Happy Heavenly Birthday to the late, great Bonnie Pointer

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Today we wish a Happy Heavenly birthday to Bonnie Pointer, a solo artist and amember of the iconic group The Pointer Sisters, who was born on July 11, 1951.

Bonnie and youngest sister June began singing together as teenagers and in 1969 the duo co-founded The Pointers (otherwise known as The Pair). After Anita joined the duo that same year, they changed their name to The Pointer Sisters and recorded several singles for Atlantic Records between 1971 and 1972. In December 1972, they recruited oldest sister Ruth and released their debut album as The Pointer Sisters in 1973. Their self-titled debut yielded the hit “Yes We Can Can.” Between 1973 and 1977, the Pointers’ donned 1940s fashions and sang in a style reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters; they also melded the sounds of R&B, funk, rock and roll, gospel, country and soul.

Anita and Bonnie wrote the group’s crossover country hit, “Fairytale,” in 1974, which also became a Top 20 pop hit and won the group their first Grammy for Best Vocal by a Duo or Group, Country. Anita and Bonnie also were nominated for Best Country Song at the same ceremony. In 1977, Bonnie left the group to begin a solo career. The remaining sisters continued scoring hits from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s and had a major breakthrough with their 1983 album Break Out.

In 1978, Bonnie signed a solo with Motown, and released “Heaven Must Have Sent You,” which reached No. 11 on Billboard Hot 100 chart. She released three solo albums, including two self-titled albums for Motown, before retiring from the studio. She came out of retirement to release Like a Picasso independently in 2010.

She continued to perform, and reunited with her sisters on two separate occasions: when the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994, and during a Las Vegas performance in 1996 singing “Jump (for My Love)”.

Bonnie Pointer died in 2020 at the too-early age of 69. But she is remembered for the truly unique and adventurous fun that she brought, both as part of the sister group and as a solo artist.

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