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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = June Pointer| image = June Pointer.jpg| background = solo_singer| birth_name = June Antoinette Pointer| alias = June Antoinette Pointer Whitmore| birth_date = Birth date |1953|11|30|birth_place = Oakland, California|Oakland , California | death_date = death date and age|2006|04|11|1953|11|30|death_place = Los Angeles, California | origin = Oakland, California|Oakland , California , United States|USA | instrument = Vocals | genre = R& B , soul music|soul , pop music|pop , dance music|dance , rock music|rock , Jazz music|Jazz , country music|country | occupation = Singing|Singer | years_active = 1969–2004| label = Atlantic Records|Atlantic Blue Thumb ABC Records|ABC Planet Records|Planet Columbia Records|Columbia RCA Records|RCA Motown Records|Motown SBK Records|SBK | associated_acts = Pointer Sisters|The Pointer Sisters | website = http://www.thepointersistersfans.com/June%20Antoinette%20Pointer%20-%20Obituary.html June Antoinette Pointer Whitmore (November 30, 1953 – April 11, 2006) was an United States|American pop/ R& B singing|singer and was a founding member and lead vocalist of the vocal group The Pointer Sisters .
Biography
Early life and career
Born the youngest of six to minister parents Reverend Elton and Sarah Pointer, Pointer shared a love of singing with her sisters. In 1969, she and sister Bonnie Pointer|Bonnie founded The Pointers - A Pair . The duet (music)|duo sang at several clubs, then became a Trio (music)|trio later on that year when Anita Pointer|Anita quit her job as a secretary to join them. The group changed its name to The Pointer Sisters. The trio scored a record deal with Atlantic Records and released a few single (music)|singles , none of which made any substantial impact on the charts. After a few single releases, sister Ruth Pointer|Ruth joined the group in 1972, making it a quartet. The group then signed with Blue Thumb Records|Blue Thumb Records and their careers finally began taking off.
Releasing their The Pointer Sisters (album)|self-titled debut album in 1973, the Pointer Sisters found fame with pop hit singles such as " Yes We Can Can ", the country hit, " Fairytale (Pointer Sisters song)|Fairytale ", and the Rhythm and blues|R& B chart-topper|hits , " How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side) " and "You Gotta Believe" before Bonnie exited from the group to forge a solo career in 1977. June briefly left the group in 1976 to sort out a growing problem with an addiction to cocaine .
The remaining sisters continued on as a trio with June returning to the group and then found huge success, hitting the Billboard charts|Top 10 with a cover version|cover of Bruce Springsteen 's " Fire (Bruce Springsteen song)|Fire " (1978), then following that with " He's So Shy " (1980), and " Slow Hand " (1981). They then would release what would be their biggest album to date, 1983's Break Out (Pointer Sisters album)|Break Out , which included the hits " Automatic (Pointer Sisters song)|Automatic "; " Jump (for My Love) "; a re-release of " I'm So Excited ", which became a bigger hit than when originally released in 1982; and Neutron Dance ". Other hits from follow up albums included " Dare Me " "Freedom" and "Goldmine". June is notable for being the lead singer of "He's So Shy", "Jump (For My Love)", "Baby Come And Get It" and "Dare Me" among others. The group eventually would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .
During the 1980s, Pointer ventured into a solo career, releasing albums in 1983 and 1989. She scored modest hits with "Ready For Some Action" (1983) and 1989's "Tight On Time (I'll Fit U In)". She also performed the song "Little Boy Sweet" for the 1983 film '' National Lampoon's Vacation ''. Together with Bruce Willis she scored a top 5 pop single in 1987 with a cover of the Staples Singers ' " Respect Yourself ". Pointer also gained some notoriety for posing for Playboy magazine in the 80's.
Struggling with drug addiction for much of her career, June was ousted from the Pointer Sisters by 2004 as her sisters hoped and waited for her to become drug-free. Ruth's daughter filled in for June during stage performances.
On April 22, 2004, June Pointer was charged with felony cocaine possession and misdemeanor possession of a smoking device. She was ordered to a rehabilitation facility. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-04-12-pointer-obit_x.htm? POE=LIFISVA http://www.nndb.com/people/884/000024812/
Marriage
Pointer was divorced from William Oliver Whitmore II after a 13-year marriage that ended in 1991. She had no children. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20062077,00.html
Death
Pointer had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, and suffered a stroke on February 27, 2006. While in the hospital, she was diagnosed with cancer, which had metastasized in her breast, colon, liver and bones. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi? f=/c/a/2006/04/13/BAG99I8FQA1.DTL
June Pointer died on April 11, 2006, at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles , California in the company of her family.
Solo Discography
Baby Sister (1983 Planet Records) # "Ready for Some Action" (5:59) # "I Will Understand" (4:32) # "To You, My Love" (4:26) # "New Love, True Love" (4:23) # "I'm Ready for Love" (3:58) # "You Can Do It" (4:32) # "Always" (3:50) # "My Blues Have Come" (4:25) # "Don't Mess With Bill" (3:07)
June Pointer (1989 Columbia Records) # "Tight on Time (I'll Fit U In)" (4:00) # "Parlez Moi D'Amour (Let's Talk About Love)" (4:38) # "Why Can't We Be Together" (4:34) # "How Long (Don't Make Me Wait)" (4:21) # "Put Your Dreams Where Your Heart Is" (4:57) # "Keeper of the Flame" (4:50) # "Love Calling" (3:36) # "Fool for Love" (4:35) # "Live With Me" (5:35) # "Love on the Line" (5:10)
References
Reflist
External links
Pointer Sisters fan page on Bebo: http://www.bebo.com/thepointersisters
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0688462/ June Pointer via Internet Movie Database
http://www.thepointersistersfans.com/june.html June Pointer profile
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060412/ap_en_mu/obit_pointer_6 June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters dies
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi? page=gr& GRid=13925216 June Pointer - Find A Grave
The Pointer Sisters Persondata | NAME =Pointer, June | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =November 30, 1953 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Oakland, California|Oakland , California | DATE OF DEATH =April 11, 2006 | PLACE OF DEATH = Los Angeles, California DEFAULTSORT:Pointer, June Category:1953 births Category:2006 deaths Category:Pointer Sisters members Category:American female singers Category:African American female singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:Deaths from bone cancer Category:Deaths from liver cancer Category:Deaths from lung cancer Category:People from Oakland, California Category:Musicians from California Category:Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Cancer deaths in California
