Bonnie Pointer, founding member of the Grammy-winning group The Pointer Sisters, died Monday at age 69.
“It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning,” sister and group member Anita Pointer said in a statement. “Our family is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.
“Bonnie was my best friend and we talked every day,” she added. “We never had a fight in our life. I already miss her, and I will see her again one day.”
Bonnie Pointer began singing with her sisters in their father’s church in Oakland, Calif., more than 50 years ago. As a quartet, the Pointer Sisters earned commercial success in the 1970s with hits such as “Yes We Can Can” and the Grammy-winning “Fairytale.”
In the late-’70s, they became a trio when Bonnie decided to embark on a solo career in Motown. Her biggest solo hit was 1978’s “Heaven Must Have Sent You.”