From time to time I like to talk about some of the music on my personal MP3 player. This week I must discuss another of my favorite groups from the 80’s: Starpoint. Most of you may know them because of one big hit: “Object of my Desire”. You still hear it played on radio stations across the U.S. I remember quite well that hit song and like most folks loved it. But not until recent years have I really listened to the bulk of their material.
But I want to talk about more than just their music. You see, there’s a really emotional story behind the music. For me, I seemed to learn the entire story from the end to the beginning but I’m going to relate it to you in quick, chronological order. In the late 1970’s the group roster solidified and became known as Starpoint. The group members included: Renee Diggs and Kayode Adeyemo on vocals, Ernesto Phillips guitar, Orlando Phillips on bass, George Phillips Jr. on keyboards and Greg Phillips on drums. During the 80’s this group released on average an album a year, including 1985’s Restless album with the smash hit “Object of my Desire”. During this time Diggs and Ernesto Phillips became romantically involved. Sometimes this can be the kiss of death but the relationship and band success both blossomed. With all the success came major problems as lead singer Renee Diggs was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the height of the promotion for the Restless album. Even though touring would be a major challenge, she stayed with the band and continued to perform and record without missing a beat. In 1990 the group finally disbanded and went their separate ways with Diggs recording a solo album released in Europe. Tragically, Ernesto Phillips died March 25, 2004 due to a stroke. Almost one year later on March 18, 2005 Renee Diggs died due to a heart condition. Please make it a point to listen to some of their music. I’m so glad they left some musical gems for all to enjoy. They truly left music for a lifetime.