| June Pointer, youngest of the four Pointer Sisters who went from teenage gospel singers to
the top of the pops with such hits of the 1970s and 80s as "Fire," "Slow Hand" and "I'm So
Excited," died of cancer at age 52 on April 11, 2006. |
The Pointer Sisters have never been easy to categorize, with roots in
Country, R&B, Gospel, Jazz, Soul, and Pop. In 1995 they starred in a dazzling all new production of the
multi-award winning hit Broadway musical "Ain' t Misbehavin'" to critical
acclaim. This was just another of the many firsts these extraordinary
vocalists have experienced in their phenomenal career of more than twenty-five years.
In 1994, The Pointers burned up the country charts with
"Chain of Fools," their
smash duet with Clint Black, which went platinum and was nominated for
Best Song of The Year by the Country Music Association. In September of
1994, The Pointers received two great honors. They were awarded a star
on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame as a tribute to their continued success
and they were invited to perform a special concert at the White House
for the President and Mrs. Clinton.
The Pointer
Sisters had the honor of performing in the Macys
Thanksgiving Day Parade, which was wet but fun! In 1996 they had a ball
with some of their fellow legends like Stevie Wonder,
Gloria Estefan and
many others performing for the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer
Olympics in Atlanta.
They also performed in three television specials: "Up All Night" for
NBC, "A Gospel Christmas with The Pointers" and the "Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra" (A&E), and "Pop Goes the Fourth" with the Boston Pop's (A&E).
"Pop Goes the Fourth" was nominated for a Cable ACE Award in the category
of Best Performing Arts Special or Series.
Continuously in demand as international musical superstars,
The Pointers headlined a hectic schedule of world wide concert dates, which
took them to Germany, Austria, France, Thailand and Australia.
The Pointers have also performed in concert with some of the world's
most prestigious symphony orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony, the
San Francisco Symphony, the Louisville Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony,
and The Boston Pops which was also aired as a musical special on A&E.
One look at their Grammy Awards confirms that The Pointers have
always been mavericks. Nominated ten times, they've taken home three in
widely varied categories: Best Country Vocal Group (for "Fairytale"), Best
Pop Performance by a Group or Duo (for "Jump") and Best Vocal Arrangement
(for "Automatic").
Growing up and singing together in Oakland, California,
The Pointers, Ruth, Anita, and Bonnie, honed their set-the-house-afire
technique at the West Oakland Church of God, where their father was the
minister. But unlike most rhythm & blues performers whose expertise is
limited to gospel style testifying, The Pointers proved themselves of a
wider range of musical mastery that included jazzy scat singing and
country crooning.
It wasn't long before their versatility was noticed and music
luminaries like Dave Mason, Elvin Bishop, Boz Scaggs and Grace Slick
were soliciting their vocal services. Soon The Pointers began making
their own mark on popular music with a long string of hits starting with
their funky interpretation of Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can." "Fairytale," a tune penned by Anita and Bonnie, was a crossover country
hit and the group became the first black female group to perform at The
Grand Ole Opry.
Continuing their groundbreaking tradition, The Pointers were also one
of the first black female groups to headline in Las Vegas. Their smash
hit, "How Long (Betcha Got A Chick On The Side)," established The Pointers
as a musical force to be reckoned with.
The Pointers are --
- Ruth Pointer
- Anita Pointer
Notable songs include --
- Automatic
- He's So Shy
- Fire
- Slow Hand
- Jump (For My Love)
- I'm So Excited
- Neutron Dance
- How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)
- Yes We Can Can
- Happiness
- Fairytale
- Wang Dang Doodle
The Pointers may be available for your next special event!
For booking information, click
HERE!
Genre: ..R&B
Styles:
..Adult Contemporary
..Pop/Rock
..Soft Rock
..UrbanYears active:
..70s, ..80s, ..90s
Formed:
1971
..in California
..in East Oakland
Raised:
..in California
..in Oakland
Orchestra charts available.
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