Bonnie Pointer Has Died At 69

June Pointer, who died in 2006, now has some company in cooing out The Pointer Sisters’ greatest masterpiece hits at a stadium in heaven. Because one of the original Pointer Sisters, Bonnie Pointer, died this morning. Bonnie was the perfect age of 69.

Bonnie’s sister, Anita Pointer, gave the sad news to TMZ, telling them that she not only lost a sister, but she lost a best friend too:

“It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning. 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, we never had a fight in our life, I already miss her and I will see her again one day.”

The cause of Bonnie’s death isn’t known right now.

Like the other Pointer Sisters, Bonnie was born in Oakland, CA. In 1969, Bonnie and June got into the yodeling business together when they created the musical duo of The Pointers (also known as The Pairs). They were gracious enough to let Anita join in that same year and they changed their name to The Pointer Sisters. They toured and sang back-up for artistes like Sylvester and Grace Slick until they got a recording contract with Atlantic Records. They recorded a few singles but none became hits. Ruth had apparently been resisting the urge to join the group, but in 1972, she could’t anymore and became the fourth member of The Pointer Sisters.

The Pointer Sisters sought out to create an original sound that mixed together bebop, rock, country, and gospel. They also did themselves up in 1940s glamour drag. Just one year after Ruth joined the group, they got their first hit with Yes We Can. That thump you heard was Mariah Carey slamming into her laptop screen while trying to grab that stunning gold butterfly:

Bonnie and Anita wrote the group’s country crossover hit, Fairytale, which won the Grammy for Best Vocal By a Duo or a Group, making them the first all-female group to win that.

In 1977, Bonnie sang the lead on Don’t It Drive You Crazy, a song that makes me want to sniff Spanish Fly before rolling around on a tiger-print velvet bedspread under a disco ball:

Bonnie wasn’t a part of The Pointer Sisters during their He’s So Shy, Slow Hand, I’m So Excited, and Jump (For My Love) years because she left the group in 1977. Bonnie left to go solo. She signed with Motown. Her husband at the time Jeffrey Bowen (they split in 2004 and divorced in 2016) was a Motown producer.

Bonnie put out several solo albums, and her biggest hit was a disco remake of Heaven Must Have Sent You. WARNING: Loads of sequins-covered talent and glamour will hit your eyes and ears after pressing play.

Bonnie performed throughout the years and reunited with The Pointer Sisters a couple of times. She battled drug addiction for many years and was in talks to join Celebrity Rehab at one point.

Bonnie’s last recording was Feels Like June, a tribute song to June that she did with Anita. It was released earlier this year:

Rest in peace, Bonnie.

Pic: Getty