Remembering June Pointer Of The Pointer Sisters PDF Print E-mail
Written by West Brown   
junepointerThe youngest of the legendary Pointer Sisters (and youngest of all six Pointer siblings), was best known for her part in a string of genre-defying '70s and '80s hits.

The sisters, along with their two older brothers, grew up singing in the choir of an Oakland, CA church where their parents were ministers. In 1969, she and elder sister Bonnie formed "The Pointers - A Pair" which became a trio later when Anita joined and then morphed into a quartet when eldest sister Ruth came aboard in 1972. They then took the name The Pointer Sisters.

After releasing their self-titled debut in 1973, the Pointer Sisters had hits with the funky "Yes We Can Can", the country song "Fairytale", and the R&B tunes "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)" and "You Gotta Believe." Bonnie left the group for a solo career in 1977.

Up until this point, the members had become known for their unique costumes composed of vintage 40s clothing. They ditched the look for a more contemporary look and embarked on the biggest success of the group's career. The sisters generated a string of classics including a smoldering cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire" (1978), "He's So Shy" (1980), "Slow Hand" (1981), "I'm So Excited" (1982), "Should I Do It" (1982), "American Music" (1982), "Automatic" (1984) and the monstrous "Jump (for My Love)" in 1985. Throughout their career, the sisters continued to defy genre labels by embracing all kinds of styles in their music.

She embarked on a solo career, dropped two solo albums in 1983 and 1989, and had minor hits "Ready For Some Love" and "Tight On Time (I'll Fit U In)." She also sang lead vocal on the Pointer Sisters back-up of Bruce Willis' 1987 hit "Respect Yourself."

The group's hits diminished by the late 80s, but they continued to record into the 90s. The sisters were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and continued performing into the new millenium. Fighting substance abuse, June was forced to leave the Pointer Sisters by 2005.

June Pointer died after a long struggle with lung cancer, surrounded by sisters Ruth and Anita, and brothers Aaron and Fritz on April 11, 2006.

Anita and Ruth still perform as the Pointer Sisters, which now includes Ruth's daughter Issa Pointer.

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