Bonnie Pointer
Encyclopedia
Patricia Eva "Bonnie" Pointer (born July 11, 1950) is an American
R&B
and disco
singer, most notable for being the next-to-youngest member of the 1970s and 1980s family music group, The Pointer Sisters
. She scored several moderate solo
hits
after leaving the Pointers 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.
began singing together as teenagers and in 1969 the duo had co-founded The Pointers (otherwise known as The Pair). After Anita
joined the duo that same year, they changed their name to The Pointer Sisters and recorded several singles
for Atlantic Records
between 1971 and 1972. In December 1972, they recruited oldest sister Ruth
and released their debut album
as The Pointer Sisters in 1973. Their self-titled debut
yielded the hit, "Yes We Can Can
".
Between 1973 and 1977, the Pointers' donned 1940s fashions and sang in a style reminiscent of The Andrew Sisters; they also melded the sounds of R&B, funk
, rock and roll
, gospel, country
and soul
. Anita and Bonnie who wrote the group's crossover
country hit, "Fairytale," in 1974, which also became a Top 20 pop
hit and won the group their first Grammy for Best Vocal by a Duo or Group, Country. Anita and Bonnie also were nominated for Best Country Song at the same ceremony.
In 1977, Bonnie left the group to begin a solo career. The remaining sisters continued scoring hits from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s and had a major breakthrough with their 1983 album Break Out
.
In 1978, Bonnie married Motown Records
Producer Jeffrey Bowen
and signed with Motown in the same year, Bonnie released "Heaven Must Have Sent You," which reached No. 11 on Billboard Hot 100
chart
. She released three solo albums, including two self-titled albums for Motown, before retiring from the studio
.
Bonnie appeared on Soul Train
on March 2, 1985 (Season 14, Episode 20).
She still continues to perform, and reunited with her sisters on two separate occasions: when the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in 1994, and during a Las Vegas
, Nevada
performance in 1996 singing "Jump (For My Love)
."
On May 4, 2006, shortly after the death of her sister
June, Bonnie appeared on Entertainment Tonight
saying her sisters had not fulfilled June's burial wishes, thus cremating
her because it was cheaper. She also claimed that Anita and Ruth refused to let her ride in the family car at the funeral. Eldest brother Fritz Pointer responded that Bonnie demanded to be let back in the group, or she would not come to the funeral.
At the beginning of 2008, Bonnie embarked on a Europe
an tour, and has been working on her autobiography
.
Bonnie performed at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on Saturday, October 25, 2008.
On June 4, 2010, TMZ reported that Bonnie will join the cast of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" a reality show about addiction, because "the 59-year-old singer has a storied history of drug abuse."
In 2011 Bonnie will star in Monte Hellman
's romantic thriller Road to Nowhere (film)
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
singer, most notable for being the next-to-youngest member of the 1970s and 1980s family music group, The Pointer Sisters
Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.The...
. She scored several moderate solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
after leaving the Pointers in 1977, including a disco cover of The Elgins
The Elgins
The Elgins were an American vocal group on the Motown label, active from the late 1950s to 1967. Their most successful record was "Heaven Must Have Sent You", written and produced by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team, which was a hit in the US in 1966, and in the UK when reissued in...
' "Heaven Must Have Sent You
Heaven Must Have Sent You
"Heaven Must Have Sent You" is a song written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland when at Motown, and first recorded by The Elgins in 1966. It was also a 1979 disco hit single by Bonnie Pointer.-The Elgins:...
" which became a U.S. top 20 pop hit on September 1, 1979.
Career
Bonnie and youngest sister JuneJune Pointer
June Antoinette Pointer Whitmore was an American Pop/R&B singer and was a founding member/and lead vocalist of the vocal group The Pointer Sisters.-Early life and career:...
began singing together as teenagers and in 1969 the duo had co-founded The Pointers (otherwise known as The Pair). After Anita
Anita Pointer
Anita Pointer is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter and a member of The Pointer Sisters.-Biography:...
joined the duo that same year, they changed their name to The Pointer Sisters and recorded several singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
for Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
between 1971 and 1972. In December 1972, they recruited oldest sister Ruth
Ruth Pointer
Ruth Pointer is an American R&B singer, best known for being the eldest member of The Pointer Sisters.-Early life:Pointer was born in Oakland, California. She began her vocal training as a director of a junior choir in her father's church.-The Pointer Sisters:Joining her sisters in 1972, the...
and released their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
as The Pointer Sisters in 1973. Their self-titled debut
The Pointer Sisters (album)
The Pointer Sisters is the self-titled debut by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1973 on the Blue Thumb label.-History:The album yielded the hits "Yes We Can Can" and "Wang Dang Doodle" and became a success based on word of mouth after heralded performances at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and the...
yielded the hit, "Yes We Can Can
Yes We Can Can
"Yes We Can Can" is a 1973 funk classic recorded by the American R&B girl group the Pointer Sisters and released on the Blue Thumb record label...
".
Between 1973 and 1977, the Pointers' donned 1940s fashions and sang in a style reminiscent of The Andrew Sisters; they also melded the sounds of R&B, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, gospel, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. Anita and Bonnie who wrote the group's crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
country hit, "Fairytale," in 1974, which also became a Top 20 pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hit and won the group their first Grammy for Best Vocal by a Duo or Group, Country. Anita and Bonnie also were nominated for Best Country Song at the same ceremony.
In 1977, Bonnie left the group to begin a solo career. The remaining sisters continued scoring hits from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s and had a major breakthrough with their 1983 album Break Out
Break Out (Pointer Sisters album)
Break Out is the tenth studio album by the American vocal group The Pointer Sisters, released on November 6, 1983 by Planet Records.-History:...
.
In 1978, Bonnie married Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
Producer Jeffrey Bowen
Jeffrey Bowen
Jeffrey Bowen was a songwriter and record producer, notable for his work at both Motown Records and Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus and Hot Wax labels. He is best known for his work with the Detroit male vocal groups Chairmen of the Board and The Temptations...
and signed with Motown in the same year, Bonnie released "Heaven Must Have Sent You," which reached No. 11 on Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. She released three solo albums, including two self-titled albums for Motown, before retiring from the studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
.
Bonnie appeared on Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
on March 2, 1985 (Season 14, Episode 20).
She still continues to perform, and reunited with her sisters on two separate occasions: when the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in 1994, and during a Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
performance in 1996 singing "Jump (For My Love)
Jump (for My Love)
"Jump " was the opening track of the Pointer Sisters' 1983 album, Break Out.Released prior to the 1984 Summer Olympics games, the song's video featured footage of athletes competing in track and field events. The song was the second of four Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in a row for the sisters...
."
On May 4, 2006, shortly after the death of her sister
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
June, Bonnie appeared on Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
saying her sisters had not fulfilled June's burial wishes, thus cremating
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
her because it was cheaper. She also claimed that Anita and Ruth refused to let her ride in the family car at the funeral. Eldest brother Fritz Pointer responded that Bonnie demanded to be let back in the group, or she would not come to the funeral.
At the beginning of 2008, Bonnie embarked on a Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an tour, and has been working on her autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
.
Bonnie performed at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City on Saturday, October 25, 2008.
On June 4, 2010, TMZ reported that Bonnie will join the cast of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" a reality show about addiction, because "the 59-year-old singer has a storied history of drug abuse."
In 2011 Bonnie will star in Monte Hellman
Monte Hellman
Monte Hellman is an American film director, producer, and film editor.Hellman is among a group of directing talent mentored by Roger Corman, who produced several of the director's early films...
's romantic thriller Road to Nowhere (film)
Road to Nowhere (film)
Road to Nowhere is a 2010 American romance thriller independent film directed by Monte Hellman, written by Steven Gaydos, and starring Cliff De Young, Waylon Payne, Shannyn Sossamon, Tygh Runyan, and Dominique Swain. It is Hellman's first feature film in 21 years.Road to Nowhere was shot in western...
.
Albums
- Bonnie Pointer Red Album (1978 Motown Records)
- "When I'm Gone" (2:37)
- "Free Me From My Freedom" (3:56)
- "Heaven Must Have Sent You" (6:59)
- "Ah Shoot" (4:55)
- "More and More" (6:05)
- "I Love to Sing to You" (4:04)
- "I Wanna Make it (In Your World)" (3:20)
- "My Everything" (4:20)
- Bonnie Pointer Purple Album (1979 Motown Records)
- "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" (5:27)
- "Jimmy Mack" (4:58)
- "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" (4:46)
- "Deep Inside My Soul" (4:37)
- "Come See About Me" (5:17)
- "Nowhere to Run (Nowhere to Hide)" (6:35)
- If The Price Is Right (1984 Private I Records)
- "Premonition" (3:35)
- "Johnny" (4:50)
- "Come Softly to Me" (4:50)
- "Under the Influence of Love" (4:03)
- "Your Touch" (4:40)
- "Tight Blue Jeans" (3:41)
- "There's Nobody Quite Like You" (3:51)
- "If the Price is Right" (4:09)
Singles
- Free Me From My Freedom (1978) No. 58
- Heaven Must Have Sent YouHeaven Must Have Sent You"Heaven Must Have Sent You" is a song written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland when at Motown, and first recorded by The Elgins in 1966. It was also a 1979 disco hit single by Bonnie Pointer.-The Elgins:...
(1979) No. 11 - Deep Inside My Soul (1979)
- I Can't Help MyselfI Can't Help Myself"I Can't Help Myself" is a single by American country music artist Eddie Rabbitt. Released in 1977, it was the first single from the album Rabbitt. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart performance:...
(1980) No. 40 - Premonition (1984)
- The Beast In Me (1984) (from the film, Heavenly Bodies)
- Your Touch (1984)