June Pointer

The youngest member of the hitmaking R&B act The Pointer Sisters, June Pointer scored a handful of solo hits but enjoyed her greatest success in collaboration with her siblings, notching a series of crossover smashes including "Jump (For My Love)," "He's So Shy," and "I'm So Excited." Born November 30, 1954, in Oakland, CA, June was the youngest of six children. As a child she and her siblings sang in the choir of the West Oakland Church of God, where their parents served as ministers. By the age of 13, June was singing professionally with her sister Bonnie in a nightclub duo dubbed Pointers, a Pair. Around this time she also began battling the substance abuse demons that haunted her throughout her life. With the 1969 addition of sister Anita, the act rechristened itself The Pointer Sisters. Another sister, Ruth, soon expanded the lineup to four. Following an ill-fated tour of Texas, the group returned to the Bay Area to sign a management contract with the legendary impresario Bill Graham; after studio sessions in support of Boz Scaggs and Taj Mahal, The Pointer Sisters signed to Atlantic Records in 1971. Eschewing contemporary material and clad in vintage World War II-era fashions, the group's unique blend of soul, jazz, and gospel earned critical raves and launched their self-titled 1973 debut LP to success on both the pop and R&B charts, highlighted by the number 11 hit "Yes We Can Can." The follow-up, That's A Plenty, even generated the country radio smash "Fairytale," and in 1974 The Pointers were the first African-American women to play Nashville's legendary Grand Ole Opry.

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