Starpoint

Rooted in J.R. & the Royals, a band that dates back to the late '60s, as well as later incarnation Licyndiana, Starpoint took flight following the signing of a contract with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Chocolate+City%22">Chocolate City</a>. From 1980 through 1982, the band -- Renée Diggs, Kayode Adeyemo, Marvin Ennis, and Phillips brothers Ernesto, George, Greg, and Orlando -- recorded four albums for Cecil Holmes' <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Casablanca%22">Casablanca</a> sublabel. Their biggest hit during this phase was the first single, the disco-funk jam "I Just Wanna Dance with You," which debuted on Billboard's R&B chart in July 1980 and peaked at number 19. Once <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Chocolate+City%22">Chocolate City</a> went out of business, the band moved to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Elektra%22">Elektra</a>, where they scored seven additional Top Ten R&B singles, including the crossover hit "Object of My Desire" -- along with <a href="spotify:artist:01Wck2m10xhdxUrLaMq60y">René & Angela</a>'s "I'll Be Good" and <a href="spotify:artist:1vgjN6nIPNKiiQGE9PtzTT">Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam</a>'s "I Wonder If I Take You Home," one of the biggest synthesizer-heavy pop-R&B smashes of 1985. From there, Starpoint didn't navigate the developments in their genre quite as smoothly. Their fine final album, released in 1990, bore the logo of the venerable <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Uptown%22">Uptown</a> label and involved productions from new jack swing heavyweights <a href="spotify:artist:5VDmBevaLkMLnK0rLOjijw">Teddy Riley</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1fvz0vd4P0LNMkAysF1ivk">Al B. Sure!</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2r09Inibex3C4ZNTUVSG3m">Keith Sweat</a>, but it didn't chart. Diggs subsequently released a solo album. Shortly thereafter, Adeyemo's career got a boost when "Girl You Know It's True" -- a song he co-wrote, originally recorded by Numarx -- was covered by <a href="spotify:artist:3vRclCt9VnNhYIxFMQCxuM">Milli Vanilli</a>. Ennis was briefly in Experience Unlimited (<a href="spotify:artist:7fIfKG7oJGO4p8wvyi6adh">E.U.</a>). In 2004, Ernesto Phillips died of a stroke, and almost exactly a year later, Diggs, her longtime partner, died of a heart condition. Surviving members continued to perform as Starpoint Band into the 2010s. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi