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 Chocolate City. 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' Casablanca 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 Chocolate City went out of business, the band moved to Elektra, where they scored seven additional Top Ten R&B singles, including the crossover hit "Object of My Desire" -- along with René & Angela's "I'll Be Good" and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam'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 Uptown label and involved productions from new jack swing heavyweights Teddy Riley, Al B. Sure!, and Keith Sweat, 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 Milli Vanilli. Ennis was briefly in Experience Unlimited (E.U.). 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