June Pointer, the youngest member of the singing group the Pointer Sisters, has died at the age of 52. The cause of death was an unspecified type of cancer. She died at the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California according to a statement released by her family.
June, along with sisters Ruth, Anita and Bonnie, began hitting the pop and R&B charts in the 1970s. In 1977, Bonnie left to pursue a solo career and the group became a trio.
The Pointer Sisters hit the height of their career in the mid-1980s. They had hits like 'Jump (For My Love),' 'Automatic,' 'I'm So Excited' and 'Slow Hand.' The group won three Grammy awards including one for Best Country Song for 'Fairytale' in 1974. That led to the Pointer Sisters becoming the first African-American group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
In 2004, June Pointer was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine and a smoking device. She had admitted an ongoing problem with drug addiction during her career. As a result of her troubles, her appearances with her sister grew less frequent in recent years.
The Oakland native died surrounded by her sisters Ruth and Anita and her brothers, Aaron and Fritz. Sister Bonnie was not able to be with June in her final moments.
