Anita Pointer, a co-founder of the Grammy-winning group the Legendary Pointer Sisters— whose music covered R&B, funk, country, and pop—has passed away reports the New York Times. She was 74.

In an official statement, her family confirmed her passing.

“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 & Bonnie and at peace,” the statement read. “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.”

Born in Oakland, California on January 23, 1948, to Reverend Elton & Sarah Pointer, Anita and her sisters honed their vocal skills and impeccable harmonies at their father’s church.

After graduating from Oakland Technical High School in 1965 and she was hired as a legal secretary. In 1969, she left her job as a secretary to join her younger sisters Bonnie and June to form the Pointer Sisters. The oldest sister, Ruth, joined the group in 1972 to form the quartet which later became known as the Legendary Pointer Sisters.

The Pointer Sisters released their self-titled debut album in 1973, with their single “Yes We Can Can” peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The following year, they won their first Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance with their crossover hit “Fairytale,” from the That’s a Plenty album, which Anita penned with Bonnie and Elvis Presley also covered.

During the 1980s, the Pointer Sisters achieved their greatest commercial success as a trio consisting of June, Ruth, and Anita following Bonnie's departure in 1978. They went on to win two more Grammys in 1984 for the top 10 hits "Automatic" and "Jump (For My Love)". The group's other U.S. top 10 hits are "Fire" (1979), "He's So Shy" (1980), "Slow Hand" (1981), the remixed version of "I'm So Excited" (1984), and "Neutron Dance" (1985). They were among the most successful acts of the decade. The group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994 and kept performing across the globe well into the 21st century.

In 1986, Anita earned another crossover country hit in a duet with singer Earl Thomas Conley on “Too Many Times” which they performed on Soul Train the same year.

Outside of music, Pointer amassed a vast collection of Black memorabilia such as artifacts of slavery, segregation, and racist caricature. “This reminds me that everybody don’t love you and that you have to prove them wrong,” she said in an interview with Collector’s Weekly. “You’re not a buffoon. The artists tried to depict Black people in an insulting way, but I think big lips and big booties are beautiful.”

Anita is survived by her sister Ruth, brothers Aaron and Fritz, and granddaughter Roxie. Her only daughter, Jada, passed away in 2003. 

We at EBONY extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Anita Pointer.