June Pointer
Encyclopedia
June Antoinette Pointer Whitmore (November 30, 1953 – April 11, 2006) was an American
Pop/R&B singer and was a founding member/and lead vocalist of the vocal group The Pointer Sisters.
founded The Pointers - A Pair. The duo
sang at several clubs, then became a trio
later on that year when 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 singles
, none of which made any substantial impact on the charts. After a few single releases, sister Ruth
joined the group in 1972, making it a quartet. The group then signed with Blue Thumb
Records and their careers finally began taking off.
in 1973, the Pointer Sisters found fame with pop hit singles such as "Yes We Can Can
", the country hit, "Fairytale", and the R&B
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 had 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 Top 10
with a cover
of Bruce Springsteen
's "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
, which included the hits "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, June 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
". June 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.
June died at 1:10pm on April 11, 2006 at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles
, California
in the company of her older sisters and brothers: Ruth, Anita, Aaron, and Fritz.
June Pointer (1989 Columbia Records)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Pop/R&B singer and was a founding member/and lead vocalist of the vocal group The Pointer Sisters.
Early life and career
Born the youngest of six to minister parents Reverend Elton and Sarah Pointer, June shared a love of singing with her sisters. In 1969, she and sister BonnieBonnie Pointer
Patricia Eva "Bonnie" Pointer is an American R&B and disco singer, most notable for being the next-to-youngest member of the 1970s and 1980s family music group, The Pointer Sisters. She scored several moderate solo hits after leaving the Pointers in 1977, including a disco cover of The Elgins'...
founded The Pointers - A Pair. The duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
sang at several clubs, then became a trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
later on that year when Anita
Anita Pointer
Anita Pointer is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter and a member of The Pointer Sisters.-Biography:...
quit her job as a secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
to join them. The group changed its name to The Pointer Sisters. The trio scored a record deal with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
and released a few singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, none of which made any substantial impact on the charts. After a few single releases, sister Ruth
Ruth Pointer
Ruth Pointer is an American R&B singer, best known for being the eldest member of The Pointer Sisters.-Early life:Pointer was born in Oakland, California. She began her vocal training as a director of a junior choir in her father's church.-The Pointer Sisters:Joining her sisters in 1972, the...
joined the group in 1972, making it a quartet. The group then signed with Blue Thumb
Blue Thumb Records
Blue Thumb Records was an American record label founded in 1968 by Bob Krasnow, along with former A&M Records executives Tommy LiPuma and Don Graham. Krasnow had been in the record business for a number of years, working as a promotion man for King Records and also working for Buddah/Kama Sutra...
Records and their careers finally began taking off.
The Pointer Sisters and solo career
Releasing their self-titled debut albumThe Pointer Sisters (album)
The Pointer Sisters is the self-titled debut by the Pointer Sisters, released in 1973 on the Blue Thumb label.-History:The album yielded the hits "Yes We Can Can" and "Wang Dang Doodle" and became a success based on word of mouth after heralded performances at The Troubadour in Los Angeles and the...
in 1973, the Pointer Sisters found fame with pop hit singles such as "Yes We Can Can
Yes We Can Can
"Yes We Can Can" is a 1973 funk classic recorded by the American R&B girl group the Pointer Sisters and released on the Blue Thumb record label...
", the country hit, "Fairytale", and the R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
hits, "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)
How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)
"How Long " is a funk classic by American family girl group the Pointer Sisters, released as the first single from their Steppin album in 1975. The song's mixture of funky R&B with the sisters' soulful harmonies and melodies helped make this song a standout early song in the group's catalog...
" and "You Gotta Believe" before Bonnie exited from the group to forge a solo career in 1977. June had briefly left the group in 1976 to sort out a growing problem with an addiction to cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
.
The remaining sisters continued on as a trio with June returning to the group and then found huge success, hitting the Top 10
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
with a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's "Fire" (1978), then following that with "He's So Shy
He's So Shy
"He's So Shy" is a the title of a song written by Tom Snow and lyricist Cynthia Weil which in 1980 became a top ten Pop hit for the Pointer Sisters.-Background:...
" (1980), and "Slow Hand
Slow Hand
Slow Hand is a ballad written by John Bettis and Michael Clark and recorded by the Pointer Sisters. It was first released in the spring of 1981 as the advance single for Black & White.-Background/ Impact:...
" (1981). They then would release what would be their biggest album to date, 1983's Break Out
Break Out (Pointer Sisters album)
Break Out is the tenth studio album by the American vocal group The Pointer Sisters, released on November 6, 1983 by Planet Records.-History:...
, which included the hits "Automatic
Automatic (Pointer Sisters song)
Ultra Naté covered "Automatic" and released it as the third single from her album Grime, Silk, & Thunder. Her version topped the US dance chart, hitting number one in the issue dated April 28, 2007.-Music video:...
"; "Jump (for My Love)
Jump (for My Love)
"Jump " was the opening track of the Pointer Sisters' 1983 album, Break Out.Released prior to the 1984 Summer Olympics games, the song's video featured footage of athletes competing in track and field events. The song was the second of four Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in a row for the sisters...
"; a re-release of "I'm So Excited
I'm So Excited
"I'm So Excited" is a song by American recording artists The Pointer Sisters. The track, written by The Pointer Sisters and Trevor Lawrence, was originally released in 1982 and saw a re-release in 1984. It is considered to be one of the group's signature songs.-Background:The song appeared...
", which became a bigger hit than when originally released in 1982; and Neutron Dance
Neutron Dance
"Neutron Dance" is a dance/R&B/New Wave song from the Pointer Sisters. Released from their album Break Out in 1984, the song hit the US Top 10, peaking at number six on the Billboard chart, and was also featured in the Eddie Murphy motion picture Beverly Hills Cop.It became the group's fourth top...
". Other hits from follow up albums included "Dare Me
Dare Me
"Dare Me" is a 1985 single released by The Pointer Sisters on the RCA label.The song was the first release from the Pointers' platinum-selling Contact and became a worldwide hit, narrowly missing the top ten of the U.S. charts , number six on the soul singles chart and was number one, for one week,...
" "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
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
During the 1980s, June 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
National Lampoon's Vacation
Vacation, sometimes referred as National Lampoon's Vacation, is a 1983 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall...
. Together with Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
she scored a top 5 pop single in 1987 with a cover of the Staples Singers' "Respect Yourself
Respect Yourself
"Respect Yourself" is the name of a classic soul song by American R&B/gospel group The Staple Singers. Released in late 1971 from their album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, the song became a crossover hit. It peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and reached #2 on the Hot Soul...
". June also gained some notoriety for posing for Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
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.
Marriage
Pointer was divorced from William Oliver Whitmore II after a 13-year marriage that ended in 1991. She had no children.Death
June had a troubled history of drug and alcohol abuse, and suffered a stroke on February 27, 2006. While in the hospital, June was also diagnosed with cancer which had metastasized in her breast, colon, liver and bone.June died at 1:10pm on April 11, 2006 at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the company of her older sisters and brothers: Ruth, Anita, Aaron, and Fritz.
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)
External links
- Pointer Sisters fan page on Bebo: http://www.bebo.com/thepointersisters
- June Pointer via Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- June Pointer profile
- Pointer Sisters discography
- June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters dies
- June Pointer - Find A Grave