Gospel roots and childhood memories with the Pointer Sisters

Funky song belter Ruth Pointer, the only founding Pointer Sister still alive, bares her soul about growing up hard scrabble with five siblings, dealing with very strict parents who refused to let her wear makeup, jewelry, or attend dances, attending Sunday worship service at the West Oakland Church of God, bringing her first date home, getting pregnant at 19, why she disagrees with the theory that posits women marry their father, and whether the trio has considered cutting a gospel album. Say what? A Superman T-shirt-sporting Ruth, June, and Anita playfully frolic in a bed most likely during the “Priority” album era in 1979. The gifted, harmonically-inclined trio would score yet another pop hit with “He’s So Shy” the following year. Image Credit: Lipstick Alley Forum

Billboard recognizes the melodic, Big Band-inspired Pointer Sisters, reduced to a trio when Bonnie Pointer departed for a fleeting solo career on Motown Records in 1977, as the fourth most successful female group ever after the Supremes, TLC, and Destiny’s Child. The R&B crossover pop phenomenon accumulated 15 Top 40 singles in the ’70s and ’80s and sold a not too shabby 40 million records and counting.

Marshall Terrill, co-author of Rock and a Heart Place: A Rock ’n’ Roller-coaster Ride from Rebellion to Sweet Salvation with Beatles insider Ken Mansfield, logged hours going on-the-record with eldest member Ruth Pointer for the Christian tome exploring the epic rise, fall, and redemption of 15 music icons in their own words with accompanying contextual narrative.

When urged to encapsulate Pointer’s pivotal contributions to the harmony-laden real life sisters of “I’m So Excited” renown, the preeminent Steve McQueen biographer wasted no time in getting down to the heart of the matter. “I think Ruth’s contributions to the Pointer Sisters’ style, sound and legacy are greatly appreciated by those in the know and underestimated by those who don’t know the group’s history,” admits Terrill.

“Her low register was the final piece of the Pointer Sisters’ unique blend of voices and six months after she joined, they became a household name. That’s not by coincidence. She was a key element when the group reinvented themselves in the late 1970s and a charismatic presence in their 1980s videos. Ruth is the matriarch and the glue that has held the Pointer Sisters together after all these years.”

The hard-hitting journalist’s keen observations further shed light on Pointer’s authentic temperament and exactly why they bonded so well during their extended conversations. “Ruth has a dynamic personality,” explains Terrill. “She’s sweet and brassy, down-to-earth, knows what she likes and doesn’t like, and has great style.

“Ruth is totally in touch with her feelings and is a lot of fun to be around. She’s smart, well-read and has wonderful instincts about people, art, clothes and music. Most of all, she’s real. Truly one of the most amazing ladies I’ve ever met in my life. If you can’t tell, I’m crazy about her.” Unsurprisingly, Ruth selected…