R&B and pop vocalist Patricia Eva ‘Bonnie’ Pointer was born on July 11, 1950 in Oakland, California. Bonnie is best known as a founding member of soulful sister act The Pointer Sisters from their 1969 inception until she left the band in 1977 to pursue a solo career. Bonnie Pointer and her sister June initially began their career as Pointers, a Pair, but became a trio when their sister Anita joined. They signed to Atlantic Records and released two unsuccessful singles in 1971 and 1972. The Pointer Sisters became a quartet in late 1972 and by 1973, they had signed a deal with Blue Thumb Records. Their first four albums were diverse, touching on soul, jazz, big band, and country music. Bonnie and her sister Anita co-wrote the song “Fairytale”, featured on their 1974 album That’s a Plenty. The song became a crossover hit, landing in both the Billboard country and pop charts. After the release of their fourth album, Having a Party, in 1977, Bonnie left the Pointer Sisters. Signing to Motown Records, Pointer released her self-titled debut album – AKA The Red Album – in 1978. The album featured the hit single “Heaven Must Have Sent You”, which reached Number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her second self-titled Motown album – AKA The Purple Album – was released in 1979 and reached Number 40 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart. Pointer’s third solo album, If the Price Is Right, was released in 1984 on the Private I Records label (distributed by CBS). After a 17 year break from the recording studio, Pointer returned in 2011 with the independently released Like a Picasso. Bonnie Pointer died of cardiac arrest on June 8, 2020.
