Biography
Ruth Esther Pointer (born March 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the eldest member of the family vocal group The Pointer Sisters.
She joined her sisters in 1972, and the group released their debut album in 1973. They gained recognition with songs like "Yes We Can Can" (1973), their country crossover hit "Fairytale" (1974), and "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)" before Bonnie left the group in 1977. As a trio, they achieved major success with rock, pop, and new wave covers, including hits such as "Fire" (1978), "He's So Shy" (1980), and "Slow Hand" (1981).
Their greatest success came with the 1983 album Break Out, which featured hits like "Automatic," "Jump (For My Love)," a re-release of "I'm So Excited," "Neutron Dance," and "Baby Come And Get It." Ruth's lead vocals on "Automatic" and "Neutron Dance" helped both songs reach the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and contributed to the group winning two Grammy Awards. Ruth and her sister Anita remain active members of The Pointer Sisters. In 1988, Ruth lent her voice to the character Rita in the Disney film Oliver & Company, performing "Streets of Gold" and a reprise of "Why Should I Worry" alongside Billy Joel. Ruth's daughter Issa joined the group in the 1990s. The Pointer Sisters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
In October 2021, Ruth competed in season six of The Masked Singer as "Cupcake." Upon being unmasked, she revealed she was initially meant to perform as a duo with her sister Anita, each wearing a Cupcake costume in different colors, but Anita's illness led Ruth to perform solo.
Ruth Pointer has been married five times and has five children. Her eldest children are daughter Faun (born 1965) and son Malik (born 1966), who is also a singer. Her daughter Issa Pointer (born 1978) is from her 1977 marriage to former Temptations member Dennis Edwards. In 1984, Ruth married bassist Don Boyette; they divorced in 1988.
In 1990, she married Michael Sayles, and at age 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 (born 1984) have performed as members of The Pointer Sisters.
