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June Pointer, Singer born

June Pointer

June Pointer’s birth in 1953 is marked on this date. She was a Black singer best known for her work with The Pointer Sisters.

Born in Oakland, CA, the youngest of six siblings and the youngest of four daughters to minister parents, June Antoinette Pointer found a love for singing.  In 1969, she and her elder sister Bonnie formed "The Pointers - A Pair." The duo became a trio when Anita quit her secretarial job to join them, changing their name to The Pointer Sisters later that year.  After unsuccessful recordings with Atlantic Records and enlisting eldest sister Ruth in 1972, they signed with Blue Thumb Records, where their career took off.

Releasing their self-titled debut album in 1973, the group had hit singles such as "Yes We Can Can," Fairytale," "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)," and "You Gotta Believe." The group's other successes came with their Bruce Springsteen cover of "Fire" (1978), "He's So Shy" (1980), "Slow Hand" (1981), and "I'm So Excited" (1982). In 1983, their landmark album Break Out featured "Jump (for My Love)" and a re-release of "Excited." June was the lead singer of hit songs such as "He's So Shy," "Jump (For My Love)," "Baby, Come and Get It," and "Dare Me."

She ventured into a solo career, releasing two solo albums in 1983 and 1989 with hits "Ready For Some Love" and "Tight On Time (I'll Fit U In)." In 1991, she divorced William Oliver Whitmore II after a 13-year marriage; she had no children. Struggling with drug addiction for much of her life, Pointer left the Pointer Sisters in 2005.

June Pointer died from lung cancer on April 11, 2006, in the arms of her sisters Ruth and Anita, with brothers Aaron and Fritz by her side.

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