Ruth Pointer | |
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 Pointer performing with The Pointer Sisters at the Komen Center Pink Tie Ball in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ruth Esther Pointer |
| Born | March 19, 1946 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1966–present |
| Member of | The Pointer Sisters |
| Website | thepointersisters |
Ruth Esther Pointer (born March 19, 1946) [1] is an American singer best known as the eldest and last surviving original member of the family vocal group the Pointer Sisters.
Joining her sisters in 1972, the Pointer Sisters released their first album in 1973. The group eventually found fame with songs like "Yes We Can Can" (1973), their country crossover hit, "Fairytale" (1974) and "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)" before Bonnie's exit in 1977. Continuing as a trio, the group found their biggest success covering tunes of rock, pop and new wave with singles such as "Fire" (1978), "He's So Shy" (1980), and "Slow Hand" (1981).
The group found its biggest success with the release of the Break Out album in 1983 which featured hits such as "Automatic", "Jump (For My Love)", a re-released version of "I'm So Excited", "Neutron Dance", and "Baby Come And Get It". It's notable for featuring Ruth's lead vocals on "Automatic" and "Neutron Dance", which hit the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and led to the group winning two Grammy Awards. In 1988, Pointer along with Billy Vera provided vocals for the song "Enemies Like You and Me" from the soundtrack to Iron Eagle II . That same year, Pointer also provided the singing voice of the character Rita in the Disney film Oliver & Company , where she sang the song "Streets of Gold" as well as a reprise of the song "Why Should I Worry" with fellow cast member Billy Joel. The Pointer Sisters were joined by Ruth's daughter Issa in the 1990s. The group was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
In October 2021, Pointer competed in season six of The Masked Singer as "Cupcake". [2] Pointer revealed upon her unmasking that she was supposed to perform on the show as part of a duo with her sister Anita in a duplicated and recolored Cupcake costume. Anita was dealing with an illness, forcing Ruth to perform alone. [2]
With the deaths of Bonnie and Anita Pointer in 2020 and 2022 respectively, Ruth Pointer is the last surviving founding member of The Pointer Sisters. [3]
Pointer has been married five times and has five children. The eldest are a daughter Faun (born 1965) and a son Malik (born 1966). [4] Malik is a singer. [5] Her daughter Issa Pointer (born 1978), is from a marriage with former Temptations member Dennis Edwards. They married on December 21, 1980 in Las Vegas, and divorced in 1983. [6] In 1984, Pointer married noted bassist Don Boyette, divorcing in 1988.
She has three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild as of 2016. [6]
Pointer married Michael Sayles in 1990 and, at the age of 47 in 1993, she gave birth to twins, a boy named Conor and a girl named Ali. [7] Both Issa Pointer and Ruth's granddaughter Sadako Pointer (born 1984) have performed as members of the Pointer Sisters. [8] [9] Pointer resides in Hopedale, Massachusetts with her husband. [10]
The Pointer Sisters are an American girl group from Oakland, California, who achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as R&B, pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country, and rock. The Pointer Sisters have won three Grammy Awards and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. The group had 13 US top 20 hits between 1973 and 1985.
June Antoinette Pointer was an American singer, best known as the youngest of the founding members of the vocal group the Pointer Sisters.
Anita Marie Pointer was an American singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the vocal group the Pointer Sisters. She co-wrote and was the lead singer on their hit song "Fairytale", which garnered them their first Grammy Award in 1975. She was also the lead singer on many of their other hits, including "Yes We Can Can", "Fire", "Slow Hand", and "I'm So Excited".
Patricia Eva "Bonnie" Pointer was an American singer, best known for having been a member of the vocal group the Pointer Sisters. Pointer scored several moderate solo hits after leaving the Pointer Sisters in 1977, including a disco cover of the Elgins' "Heaven Must Have Sent You" which became a U.S. top 20 pop hit on September 1, 1979.
"Fire" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen in 1977 which had its highest profile as a 1978 single release by the Pointer Sisters. The song was later released by Robert Gordon and Springsteen himself.
Break Out is the tenth studio album by American female vocal group the Pointer Sisters, released on November 1, 1983, on Planet Records, distributed by RCA Records. It is the Pointer Sisters' most successful album to date, peaking at number eight on the Billboard 200 and being certified triple-platinum by the RIAA.
Right Rhythm is the fourteenth studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released on June 12, 1990, by the Motown label.
"I'm So Excited" is a song by American girl group the Pointer Sisters. Jointly written and composed by the sisters in collaboration with Trevor Lawrence, it was originally released in September 1982, reaching number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This was followed by a remixed re-release in July 1984, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard named the song number 23 on their list of "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs Of All Time".
"Yes We Can Can" is a funk song written by Allen Toussaint, and first released by Lee Dorsey in 1970. It was popularized when it was recorded by the American R&B girl group the Pointer Sisters.
That's a Plenty is the second studio album by the American female vocal group The Pointer Sisters. It was released in 1974 on Blue Thumb Records.
Having a Party is the fourth studio album by American family vocal group the Pointer Sisters, released in 1977 on the ABC/Blue Thumb label.
Energy is the fifth studio album by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1978 on the Planet label.
Only Sisters Can Do That is the fifteenth studio album by The Pointer Sisters, released in 1993 on the SBK label.
"Fairytale" is a song introduced on the Pointer Sisters' May 1974 album release That's a Plenty; written by group members Anita Pointer and Bonnie Pointer, "Fairytale" became the second of the three Top 40 hits scored by the Pointer Sisters in their original embodiment as a quartet – Anita Pointer would sing lead on all three of these hits.
"How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)" is a song by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters, released as the first single from their Steppin' album in 1975. Written by group members Anita Pointer and Bonnie Pointer with David Rubinson, the song's mixture of funky R&B and the sisters' soulful harmonies helped make it a standout in the Pointer Sisters' early catalog. The single was a significant success for the group, reaching number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was the group's first and only number-one single on the US Hot Soul Singles chart, where it spent two weeks at number one.
"He's So Shy" is a song by the American girl group Pointer Sisters from their seventh studio album, Special Things (1980). Written, originally as "She's So Shy" and intended for Leo Sayer, in December 1979 by Tom Snow and Cynthia Weil, "He's So Shy" was released as the lead single from Special Things on July 23, 1980, through the Planet label.
"Slow Hand" is a song recorded by American vocal group The Pointer Sisters for their eighth studio album Black & White (1981). The song, written by Michael Clark and John Bettis, was released by the Planet label in May 1981 as the lead single from Black & White.
"Automatic" is a song recorded by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters for their tenth studio album Break Out (1983). The song was released by the Planet label on January 13, 1984, as the second single from the album. It was written by Brock Walsh and Mark Goldenberg.
"Neutron Dance" is a song written by Allee Willis and Danny Sembello which was introduced by the Pointer Sisters on their 1983 album Break Out. The song became a Top Ten hit in 1985, its success augmented by being prominently featured on the soundtrack of the motion picture Beverly Hills Cop.
Issa Kuren Edwards, known professionally as Issa Pointer, is an American singer and member of the vocal group the Pointer Sisters.
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