948, in Oakland, California. Although their music was most R&B, Anita wrote Fairytale, which won the group their first Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group. The song was also nominated for Best Country Song of the year for 1975.
She returned to the country charts in 1986 with her duet with Earl Thomas Conley Too Many Times which reached #2 on the U.S. Country charts.
My favorite song led by Anita is I'm So Excited from their Break Out album
