Anita Marie Pointer was born on January 23, 1948 in Oakland, California. She is an American Soul/R&B singer–songwriter, best known as a member of the Grammy Award–winning vocal group The Pointer Sisters. Her parents were natives of Arkansas. During Anita’s youth, they traveled by car from California to Prescott, Arkansas almost every year to visit the Pointer’s grandparents. Anita’s parents allowed her to stay with her grandparents, Fritz and Roxie Silas to attend McRae Elementary-5th grade, McRae Jr. High-7th grade and McRae High School-10th grade. The schools were segregated, unlike schools in Oakland. What an experience. While in Prescott, she played alto sax as a member of the McRae High School Band. In 1969, Anita quit her job as a secretary to join her younger sisters Bonnie and June to form The Pointer Sisters. Anita and her sisters found fame in 1973, when the Anita-led "Yes We Can Can" reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1974, Anita's writing talents helped the group make music history when "Fairytale," became a hit on the country music charts and enabled The Pointer Sisters to become the first black female group to ever perform at the Grand Ole Opry. "Fairytale" won the group its first Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group, and a Grammy Nomination for the Best Country Song of the year in 1975. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, The Pointer Sisters rose to even higher levels of success with "Fire" (1978), "He's So Shy" (1980), “We’ve Got The Power” (1980), "Slow Hand" (1981) and "I'm So Excited" (1982). In 1983, the trio of June, Ruth and Anita’s album “Break Out” reached multi-platinum status and won the group two more Grammy Awards. In 1986, Anita found chart success with country superstar Earl Thomas Conley on the song "Too Many Times,” which reached No. 2 on the country chart. In 1987, she released her first solo album “Love For What It Is.” Her album's first single, "Overnight Success," reached No. 41 on the Billboard R&B chart. Anita and her sisters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 1998, Anita was singularly inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. Anita has been married two times and had one child, Jada (now deceased), who inspired one of the Pointer Sisters' most popular songs, "Jada," written by the group and released on their debut album. Anita continues to write, record, and perform, maintaining an international touring schedule as a member of The Pointer Sisters.
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