Anita Pointer, a well-known singer who gained notoriety in the 1970s as a sister singer with the Pointer Sisters, passed away on Saturday at the age of 74.
Her publicist stated that she passed away surrounded by family, though no cause of death was given.
“While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter, Jada, and her sisters June and Bonnie, and at peace,” said a statement jointly attributed to her four closest survivors — a sister, Ruth, brothers Aaron and Fritz, and her granddaughter Roxie McKain Pointer. “She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long. Her love of our family will live on in each of us. Please respect our privacy during this period of grief and loss. Heaven is a more loving beautiful place with Anita there.”
Anita joined the Oakland-based organization in 1969 and remained there until she was forced to leave due to unidentified health issues in 2015.