Pointer sister dies

Los Angeles – June Pointer, the youngest of the Pointer Sisters – known for the ’70s and ’80s hits “I’m So Excited,” “Fire” and “Slow Hand” – has died of cancer, her family said Wednesday. She was 52.

Pointer died Tuesday at Santa Monica University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center, the family said in a statement. She had been hospitalized since late February. The type of cancer wasn’t disclosed.

Ruth, Anita, Bonnie and June Pointer grew up singing in the choir of an Oakland church where their parents were ministers. Bonnie and June formed a singing duo and began performing in clubs around the San Francisco Bay area. Anita and Ruth later joined the group.

Their self-titled debut album was released in 1973, and the song “Yes We Can Can” became their first hit. They followed up with “That’s A Plenty,” which featured an eclectic mix of musical styles ranging from jazz to country and pop. They won a Grammy Award in 1974 for best country vocal performance by a group for the song “Fairytale.”

Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1977 for a solo career. The Pointer Sisters recorded several more albums, including 1984’s “Break Out,” which won two Grammys for “Automatic” and “Jump (for My Love).” The album’s other hit song, “Neutron Dance,” was prominently featured in the movie “Beverly Hills Cop.”

Prince completes training

Sandhurst, England – Britain’s Prince Harry graduated Wednesday from the elite Sandhurst military academy.

In attendance were Harry’s dad, Prince Charles, and grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, who turns 80 on April 21, and who inspected the cadets.

The 21-year-old, who’s acquired quite a reputation as a party boy, completed 40 weeks of training to become a second lieutenant in charge of 11 men and four light tanks in an army reconnaissance unit – which may have to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan.

In an earlier interview, Harry said he’s not afraid to fight: “There’s no way I’m going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country.”

Back to Glastonbury

London – Kylie Minogue has been asked to headline the Glastonbury music festival in 2007, two years after she canceled her performance when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Michael Eavis, a working farmer who stages the event – the highlight of the British summer music calendar – in his own fields, said he has asked the 37-year-old Australian to perform next year.

“Kylie is coming back hopefully. Her people are quite confident, she wants to do it,” Eavis said Tuesday at the London premiere of “Glastonbury,” a movie documenting the festival’s 35-year history. “Her shows are so theatrical they are almost like a circus in a way, which really fits in with Glastonbury.”