Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Pointer Sisters

from left to right : June, Anita and Ruth Pointer


Ruth, Anita, Bonnie and June.............the sisters who made the music industry the best that it can be. With the sisters humble beginnings and their passion for music they became icons around the world. I wish that I was old enough when they were at the peak of their career, in the 70s and 80s. I don't know what dawned on me the past few weeks that I was brought back to the sisters songs, to their lives both past and present, and to search more about them in the net.


I just remembered that two or three weeks ago I was recalling the song of David Foster, Voices that Care. I was looking at the different footages of the song, with interviews of the different artists, athletes and actors who were involved in the making of the video of the song. Then one of the excerpts, I saw the Pointer Sisters, they were in the studio with David Foster recording their part in the song, I guess that started it.


At first, I focused on checking up on their famous songs on you tube which were Jump ( for my love ) and I'm so excited, which I heard and grew fond of since I was a kid, those were only the two songs I know or I recall of them, such a pity, see how pathetic I am, I don't know or forgotten any other songs of the sisters. What a shame on my part.


So I started to search for more songs of the sisters in you tube, I found a lot, I mean A LOT, there were songs I did not know that came from or were sang by the sisters, I came across Neutron Dance ( with lead vocals Ruth ) which was a disco-ish type of song and used in Eddie Murphy's movie, Beverly Hills Cop, I love it, and what about DARE ME ( with lead vocals June)....... wow this song was a favorite of mine when I was a kid and again now, I totally forgot that the sisters were the once who sang it, I used to see the video of the song in MTV, I was an MTV buff/ fanatic before. That song blew my mind and brought back memories. Of course there was Fire ( with lead vocals Anita), I heard this song lots of times, I did not know it was originally sang by the sisters , there was this song that touched my heart, Don't Walk Away ( lead vocals Ruth ) which was in their album Only Sisters Can Do That, that song touched every inch in my heart and soul, every inch of my being, it was said that the video of that song was the last studio video made by the sisters and their last studio album.


Going back to the sisters humble beginnings, they grew up in a strict household with both of their parents worked as ministers in a church in Oakland, California. It was known that the two youngest daughters or sisters, Bonnie and June were the ones who started singing, and created a duo Pointers - A Pair, then when Anita saw her two younger sisters sang on a choir, she was mesmerized by the singing and gave up her office job in a law firm to join the choir too, Anita felt that she had to try singing cause this was what she really wanted to do since she was young, so they started calling themselves the Pointer sisters. They began to perform in the bay area, and clubs. Ruth, the eldest sister joined her sisters in 1972 because she saw that her sisters were having fun and the temptations of her sisters to join them were overwhelming and she knows deep in her heart that singing was her calling. But then, in 1977 Bonnie left and started her own singing career, this hurt her three sisters but they decided to move on without Bonnie. The quartet became a trio. Without Bonnie the three sisters ( Ruth, Anita, June ) continued on and made a tremendous, phenomenal, remarkable mark in the music industry with their album Break Out, it gave them six top ten singles, with some of the songs I mentioned above. And two Grammy awards. What a great accomplishment for such talented and beautiful ladies, they deserve it, they deserve to be recognized.


Sad to know that June, the youngest sister died last 2006, a big loss. I look at the videos of the sisters and their songs now in you tube, it pains me to see June knowing that she is not here anymore. The video Don't Walk Away is memorable for me because it was June's last music video with her sisters. And she looked frail in that song video. She also made a song video with her sister Bonnie last 2002, I almost cried when I saw it, June was more frail and sad looking in that clip. Now, Ruth and Anita continued on carrying the group, singing and performing in the US and abroad with Ruth's grand daughter Sadako completing the trio again. But before Sadako, Issa who is one of Ruth's daughter was the one who replaced June when she left the group because of her failing health. For me, the group will never be the same without June but I am happy to know Anita and Ruth did not stop and continued on. Anita once said that they will never stop, she will never stop singing and performing until she can. It is also nice to know that the second generation of pointers are following on their grandmother's, mother's and aunt's legacy/footsteps.


For me the Pointer sisters will live forever, their songs captivated millions of people, they became pioneers, role models and icons of many young artists. No other group can or will ever be at par with the Pointers. I am a full pledged Pointer Sisters fan, follower, admirer. I'm a Pointer sister at heart. I love them Pointers!

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