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At 15 years of age, June dropped out of Castlemont High School in Oakland to form the duo “Pointers-A Pair” with her sister Bonnie, performing in Bay Area clubs. At about that time, she was raped in an East Oakland neighborhood, became pregnant, and had an abortion, according to Fritz Pointer, sparking what would become a lifelong struggle with drug addiction for Ms. Pointer.
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Fritz also went on to say this about his sister:
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“June started performing at 16, and she brought a lot of energy to the group. She had an incredible sense of humor and an ability to make people laugh. She loved life.”
Ms. Pointer’s high-pitched vocals brought vibrance to the group’s songs, and her youthful enthusiasm added life to their performances. Even off stage, Ms. Pointer was the energy of her family, her brother said, playing practical jokes and enlivening family celebrations with flamboyant costumes — Halloween was her favorite occasion — and expensive gifts.
“It was nothing for her to hand someone $100 or $150. I don’t think money meant anything to her. It was more what she could do with it for other people.”
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Although June Pointer admitted many years ago, that she’d struggled with drug addiction, this information from her brother brings a lot more clarity to her situation. Whenever someone has an addiction to anything- drugs, gambling, food, etc.- there is always a reason which will make the addiction all make sense.
So next time we see a drug addict on the street, instead of judging them, maybe we should wonder: wonder who abandoned them, wonder who abused them, wonder who told them they weren’t good enough, wonder who killed their inner child, wonder who or what killed their spirit, wonder who treated them less than a person.
June Pointer carried a burden from her childhood that was just too much for her to carry on her own. Many drug addicts were children who were wounded with cuts remaining that never healed. They could have all of the fame and money in the world, but the nature of who they are remains in tact and they psychologically remain at the scene of the crime where they were victimized, no matter how far they try to run. We’ve seen this with many celebrities- Richard Pryor (sexually abused as a child), Rick James (sexually abused as a child), Ray Charles (emotionally traumatized as a child after watching his younger brother drown), Ike Turner (sexually abused as a child) the list goes on and on. The only way to break free from the shackles of the victimization is to go through the pain, non-medicated; go through the labor naturally, with no epidural shot, and naturally bare the brunt of the labor pains to give birth to your newly healed self. There is no other way.
-ILoveOldSchoolMusic, Old School news with a new point of view
Turn the page to reminisce with us with our favorite Pointer Sister moments…
