Ruth Esther Pointer (born March 19, 1946) is an American singer–songwriter who is best known as the eldest member of the American family vocal group

the Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, b ...

Career

Joining her sisters in 1972, the Pointer Sisters released their first album in 1973. The group eventually found fame with songs like "

Yes We Can Can "Yes We Can Can" is a funk song written by Allen Toussaint, popularized when it was recorded by the American R&B girl group the Pointer Sisters. Background "Yes We Can Can" was originally recorded as "Yes We Can" by Lee Dorsey on his albu ...

" (1973), their

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

crossover hit, "

Fairytale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cul ...

" (1974) and "

How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side) "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)" is a song by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters, released as the first single from their '' Steppin album in 1975. Written by group members Anita Pointer and Bonnie Pointer with David Rubinson ...

" before Bonnie's exit in 1977. Continuing as a trio, the group found their biggest success covering tunes of rock, pop and new wave with singles such as "

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

" (1978), "

He's So Shy "He's So Shy" is a song recorded by American vocal group The Pointer Sisters for their seventh studio album ''Special Things'' (1980). Written, as "She's So Shy" and intended for Leo Sayer, in December 1979 by Tom Snow and Cynthia Weil, "He's So ...

" (1980), and "

Slow Hand "Slow Hand" is a song recorded by American vocal group The Pointer Sisters for their eighth studio album '' Black & White'' (1981). The song, written by Michael Clark and John Bettis, was released by the Planet label in May 1981 as the lead sin ...

" (1981). The group found its biggest success with the release of the '' Break Out'' album in 1983 which featured hits such as "Automatic", "Jump (For My Love)", a re-released version of "

I'm So Excited "I'm So Excited" is a song by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters. Jointly written and composed by the sisters in collaboration with Chris Christian, it was originally released in September 1982, reaching number 30 on the US ''Billboard'' ...

", "Neutron Dance", and "Baby Come And Get It". It's notable for featuring Ruth's lead vocals on " Automatic" and "

Neutron Dance "Neutron Dance" is a song written by Allee Willis and Danny Sembello which was introduced by the Pointer Sisters on their 1983 album '' Break Out''. The song became a Top Ten hit in 1985, its success augmented by being prominently featured on the ...

", which hit the top ten of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Chart and led to the group winning two

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

. Of the original members, Ruth, along with her sister Anita, are still active with The Pointer Sisters. In 1988, Pointer provided the singing voice of the character Rita the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

film ''

Oliver & Company ''Oliver & Company'' is a 1988 American animated musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released on November 18, 1988, by Walt Disney Pictures. The 27th Disney animated feature film, it is loosely based on the Charl ...

'', where she sang the song "Streets of Gold" as well as a reprise of the song "Why Should I Worry" with fellow cast member

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...

. They were joined by Ruth's daughter, Issa, in the 1990s. The group was given a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

in 1994. In October 2021, Pointer competed in season six of ''

The Masked Singer ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' as "Cupcake". Pointer revealed upon her unmasking that she was supposed to perform on the show as part of a duo with her sister Anita in a duplicated and recolored Cupcake costume. Anita was dealing with an illness, forcing Ruth to perform alone.

Personal life

Pointer has been married five times and has five children. The eldest are a daughter Faun (born 1965) and a son Malik (born 1966). Malik is a singer. Her daughter

Issa Pointer Issa Kuren Edwards (born January 22, 1978), known professionally as Issa Pointer, is an American singer and member of the vocal group the Pointer Sisters. Early life Born in 1978, Pointer is the daughter of the Pointer Sisters' member Ruth Pointer ...

(born 1978), is from a 1977 marriage with former

Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 1 ...

member

Dennis Edwards Dennis Edwards Jr. (February 3, 1943 – February 1, 2018) was an American soul and R&B singer who was best known as the frontman in The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a serie ...

. In 1984, Pointer married noted bassist Don Boyette, divorcing in 1988. Pointer married Michael Sayles in 1990 and, at the age of 47 in 1993, she gave birth to twins, a boy named Conor and a girl named Ali. Both Issa Pointer and Ruth's granddaughter

Sadako Pointer Sadako Ruth Pointer Johnson (born March 24, 1984), known professionally as Sadako Pointer, is an American singer. Biography Born in 1984, Sadako Pointer is the granddaughter of Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters. She grew up in New York City and ...

(born 1984) have performed as members of the Pointer Sisters.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pointer, Ruth 1946 births Living people The Pointer Sisters members 20th-century African-American women singers American contraltos American women singer-songwriters American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American rhythm and blues singers Musicians from Oakland, California

Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...

Singer-songwriters from California African-American songwriters 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women United Service Organizations entertainers