DeBarge family
Encyclopedia
The DeBarge family is a family of rhythm and blues
artists from Detroit
and Grand Rapids, Michigan
.
descent. He met Etterlene Abney
, who is African American
, in Detroit, Michigan in the early 1950s. They married in 1953, with Robert being 21 and Etterlene going on 18. They stayed together for 21 years before divorcing in 1974. The children claimed that their father sexually abused several of them, which the father denied.
Robert and Etterline have 10 children:
and Tommy rode to fame in the late 1970s as members of the R & B group Switch
, which recorded exclusively for the Motown label. Earlier, Bobby had joined a group as background members for Barry White
called White Heat. Tommy was included in Bobby's new band Switch and the group would have success in 1978 with the top ten R&B single, "There Will Never Be". The group's first two albums became million-selling successes and the band's success would influence a generation of self-contained R&B bands such as Tony, Toni, Tone and Mint Condition
.
, Randy
, Mark
and El
- moved to Los Angeles
and signed with Motown where they went under a two-year training process by Motown's staff before releasing their first album in 1981. With the inclusion of 18-year-old James in early 1982, the group changed their name to DeBarge and released their first million-selling album, All This Love
, later that year. From 1982 to 1985, DeBarge released three gold-certified albums and released more than ten hit singles. After disbanding shortly in 1986, a reinvented version of the group now featuring Bobby DeBarge and excluding El and Bunny, released a record in 1988 before disbanding the following year due to Bobby's conviction of drug offenses.
-leaning R&B productions including most prominently "Secret Garden" with Quincy Jones
and his cover of Marvin Gaye
's "After the Dance
" with Fourplay
. DeBarge's career was halted in the mid-1990s by personal problems which later resulted in arrests. This period culminated in 2008 with a conviction on crack cocaine
charges after DeBarge violated his probation on a previous drug conviction, resulting in two arrest warrants. DeBarge was released from incarceration in October 2009, declaring himself both sober
and a born-again Christian. He has since returned to his music career and released his first studio album since 1994, Second Chance
, on November 30, 2010.
and tried recording an album - It's Not Over, his only solo project, was released in 1996 following DeBarge's death from AIDS
in 1995 at the age of 39.
" and "A Dream
" She now records independently as a gospel artist.
during the early 1980s. James and Janet annulled their marriage in 1985.
was 19 when Island Records / Sodapop released her debut album, Exposed
, in July 2009.
in 1997 recording the hit album, 1997's Long Time No See reemerging in the neo soul
scene of the late 1990s. Like most of his brothers, he has gone through several arrests for drug offenses and according to a documentary was said to still be going through drug abuse
. However, in 2009, he detailed his drug addiction on his recent release, Addiction.
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
artists from Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
.
Family members
Robert Louis DeBarge, Sr. (1932–2009) was a soldier who served for the United States Armed forces and was of French CanadianFrench Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
descent. He met Etterlene Abney
Etterlene DeBarge
Etterlene "Mama" Abney DeBarge Rodriguez is a gospel singer, songwriter, and matriarch of the famous singing DeBarge family group...
, who is African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, in Detroit, Michigan in the early 1950s. They married in 1953, with Robert being 21 and Etterlene going on 18. They stayed together for 21 years before divorcing in 1974. The children claimed that their father sexually abused several of them, which the father denied.
Robert and Etterline have 10 children:
- Etterlene "Bunny" DeBargeBunny DebargeEtterlene "Bunny" DeBarge is an American soul singer-songwriter, best known as the lone female sibling of the Motown family group DeBarge...
(oldest; [1955- ) - Robert Louis "Bobby" DeBarge, Jr.Bobby DeBargeRobert Louis "Bobby" DeBarge Jr. was an American musician and the lead singer of the 1970s Motown R&B group Switch. He was also the mentor behind his younger siblings who formed the musical group DeBarge and was the biggest influence among its members, most prominently El DeBarge...
(1956-1995) - Thomas 'Tommy' DeBarge (1957- )
- William Randall 'Randy' DeBargeRandy DeBargeWilliam Randall "Randy" DeBarge is an American R&B/soul singer and bass guitarist, best known for being one of the original members of the popular Motown singing family group DeBarge...
(1958- ) - Mark 'Marty' DeBargeMark DeBargeMark "Marty" DeBarge is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, trumpeter and flugelhorn player best known for his work as member of 1980s Motown singing family group DeBarge...
(1959- ) - Eldra Patrick "El" DeBargeEl DeBargeEldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
(1961- ) - James DeBargeJames DeBargeJames Curtis DeBarge is an American R&B and soul singer. He was one of the members of the singing family group DeBarge, who became stars with their 1980s songs "All This Love", "In a Special Way", "Rhythm of the Night", and "Who's Holding Donna Now?".DeBarge is also known for his 1984 marriage to...
(1963- ) - Jonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBargeChico DeBargeJonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBarge is an American R&B singer and a younger brother of the members of the Motown family act DeBarge...
(1966- ) - Carol "Peaches" DeBarge (1970- )
- Darryl "Young" DeBarge (1970- )
Etterlene DeBarge
Though she hasn't recorded major label releases, Etterlene has recorded gospel material mostly with members of her family with her own independent gospel releases. She is known by the name, "Mama DeBarge" or "Mama D" for short.Switch (Bobby and Tommy)
Brothers BobbyBobby DeBarge
Robert Louis "Bobby" DeBarge Jr. was an American musician and the lead singer of the 1970s Motown R&B group Switch. He was also the mentor behind his younger siblings who formed the musical group DeBarge and was the biggest influence among its members, most prominently El DeBarge...
and Tommy rode to fame in the late 1970s as members of the R & B group Switch
Switch (band)
Switch was an R&B/funk band that found fame recording for the Gordy label in the late 1970s releasing hit songs such as "There'll Never Be", "I Call Your Name" and "The Best Beat in Town" and influenced bands such as DeBarge, which featured members Bobby and Tommy's siblings.-Early years:Formed in...
, which recorded exclusively for the Motown label. Earlier, Bobby had joined a group as background members for Barry White
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
called White Heat. Tommy was included in Bobby's new band Switch and the group would have success in 1978 with the top ten R&B single, "There Will Never Be". The group's first two albums became million-selling successes and the band's success would influence a generation of self-contained R&B bands such as Tony, Toni, Tone and Mint Condition
Mint Condition
Mint Condition is an R&B band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Formed in the late 1980s, its original members were lead singer Stokley Williams, bassist Ricky Kinchen, guitarist Homer O'Dell, pianist Larry Waddell, keyboardist Keri Lewis, and keyboardist/saxophonist Jeffrey Allen...
.
DeBarge (Bunny, Randy, Mark, El and James)
Forming in 1979 as The DeBarges, the band originally included four members - BunnyBunny Debarge
Etterlene "Bunny" DeBarge is an American soul singer-songwriter, best known as the lone female sibling of the Motown family group DeBarge...
, Randy
Randy DeBarge
William Randall "Randy" DeBarge is an American R&B/soul singer and bass guitarist, best known for being one of the original members of the popular Motown singing family group DeBarge...
, Mark
Mark DeBarge
Mark "Marty" DeBarge is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, trumpeter and flugelhorn player best known for his work as member of 1980s Motown singing family group DeBarge...
and El
El DeBarge
Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
- moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and signed with Motown where they went under a two-year training process by Motown's staff before releasing their first album in 1981. With the inclusion of 18-year-old James in early 1982, the group changed their name to DeBarge and released their first million-selling album, All This Love
All This Love (album)
All This Love is the second studio album released by family singing group DeBarge on the Gordy records. The album was released on July of 1982.-Reception:...
, later that year. From 1982 to 1985, DeBarge released three gold-certified albums and released more than ten hit singles. After disbanding shortly in 1986, a reinvented version of the group now featuring Bobby DeBarge and excluding El and Bunny, released a record in 1988 before disbanding the following year due to Bobby's conviction of drug offenses.
El DeBarge
After leaving DeBarge for a solo career in 1986, El DeBarge had modest success as a solo artist peaking with the hit "Who's Johnny" and finding fame as a featured vocalist on several hip-hop and quiet stormQuiet storm
Quiet storm is a late-night radio format, featuring soulful slow jams, pioneered in the mid-1970s by then-station-intern Melvin Lindsey at WHUR-FM, in Washington, D.C. Smokey Robinson's like-titled hit single, released in 1975 as the title track to his third solo album, lent its name to the format...
-leaning R&B productions including most prominently "Secret Garden" with Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
and his cover of Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's "After the Dance
After the Dance
"After the Dance" is a slow jam recorded by singer Marvin Gaye and released as the second single off Gaye's hit album, I Want You. Though it received modest success, the song served as one of Marvin's best ballads and the song served as part of the template for quiet storm and urban contemporary...
" with Fourplay
Fourplay
Fourplay is a contemporary jazz quartet in the United States. The original members of the group were Bob James , Lee Ritenour , Nathan East , and Harvey Mason . In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the group and Fourplay chose Larry Carlton as his replacement...
. DeBarge's career was halted in the mid-1990s by personal problems which later resulted in arrests. This period culminated in 2008 with a conviction on crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
charges after DeBarge violated his probation on a previous drug conviction, resulting in two arrest warrants. DeBarge was released from incarceration in October 2009, declaring himself both sober
Sobriety
Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels, or effects from, alcohol or other drugs that alter ones mood or behaviors. According to WHO "Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms..." sobriety is continued abstinence from alcohol and psychoactive drug use...
and a born-again Christian. He has since returned to his music career and released his first studio album since 1994, Second Chance
Second Chance (album)
Second Chance is the fifth studio album by American R&B recording artist El DeBarge, released November 30, 2010, on Geffen Records and Interscope Records. It is his first studio album in 16 years and the follow-up to Heart, Mind and Soul...
, on November 30, 2010.
Bobby DeBarge
Though he remained a collaborator with his brothers and sister, Bobby DeBarge struggled with personal problems that ended his career. In 1988, he and Chico were convicted of drug trafficking charges in Michigan. After serving six years, DeBarge discovered he had AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and tried recording an album - It's Not Over, his only solo project, was released in 1996 following DeBarge's death from AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in 1995 at the age of 39.
Bunny DeBarge
In 1986, Motown released Bunny's only solo project, In Love, which flopped due to Motown's failure to promote despite the best efforts of her first and only single, "Save the Best of Your Lovin'". Most known for writing the hits "I Like ItI Like It (DeBarge song)
"I Like It" is a late 1982 hit single composed by Randy, Bunny and El DeBarge and released as a single by the family singing quintet, DeBarge, for Motown's Gordy imprint. It was the second single from their second studio album All This Love.-History:...
" and "A Dream
A Dream (DeBarge song)
"A Dream" is a 1983 song performed and recorded by the famed Motown singing family, DeBarge, for their album, In a Special Way. Though the song was not released as a single and was not a hit, the song's key legacy derives from the fame it received from the interpolation of its melody being utilized...
" She now records independently as a gospel artist.
James DeBarge
Though he hasn't had any solo success since DeBarge's breakup, James is most notable for his personal relationship and short marriage to pop singer Janet JacksonJanet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
during the early 1980s. James and Janet annulled their marriage in 1985.
Kristinia DeBarge
James' daughter KristiniaKristinia DeBarge
Kristinia DeBarge is an American singer-songwriter. She first appeared on national television in 2003 as a contestant on the American Idol spin-off, American Juniors. In 2009, DeBarge signed a contract with the Island Records department Sodapop, releasing her debut album Exposed in July of the...
was 19 when Island Records / Sodapop released her debut album, Exposed
Exposed (Kristinia DeBarge album)
Exposed is the debut studio album by American pop/R&B singer-songwriter Kristinia DeBarge. It was released in the US on July 28, 2009, and later elsewhere in August 2009 by label imprint Sodapop Records in distribution with Island Records. The album debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 with...
, in July 2009.
Chico DeBarge
Chico was 20 when he issued his first album in 1986. The first single, "Talk to Me", became a top forty smash for Chico. Branded as the "new star" of the DeBarge family, his career was interrupted by an arrest on drug trafficking charges with his brother Bobby in 1988. After a six-year ordeal, DeBarge was released and returned to music resigning with Motown RecordsMotown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
in 1997 recording the hit album, 1997's Long Time No See reemerging in the neo soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
scene of the late 1990s. Like most of his brothers, he has gone through several arrests for drug offenses and according to a documentary was said to still be going through drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
. However, in 2009, he detailed his drug addiction on his recent release, Addiction.