Soul deep with natural-born singer Ruth Pointer

“Neutron Dance” high-stepper Ruth Pointer loses the gloves for a warts and all music scoop exploring her star-studded career as the alto singer for ’80s R&B crossover pop sensation the Pointer Sisters. Tall, sleek, and incredibly beautiful in a form-fitting black gown, Ruth lets the crowd hit the notes during “Jump [For My Love],” the group’s encore song at Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia, on June 29, 2013. Photography by Jeremy Roberts

The gorgeous, harmony-laden Pointer Sisters were adept at covering virtually any genre, whether ’40s era swing, Big Band, pop, soul, rock, or even country. Originally consisting of Ruth, Anita, Bonnie and June Pointer, the quartet isn’t as well remembered in modern times as they truly deserve to be, charting an impressive 16 Top 40 Pop and 21 Top 40 R&B hits on Billboard between 1973 and 1990.

In a sign of the group’s crossover appeal, Elvis Presley sank his teeth into a fiery country rendition of Anita and Bonnie’s “Fairytale” on his Today album.

After aligning with commercially savvy pop producer Richard Perry, the Pointer Sisters found their greatest fame in the late ‘70s/early ’80s with such classics as Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire”, “Slow Hand”, “He’s So Shy”, “I’m So Excited” and “Jump (For My Love)”.

While the group lineup changed significantly with the departure of Bonnie supposedly for greener pastures only five years into their trajectory and the sobering demise of June in 2006, Ruth has always been a constant force, driving the band’s onstage antics and singing the low parts in the group’s harmony blend. A vivacious, beautiful, thoughtful and smart woman, Ruth preserves the band’s integrity in fine fashion [vocalist and chief songwriter Anita Pointer succumbed to cancer at age 74 on Dec. 31, 2022].