Patricia Eva "Bonnie" Pointer, born July 11, 1950, in Oakland, California, carved an indelible mark on the landscape of American popular music as a founding member of the iconic vocal group the Pointer Sisters. As the third of four sisters, she co-founded the group in 1969 with her youngest sibling, June, establishing a signature 1940s-influenced vocal style and fashion sense that would define the ensemble's early identity. The duo soon expanded to a trio and eventually a quartet after sisters Anita and Ruth joined, with Bonnie's creative partnership with Anita proving particularly fruitful. Together, they co-wrote the songs "Fairytale" in 1974 and "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)" in 1975, with the former earning the group a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. During her tenure with the group from 1973 to 1977, the Pointer Sisters recorded four studio albums and one live album, earning two Gold record certifications in 1974 for The Pointer Sisters and That's a Plenty.

In 1977, Pointer made the pivotal decision to leave the group and pursue a solo career, signing with Motown Records. Her solo output spanned four albums between 1978 and 2011, with her first two self-titled releases—commonly distinguished as the red album in 1978 and the purple album in 1979—both reaching the Top 40 on Billboard's R&B album chart. While her later albums failed to chart, her disco-infused cover of the Elgins' "Heaven Must Have Sent You" became a standout success, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 1, 1979, and achieving dance club hits across the United States, Canada, Belgium, New Zealand, and notably topping the pop chart in Mexico. Her personal life included a marriage to Motown producer Jeffrey Bowen from 1980 until their divorce in 2016.

While the Pointer Sisters went on to achieve their greatest commercial success in the 1980s under producer Richard Perry, Bonnie's solo career tapered off after 1980, and she openly struggled with alcohol and drug addiction in the ensuing decades. She remained connected to her musical roots, teaming up with Anita to write additional songs and joining her sisters for public events in 1994 and 1996. Her presence extended to the screen as well, appearing as herself in the 2010 film Road to Nowhere and being featured in the 2016 documentary Jewel's Catch One, which explored the Los Angeles disco scene. Bonnie Pointer passed away at her home on June 8, 2020, from a heart attack at the age of 69, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneering vocalist whose contributions helped shape the sound of contemporary R&B and pop music.