Anita Pointer, a founding member of the genre-spanning vocal group the Pointer Sisters, has died. According to a statement from the group, Pointer died at home in Beverly Hills surrounded by her family. Publicist Roger Neal identified the cause of death as cancer. Pointer was 74.

Pointer was born in Oakland in 1948, the fourth of six children. She and her siblings grew up singing in their father’s church. In 1969, she formed the Pointer Sisters with her sisters Bonnie, June, and Ruth. They found work singing backup and opening for artists such as Grace Slick, Sylvester, Boz Scaggs, Betty Davis, and Elvin Bishop; at a show opening for Bishop, they were signed to Atlantic in 1971. Though the arrangement ultimately went nowhere, they soon embarked on a series of other record deals that spun off two decades’ worth of hits and three Grammy wins.

The Pointer Sisters scored hits in a number of formats including pop, R&B, and country, and you can hear traces of rock, jazz, and synth-funk in their sound depending on the record. They’re now perhaps best known for their exultant #9 hit “I’m So Excited,” though they actually charted higher many times, including with “Fire,” “He’s So Shy,” “Slow Hand,” “Automatic,” “Jump (For My Love),” and “Neutron Dance.” The sisters adapted nimbly to the changing currents of pop, maintaining a connection to their gospel roots even as they embraced electronic sounds and found great success in the ’80s.

Anita Pointer was preceded in death by her only child, Jada Pointer, who died of cancer in 2003. From then on Anita raised her granddaughter Roxie Pointer. Roxie, along with Anita’s sister Ruth and brothers Aaron and Fritz, shared this statement:

While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter, Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace. She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long. Her love of our family will live on in each of us. Please respect our privacy during this period of grief and loss. Heaven is a more loving beautiful place with Anita there.

Below, revisit some Pointer Sisters classics.