The Pointer Sisters were one of the most popular female groups of the 1970’s. Originally consisting of Ruth, June, Bonnie and Anita Pointer, the Pointer Sisters were four of six children born to the union of  Elton and Sarah Pointer. The group began singing in their father’s church with Ruth directing the junior choir.  The sisters interest in music eventually expanded with Ruth coming home with a copy of Elvis Presley’s “All Shook Up” and surprisingly, the girls were allowed to play it. Anita Pointer once told an interviewer that she thought the only reason the song got in the house was because “Crying In The Chapel” was on the opposite side. The Pointer Sisters were officially formed after Anita quit her day job to join Bonnie and June in 1969. Ruth quit her day job to join the fold in 1972.  David Robinson got the group work singing back up on studio sessions by Taj Mahal, Grace Slick, Boz Scaggs and others. David Robinson later signed the girls to a management contract in 1971. The group’s debut album was released on Blue Thumb creating a buzz with critics calling them “The most exciting thing to hit show business in years”. Their first single, “Yes, We Can”, hit number 11 on the Billboard Pop Charts. They went on the have more hits including “Wang, Dang, Doodle” and ‘Fairytale”, which won a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group. By the end of the decade, sister Bonnie had left for a solo career with the remaining trio struggling for a time. The group made a cameo appearance in the Blaxploitation film “Car Wash” in 1976. They signed with Planet Records at the end of the 1970’s and teamed with producer Richard Perry. That collaboration would result in the hits “Fire”, “Slow  Hand”, “He’s So Shy”, “I’m So Excited’, “Automatic” and “Nutron Dance”, among others. Today, Ruth, Anita and granddaughter Sadako continue to perform for fans around the world.