The Pointer Sisters are an American vocal group from Oakland, California, originally formed by sisters from the West Oakland Church of God, where their father is a preacher. The group begins as a secular duo made up of Bonnie Pointer and June Pointer in the late 1960s, performing in clubs around the San Francisco Bay Area before Anita Pointer and Ruth Pointer join them.

Career

The Pointer Sisters work with producer David Rubinson, and later with Richard Perry, and become a major act through the 1970s and 1980s. They also perform onstage with Sylvester of The Cockettes and sing backing vocals on recordings by Elvin Bishop, Boz Scaggs, Cold Blood and other Bay Area acts.

Their breakthrough comes with a version of Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can,” originally recorded by Lee Dorsey. Released in 1973, it reaches number 11 on the Billboard pop chart and number 12 on the R&B chart. In 1974 they perform “Fairytale” at the Grand Ole Opry, helping break the colour barrier there, and the song wins a Grammy in the country category.

In 1975, “How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)” becomes a number one R&B hit from the album Steppin’. Bonnie Pointer leaves the group in 1977 for a solo career. The remaining sisters move to Planet Records in 1978 and, with Richard Perry producing, shift towards a more contemporary sound for the 1980s.

Albums and major songs

The album Energy includes their versions of Sly Stone’s “Everybody Is a Star” and Allen Toussaint’s “Happiness.” Their commercial peak comes with Break Out in 1984, which goes triple platinum and wins two Grammys for the singles “Automatic” and “Jump (For My Love).” “Neutron Dance,” from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, is their last major hit.

Labels and later lineup

Across their career they record for Atlantic, Blue Thumb, Planet, RCA, Motown and SBK. June Pointer later records two solo albums and leaves the trio by 2001. Anita Pointer also works on solo material and has a minor hit with “Overnight Success.” Anita and Ruth continue performing under the group name, and Ruth’s daughter, Issa Pointer, joins the line-up. The group remains active.

Style

The Pointer Sisters’ work spans contemporary R&B, dance-pop, disco, funk, pop and pop soul.