Ruth Pointer

Ruth Esther Pointer, born March 19, 1946, in Oakland, California, is an American singer and the eldest member of the Pointer Sisters, a family vocal group she joined in 1972, making it a quartet. She appeared on Broadway in 1995 in Ain't Misbehavin'. In 2016, she published a memoir titled Still So Excited!: My Life as a Pointer Sister. Following the deaths of her sisters Bonnie and Anita in 2020 and 2022 respectively, Pointer is the last surviving founding member of the group, though she continues to perform under the Pointer Sisters name alongside her daughter Issa and granddaughter Sadako.

The Pointer Sisters released their debut album in 1973, the same year they charted with "Yes We Can Can." Their early catalog also included the country crossover hit "Fairytale" (1974) and "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)" before sister Bonnie's departure in 1977. As a trio, the group recorded a series of successful singles across rock, pop, and new wave genres, among them "Fire" (1978), "He's So Shy" (1980), and "Slow Hand" (1981). Their 1983 album Break Out marked their greatest commercial peak, producing top-ten Billboard Hot 100 hits including "Automatic," "Jump (For My Love)," a re-released "I'm So Excited," "Neutron Dance," and "Baby Come And Get It." Ruth sang lead on "Automatic" and "Neutron Dance," and the album's success earned the group two Grammy Awards. The Pointer Sisters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.

In 1988, Pointer contributed vocals alongside Billy Vera to "Enemies Like You and Me" for the Iron Eagle II soundtrack. That same year, she provided the singing voice of the character Rita in the Disney animated film Oliver & Company, performing "Streets of Gold" and a reprise of "Why Should I Worry" with cast member Billy Joel. In October 2021, Pointer competed on season six of The Masked Singer as "Cupcake." She had originally been scheduled to appear as part of a duo with her sister Anita in a duplicated costume, but Anita's illness required Ruth to perform alone, a fact she disclosed upon her unmasking.

Pointer has been married five times and has five children. Her eldest are a daughter, Faun, born in 1965, and a son, Malik, born in 1966, who is also a singer. Her daughter Issa Pointer, born in 1978, is from her marriage to former Temptations member Dennis Edwards; the two wed on December 21, 1980, in Las Vegas and divorced in 1983. In 1984, Pointer married bassist Don Boyette, and that marriage ended in 1988. She married Michael Sayles in 1990, and in 1993, at age 47, gave birth to twins named Conor and Ali. As of 2016, Pointer had three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Both Issa Pointer and granddaughter Sadako Pointer, born in 1984, have performed as members of the Pointer Sisters. Pointer currently resides in Hopedale, Massachusetts with her husband.