Bonnie Pointer, one of the founding members of Grammy-winning group the Pointer Sisters, died Monday. She was 69.
“It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of the Pointer Sisters that my sister Bonnie died this morning,” Anita Pointer said in a statement to the media. “Our family is devastated. On behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.”
The group got their start in Oakland, when June and Bonnie Pointer began performing in clubs in 1969. The line-up grew to a trio when sister Anita Pointer joined them, and expanded to a quartet when sister Ruth signed on in 1972. Bonnie left the Pointer Sisters in the mid-1970s to pursue a solo career as a Motown artist.
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During Bonnie’s time with the Pointer Sisters, they scored a hit with “Yes We Can Can” in 1973 and “Fairytale” in 1974, which went on to win a Grammy Award.
“Bonnie was my best friend and we talked every day,” Anita said in a statement. “We never had a fight in our life. I already miss her and I will see her again one day.”
The youngest sister, June, died in 2006 from cancer. Over the years, the Pointer Sisters won three Grammy Awards and received ten nominations, according to Grammy.com. The group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
