The Rock Hall's So Shy: Building a Case Towards a Pointer Sisters Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nomination

A Cinderella Story: The Pointer Sisters and Their Connections to The King and The Boss

Growing up with devoutly religious parents in Oakland, California, The Pointer Sisters’ parents banned them from buying rock and roll records throughout their childhood in the 1950s. Often considered the “Devil’s Music,” Rock and Roll found no place in the Pointer household, especially considering the Pointers’ parents Elton and Sarah were ministers. Recognizing their daughters’ vocal talents at an early age, they sung in the choir at their parents’ church. Although they grew up with the Lord’s music, the Pointer Sisters actively sought after secular music in the wake of the rock & roll explosion in the mid-to-late 1950s. True to their rebellious spirit, the Pointers found ways to listen to the day’s popular music at friends’ houses and in their school hallways. One day in the early 1960s, June Pointer brought home a copy of Elvis Presley’s single “All Shook Up” (1957) and the record was allowed to stay. Why? The B-side featured Elvis’ cover of The Orioles’ “Crying in the Chapel,” a gospel classic that was one of their mother Sarah’s favorite songs. Secular music finally entered the Pointer Sisters’ household and forever changed the girls’ lives.

Years later in 1974, The Pointer Sisters recorded their second album That’s a Plenty, following their unique blend of R&B, Be-Bop, and Funk featured in their debut record from a year earlier, but one song stuck out: “Fairytale.” Penned by sisters Anita and Bonnie with the former on lead vocals, the song depicts the story of a woman who decides to leave her marriage—despite her best efforts to make it work—once and for all. The façade of their marriage living “happily ever after” never comes to fruition and she must pick up the pieces and rebuild her life. Performed in a Country & Western style, The Pointer Sisters took a major stylistic and financial risk by recording “Fairytale.” For one thing, they had never recorded a Country song and nearly everyone involved in its production objected to its creation. And with exception of artists such as Charlie Pride, Aaron Neville and (much later) Darius Rucker, country music performers have been almost exclusively white for its entire existence. But always believing in their musical talents, the Pointer Sisters recorded the song and refused to be categorized by one genre or musical style.

With all the odds stacked against them, “Fairytale” became a smash crossover hit, peaking at #14 on the U.S. Pop charts, and becoming their second top-20 hit in less than a year. The song’s success led them to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in 1974, becoming the first African-American women to perform at the prestigious Nashville venue. That same year, they also played at San Francisco’s famous Opera House which would later became their first live album. Continuing their history-making ways, the Pointer Sisters became the first modern pop group to perform at the venue and electrified the crowd. The song would later win the 1975 Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group, becoming the first all-female vocal group to win the award (it was also nominated for Best Country Song). Not bad for a song that their record label, producers, and peers discouraged them from creating in the first place. But consistent with The Pointer Sisters’ story, they did it on their own and made it work. With the recent controversy of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” (2019) blurring the genre lines in modern Country, the Pointer Sisters’ “Fairytale” predated that controversy over four decades earlier. If anything the success of “Fairytale” is more topical than ever.

While “Fairytale” was soaring up the charts, Elvis Presley was in the midst of a major career decline. His last big hit “Burning Love” happened years earlier and Elvis was largely becoming a nostalgia act. With the ever-changing landscape of rock and roll changing before his eyes, Elvis needed to get back in the studio and create new material in hopes of sustaining his popularity. In the pre-production of his new album Today (1975), Elvis heard The Pointer Sisters’ “Fairytale” and immediately wanted to record a cover (in fact, it was the first song recorded). Today was a commercial failure, peaking at #57, and would ultimately be his last studio recording. But despite Today’s disappointing reception, Elvis regularly performed “Fairytale” at his concerts over the next two years and once described the song as “the story of my life.” The Pointer Sisters unfortunately never met Elvis to thank him. It’s an honor to have anyone cover your song, but when it’s the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, it’s all the more impressive.

While Elvis’ Today underwhelmed on the charts, Bruce Springsteen became one of the fastest rising rock stars in the mid-to-late 1970s. After his commercial breakthrough Born to Run (1975), Springsteen spent three years creating its follow-up Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978). Not sure which direction to take the record, Springsteen wrote dozens of songs that were ultimately left on the cutting room floor. “Fire” was originally written for his idol Elvis Presley to perform. Springsteen performed “Fire” at his concerts as early as the Spring of 1977 and even mailed a demo to the Elvis’ Graceland mansion. But sadly, Elvis never listened to the recording and died in August 1977. “Fire” was collecting dust until one day producer Richard Perry listened to it and immediately believed his new client The Pointer Sisters should record a cover. Working at a new label and desperate for a comeback hit after a dry spell on the charts, The Pointer Sisters agreed and recorded it. Adopting more of a rock-orientated sound, The Pointer Sisters had nothing to lose and everything to gain. They covered “Fire” so well that it could’ve been a hit for Springsteen’s beloved Ronettes a decade earlier.

“Fire” would become one of The Pointer Sisters’ most successful songs and peaked at #2 on the Pop charts, behind Rod Stewart’s Disco-laced “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” in the spring of 1979, and would become their first Gold-certified single. Although their first two albums went Gold, none of the Pointer Sisters’ prior singles came close to Gold status and this became their big breakthrough. Ironically, Springsteen was apparently not pleased with the song’s success. In addition to Manfred Mann’s cover of the Springsteen-penned “Blinded by the Light” (peaking at #1 a few years earlier), Springsteen had yet to have a pop hit up until that point (“Born to Run” peaked at #23 in 1975) and this frustrated the singer-songwriter. When he met The Pointer Sisters at the recording of the star-studded “We Are the World,” he thanked them for recording his song and ended any resentment towards them. But The Boss did not have to wait much longer: “Hungry Heart” (1980) would become his first top-10 hit. The Pointer Sisters not only had a comeback hit, but this would be the beginning of a decade-long streak of hit singles. Not bad for a girl group always defying the odds and subverting genre expectations pinned onto black performers.

This entry explores the life and career of The Pointer Sisters and argues for their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Although they are hardly mentioned by followers of the Rock Hall, I believe their musical versatility, critical acclaim, and longevity makes them an ideal candidate. You could say their music is the embodiment of ‘American Music’ and they deserve their rightful place among the greats in Cleveland.

Yes They Can Can: The Amazing Life and Career of The Pointer Sisters

Working as a minister in a small-town church in Arkansas, Elton Pointer (Born 1901) met Sarah Silas (Born 1924) sometime in the early 1940s. Despite their 20+ year age difference, the two got married in the summer of 1941 and remained married until Elton’s death in 1979. They quickly started a family and their first child Aaron was born in 1942. Immediately following the birth of their second child Fritz, the Pointers decided to migrate to the west coast where they settled in Oakland, California. Segregation still ran rampant throughout the American South and Elton and Sarah probably did not want their children exposed to the same bigotry and hatred. The Second Great Migration, which lasted from 1940-1970, saw 5 million African-Americans migrate from the American South to the Northeast, Midwest, and the West Coast. With better employment opportunities in a less-radically divided environment, the Pointers sought after a better life in the Golden State.

Following the move to Oakland, the Pointer family rapidly grew with the births of 4 daughters: Ruth (1946), Anita (1948), Bonnie (1950), June (1953). Growing up in a strict household was never easy for the Pointer Sisters. Their father, a minister, banned the girls from wearing makeup and jewelry. Dancing and rock and roll music, which ascended to popularity in the mid-1950s, was also banned. Gospel music was the only music allowed inside the Pointer household. Their parents forced them to sing in their church’s choir. As mentioned earlier, June brought home a copy of an Elvis single and, well, the rest is history. The girls started regularly listening to popular music—much to their parents’ chagrin. Elvis was the catalyst for the girls’ affinity for rock and roll. Many of their favorite Pop and R&B artists would influence the Pointer Sisters’ style years later including The Temptations, James Brown, The Supremes, and Martha and the Vandellas. Their idolization for these musical icons led the Sisters to settle on a career in show business and they never looked back.

After graduating high school in the 1960s, most of the Sisters married and started raising families—all the while establishing music careers. Times were tough, but they continued playing at any local venue willing to book them. Initially Bonnie and June started as a duo, but Anita quickly joined them. As a trio, they provided background vocals on records to the likes of Boz Scaggs, Grace Slick, and Sylvester. Upon hearing them at a nightclub in 1971, an Atlantic Records executive offered them a contract and they recorded two songs. Instead of allowing the Sisters to develop their own sound, the producers wanted the songs to sound like the current Pop music heard on the radio at the time (e.g., The Jackson Five, Honey Cone). The Atlantic recordings resulted in zero hits and they were let go of their contracts by the end of that year.

Disappointed yet also eager to score a another recording contract, the Sisters continued touring and booking more session work to make ends meet. Although she wanted to join her sisters and follow their footsteps in the music business years earlier, Ruth was the last sister to join and they officially became a quartet by the end of 1972. Shortly thereafter, they signed a recording contract with Blue Thumb Records who agreed to produce their debut full-length album. Blue Thumb Records featured an eclectic group of artists including Captain Beefheart, Ike & Tina Turner, Dave Mason, Love, and Albert Collins. Upon signing to Blue Thumb, the Sisters wanted to create an original sound and did not want to follow the current trends in music at the time. A glimpse at the Sisters’ outfits told the whole story: vintage 1940s-style clothing sung to a fusion of R&B, Funk, Jazz and Bebop.

In May 1973, The Pointer Sisters released their self-titled debut album which produced their first top-40 hit “Yes We Can Can.” Originally written by Allen Toussaint and first performed by Lee Dorsey in 1970, the funk-infused cover propelled the Sisters to stardom and the album was certified Gold. Their performances at the famed Troubadour in Los Angeles in 1973 also caught the attention of famous admirers Diana Ross and Helen Reddy. The latter was so impressed that she invited the Sisters to perform her variety show. Along with appearing on talk-shows and variety programs that year (including Johnny Carson and Carol Burnett), the Sisters became household names.

That’s a Plenty (1974), their sophomore effort, largely followed the previous album’s format except for one noteworthy song: “Fairytale.” As discussed earlier, the Country tune “Fairytale” was a major stylistic shift and artistic risk for the Sisters. Despite the reservations from the producers, the record label, and the Sisters themselves, “Fairytale” became a smash hit, peaking at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, “Fairytale” won the Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, an amazing feat for a group wanting to defy genre expectations based on their race. If the Pointer Sisters can conquer the Country and Pop charts, they can do anything!

The funky track “How Long (Betcha’ Got a Chick on the Side)” would be their final top-20 hit as a quartet in the summer of 1975. Their fourth studio album Having a Party (1977) marked a series of lasts for the Pointer Sisters. This was the final album produced by David Rubinson on the Blue Thumb Records label (which cease to exist the following year after the acquisition from ABC Records). It was the last album to feature Bonnie, who would embark on a solo career much to the chagrin of her other sisters. June’s battles with mental health worsened and kept her from touring to promote the album. The album’s lukewarm reception (no charting singles) forced Anita and Ruth to ponder whether they could continue as The Pointer Sisters. At a crossroads in their professional careers, the Sisters focused their energies raising their families and significantly cutting down their touring schedule. Anita and Ruth waited for June to get better and they eventually reformed as a trio. Ditching the nostalgic clothes and sounds of their first four albums, the Pointers were looking for something more contemporary to reinvigorate their careers.

Substance abuse and financial hardships became a constant issue throughout much of the Pointer Sisters’ story. In her autobiography, Ruth details her years of drug addiction and many failed relationships. The Pointer Sisters played at a number of resorts and venues over the years and became especially popular as a Vegas act. Shortly before Bonnie officially the group, they played a Vegas show and literally had to take out a loan just to cover their expenses for the trip. Not a good sign when you’re the headliner. And declining sales did not help matters as well on the Pointer Sisters’ downward path. While Ruth eventually got clean in 1985, Bonnie and June also battled substance abuse that continued for decades.

With Bonnie leaving the group for a solo career, The Pointer Sisters pondered the future of the group. While initially a quartet, The Sisters continued as a trio and desired a comeback after a dry spell on the charts. Richard Perry, one of the most in-demand producers of the 1970s who oversaw records made by the likes of Barbra Streisand and Carly Simon, became the Sisters’ new producer and Planet Records became their new home. Hoping to make a more rock-orientated album, The Sisters wanted to ditch the retro sound and clothes that defined the group as a quartet and wanted to conform with more modern trends. As mentioned earlier, Perry wanted them to cover the Bruce Springsteen-penned “Fire” as the lead single on Energy, the first album produced on Planet Records. A complete makeover is definitely a risky move, but at this point in their career, what did they have to lose? The risk definitely paid off: “Fire” peaked at #2 and Energy became their first Gold album since 1974’s That’s a Plenty. The Pointer Sisters beat all the odds and found the most commercial success they had up until that point.

After “Fire” became their comeback hit, The Pointer Sisters continued to dominate the charts for the next decade. With producer Richard Perry at the helm, The Pointer Sisters saw a career resurgence, but they became one of the top-selling acts in the early 1980s—on both the Pop and R&B charts. Released in the immediate Post-Disco era, The Pointer Sisters embraced a more dance-orientated sound combined with the traditional girl-group sound from decades earlier. And the hits just kept coming—“Slowhand,” “American Music,” “I’m So Excited,” “Automatic,”—and became embedded into the mainstream consciousness. Their song “Neutron Dance,” originally an album cut on Break Out, was used in the hit comedy Beverly Hills Cop (1984) after the producers found similarities between the song’s lyrics and the actions in the film. “Neutron Dance” became another big hit for them. With regular appearances on MTV, Soul Train, and American Bandstand afforded them more mainstream attention and success than ever before.

The mid-1980s found The Pointer Sisters at the apex of their popularity. They participated in the star-studded “We Are the World” recording which became one of the best-selling singles in music history. In 1987, they hosted their first primetime network special Up All Night featuring guests such as Bruce Willis, Whoopi Goldberg, and The Andrew Sisters. After signing with RCA, the Sisters found minimal success. “Dare Me” was the last major hit in the Sisters’ career, peaking at #11—just outside the top-10. They would contribute to the Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) soundtrack and performed “Be There,” but that was the last hurrah for the Pointer Sisters on the Pop charts. They would move to Motown and SBK records where they ended their partnership with producer Richard Perry. Over the next several years, however, they released commercially underwhelming projects that went nowhere on the charts. They would release their final album of original material Only Sisters Can Do That in 1993.

From 1990 onward, The Pointer Sisters continue to regularly tour and perform at special events and shows. Around this time, they also began performing at USO shows and other military-based events for several years. After receiving a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994, they also began a year-long world tour of the Fats Waller musical Ain’t Misbehavin’ and even recorded a cast album. The Pointer Sisters contributed to the musical performance of the closing ceremony at the 1996 Summer Olympics. This star-studded finale included the likes of Little Richard, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, and Gloria Estefan (someone who I wrote about in this blog series earlier in the year. Estefan also released that year’s official Olympics theme “Reach”). While they were no longer a presence on the charts, The Pointer Sisters remained very active during this period.

Despite the steady work, June continued battling drug addiction and mental health issues. Due to these circumstances, June regularly no-showed at numerous appearances during these years and the other Sisters had to rely on others to fill June’s role. On the eve of a big European tour in 2002, Anita and Ruth made the difficult decision to fire June. Ruth’s daughter Issa replaced June and has remained in the group ever since. Shortly thereafter, June was diagnosed with lung cancer and sadly passed away at age 52 in 2006. Anita retired from touring in the late 2000s and instead Ruth’s granddaughter Sadako took over. Ruth is the only original Pointer Sister performing and helps keep the legendary group’s legacy alive.

Jump for Their Rock Hall Prospects: Why The Pointer Sisters Deserve a Rock Hall Induction

At first glance, The Pointer Sisters appear to be a girl group with a few hit songs considered catchy and lightweight. But if you look closer, they possess some of the strongest and most commercially singles released of their era. Although they never had a #1 hit—they came close with “Fire” and “Slowhand” both peaking at #2—on the pop charts, The Pointer Sisters had over two-dozen Top-40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Of those, 7 singles reached the Top 10. Even more amazingly, they were able to cross over to different genres—funk, rock, R&B, jazz, bebop, and country—so effortlessly and remain a successful commodity on the charts. Their versatility bodes well for their Rock Hall candidacy, especially in the eyes of the larger voting body. They appeal to a wide demographic of voters who could vote for The Pointer Sisters for different reasons. Whether it’s the hard-rock element of “Fire,” the country-twang of “Fairytale,” the synth-based dance-pop of “Automatic,’ or the tender R&B ballad “Slowhand,” the Pointer Sisters are musical chameleons who orbited around the many facets of popular music and often remained a constant presence on the charts for nearly two decades. If anything, The Pointer Sisters are the embodiment of perseverance and defiance in modern American music.

The Pointer Sisters are arguably the missing link of great girl groups not already inducted into the Rock Hall. They helped bridge the gap between the great girl groups of the 1960s (e.g., The Supremes, The Ronettes, Martha and the Vandellas, The Shirelles) to the late 80s and beyond (e.g., Salt N Pepa, TLC, Destiny’s Child, En Vogue). The Pointer Sisters kept girl groups alive and well in post-1960s popular music. The Pointer Sisters’ success even led to the popularity of their contemporaries such as LaBelle, Sister Sledge, and The Weather Girls. While there are worthy girl groups yet to be inducted into the Rock Hall (e.g., The Marvelettes, The Shangri-Las, The Chantels), The Pointer Sisters also deserve more serious consideration. And while The Chantels (nominated in 2002 & 2010) and The Marvelettes (nominated in 2013 & 2015) were the last two girl groups nominated, the last girl group inducted was The Ronettes back in 2007—and that was over 12 years ago! To the Rock Hall’s credit, the newly established—and super problematic—Singles category honored two girl group songs at this past year’s ceremony: The Chantels’ “Maybe” (1958) and The Shangri-Las’ “Leader of the Pack” (1964). At least they are not completely ignoring girl groups but, at the same time, they deserve better. The likelihood of a nomination for these groups dramatically deceased, and hopefully The Pointer Sisters do not suffer the same fate.

Musically, The Pointer Sisters took more stylistic risks with their music perhaps more than any other girl group. They performed in several different genres and styles including funk, pop, rock, country, and be-bop. Often against the advisement of their record label, producers, managers, and peers, The Pointer Sisters refused to follow the trends placed on past girl groups and refused to be pigeonholed to one genre and style. They tirelessly fought to maintain control over their music and desired to create a distinctive sound that separated them from other acts of their era. Unlike most girl groups, each of the Pointer Sisters took turns singing the lead vocals on their hit songs. Just think about that one second— June sang ‘He’s So Shy” and “Jump (For My Love),” Anita sang “Fire” and “Slowhand” and Ruth sang “Automatic” and “Neutron Dance.” These are among the biggest hits they ever created and that speaks volumes about their versatility as performers and builds an even stronger case for their Rock Hall candidacy.

To effectively measure The Pointer Sisters’ influence on popular music, it’s impossible to overlook the number of hip-hop artists who sampled them over the years. De La Soul, MC Lyte, Rakim, Nas, Ice Cube, Janelle Monae and even Kendrick Lamar have sampled The Pointer Sisters’ songs. Most notably, the hip-hop trio Salt N Pepa (who should also be considered for a Rock Hall induction very soon) sampled The Pointer Sisters’ 1975 funk classic “How Long (Betcha’ Got a Chick on the Side)” for their 1986 hit “Chick on the Side.” Queen Latifah (another pioneering hip-hop worthy of Rock Hall consideration) covered “How Long” on her 2007 covers album Trav’lin’ Light.

The Pointer Sisters were also highly visible in various media appearances throughout their career. Thanks to the crossover success of “Fairytale,” they became the first black women to perform at both the Grand Ole Opry and San Francisco’s famous War Memorial Opera House (the latter performance was captured on the live album Live at the Opera House). They were one of several R&B artists--along with legends such as James Brown, B.B. King, The Spinners, and Bill Withers--who performed at a Zaire ‘74 music festival in the days leading to the Ali-Foreman “Rumble in the Jungle” fight in Zaire, Africa (now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo). Unfortunately The Pointer Sisters do not appear in the two documentaries focusing on “The Rumble in the Jungle”: the 1996 Oscar-winning When We Were Kings and 2008 concert film Soul Power. The former will be turned into a Broadway musical and feature music from the artists at the Zaire ‘74 festival. It will open sometime next year. They also appeared in the Richard Pryor comedy classic Car Wash (1976) as The Wilson Sisters and their names even appear on the film’s poster. They performed the single “You Gonna Believe” in the film, which appeared on the film’s soundtrack and became a Top-20 hit on the R&B singles chart.

With the advent of MTV and the music video revolution beginning in the early 1980s, The Pointer Sisters exploited the music video medium to showcase their highly visual and often flamboyant (borderline campy) performances. With their flashy neon-colored outfits, shoulder-padded jackets and signature dance moves, The Pointer Sisters became mainstays in MTV’s earliest years and were among the first black artists to receive heavy rotation on the network. The zenith of their MTV-era fame came with the release of their best-selling album Break Out which featured 4 top-ten hits and provided them with the biggest mainstream success of their careers. The Sisters even appeared in several commercial bumpers to promote their music on the network. Along with Michael Jackson and Prince, The Pointer Sisters are one of the many black artists who helped break the racial barrier on MTV in its earliest years. It’s worth noting that they won the 1985 American Music Award for “Favorite R&B/Soul Video Artist” in 1985, indicative of their popularity with a new generation of music fans. The Pointer Sisters’ success on MTV paved the way for future black female artists to “break out” into the mainstream including Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson.

While they found success on MTV with their flashy music videos, The Pointer Sisters never had to worry about their songs receiving radio airplay. In total, the Pointer Sisters had 13 Top-20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, 7 of which reached the Top-10. Three of their singles—”Fire,” “He’s So Shy” and “Slowhand”—went Gold. Their albums also consistently sold well - 5 albums certified Gold and 2 albums certified Multi-Platinum (including their 1983 best-seller Break Out which sold over 3 million copies). Among the most commercially successful girl groups of all time, The Pointer Sisters have sold over 40 million records. With a decade-and-a-half of commercial success, The Pointer Sisters are among the consistently popular musical acts of their era. More often than not, The Rock Hall likes artists with longevity and The Pointer Sisters got that covered.

Judging from the current members of the Rock Hall’s Nominating Committee, I could see The Pointer Sisters showing up on a ballot in any given year. Thanks to their hit cover of the Bruce Springsteen-penned “Fire” (which afforded The Sisters a career resurgence in the late 1970s and peaked at #2 on the Pop Charts in 1978), The Pointer Sisters could get some support from Nom Com heavyweights Jon Landau and Steven Van Zandt (both of whom have very close connections to the Boss). Landau is the chair of the Nominating Committee and has been a member for almost the entire existence of the Rock Hall (since 1988!). Van Zandt, on the other hand, is one of the outspoken members of the Nominating Committee and often spouts on Twitter the artists he’d like to see inducted (mainly the likes of The J. Geils Band, Link Wray, and Procol Harum). His SiriusXM station Underground Garage does play girl groups and his support to get The Ronnettes and Darlene Love into the Rock Hall years ago is almost legendary, so perhaps he could sway the others in the room in favor of The Pointer Sisters.

Beside The Pointer Sisters’ Springsteen connection to a few of the Nominating Committee members, I could see the likes of Paul Shaffer and Questlove showing support as well. Shaffer, who has served on the Committee since 1999 and has been the musical director for almost of the Rock Hall induction performances, has publicly acknowledged his support for girl groups over the years. Although he apparently pushed for Willie Nelson at this year’s Nominating Committee meeting, I could see an act like The Pointer Sisters being his second pick. I mean, the man wrote a song called “It’s Raining Men” for The Weather Girls, obviously in the same style and mannerism as The Pointer Sisters. Questlove, on the other hand, has publicly voiced his support for more women inducted into the Rock Hall and advocated for more R&B artists to be considered (e.g., Hall & Oates, Bill Withers, War). Most notably, Questlove has repeatedly support the candidacies of Janet Jackson and Chaka Khan, the former finally getting inducted this past March. Plus, Questlove had Bonnie Pointer as a guest on his podcast show earlier this year, so maybe this could be a sign that The Pointer Sisters are on his Rock Hall radar. He went to bat for Chaka Khan the last few years, so maybe The Pointer Sisters will have to wait until Khan gets inducted. Or maybe Khan gets left off the ballot for a year or two and let other R&B stars (such as The Pointer Sisters) get a nomination. Either way, both Chaka Khan and The Pointer Sisters deserve to be inducted and their inductions could allow the Rock Hall to honor R&B—a genre severely underrepresented at the induction ceremonies this past decade.

Conclusion: How Long for the Pointer Sisters’ Rock Hall Nomination?…Betcha Got That On Your Mind

While writing this blog entry for my Rock Hall Contenders series, two Rock Hall watchers mentioned The Pointer Sisters recently and reminded me of their omission from the Rock Hall. Back in August, Hall watcher Deacon published a Tweet calling out The Pointer Sisters as a group “rarely” considered when seriously discussing viable Rock Hall candidates. He also rightfully mentions them to be “arguably the most successful R&B group of the early and mid 80s,” which makes their snub all the more puzzling. Phillip, one of the best writers on all things Rock Hall, predicted The Pointer Sisters on his blog a few weeks ago. “I hope it happens,” and I agree.

In 2016, Ruth Pointer published her memoir Still So Excited detailing her life and career in The Pointer Sisters. Her book served as an invaluable resource for more information about their professional and personal lives and should be read by any music fan. This upcoming February, Anita and Fritz Pointer will release Fairytale: The Pointers’ Family History which will definitely be a book to read next year. A few days ago, The Hollywood Museum unveiled a brand new career-retrospective exhibit on The Pointer Sisters: “Ever After: Celebrating 50 Years of Iconic Fashion.” With such media buzz as of late, maybe The Pointer Sisters will finally get a long overdue Rock Hall nomination. Not only would I be so excited, but I feel the voters should automatically vote for them. They are arguably the most successful and musically versatile girl group in recent memory not to already be enshrined. With the exception of June, the other Sisters are still alive and would become voters if inducted—so this is important to make their candidacy stronger and more urgent. In an interview from last week, Rock Hall chairman John Sykes’ pledged to nominate more women and people of color, look no further than The Pointer Sisters. Successful for over a decade-and-a-half and mainstays in the early years of MTV, I say they have a legit chance to secure a nomination sooner rather than later. Yes they can can.

Thoughts? Comments? Let me know what you think in the comments section below or on Twitter - @NickDBambach.