Randy DeBarge
Encyclopedia
William Randall "Randy" DeBarge (born August 6, 1958) 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
. Randy is also known for singing co-lead and penning lyrics with brother El
on the group's first hit, "I Like It
".
growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan
, Randy was the fourth eldest of ten children born to Robert DeBarge, Sr. and Etterlene DeBarge. The DeBarge kids all sang in church and in high school, Randy joined the local band and learned how to play bass guitar from his elder brother Tommy. When Randy was seventeen, his older brothers Bobby
and Tommy formed the Ohio
-based funk/soul group Switch
, later on signing with Motown
in 1977. Two years later, on the advice of Switch band mate Greg Williams, Motown signed Randy, El, Bunny and Mark DeBarge to Motown where they had formed the DeBarges shortening it to DeBarge following the release of their first album in 1981.
's niece Iris, the group released their sophomore release All This Love
. After the modest success of the group's funk single, "Stop! Don't Tease Me
", the second single, "I Like It
" became their first hit reaching number two on the R&B charts and crossing over to number 31. It was co-led by Randy and El, whose higher vocals carried the rest of the group's releases from then on. Within a year, DeBarge was one of the hottest-selling R&B groups in the world scoring hits such as "All This Love", "Love Me in a Special Way
", and "Rhythm of the Night
". After both El and sister Bunny
left for solo careers in 1986, Randy and his brothers recruited oldest brother Bobby to record the group's fifth release, Bad Boys, but due to the record's limited production on the independent Striped Horse label, the record tanked. After a drug conviction befell Bobby and the group's younger brother Chico
, the rest of DeBarge disbanded at the end of the eighties.
article on the whereabouts of the singing DeBarge family, Randy's mother revealed that DeBarge suffers from an incurable disease that was not fatal. DeBarge currently resides in California.
On September 21, 2011, Bunny, Bunny's daughter, James and Randy appeared on Lifechangers
, a half-hour daytime show hosted by Drew Pinsky
on The CW Television Network
. Bunny is currently in a rehabiliation program in West Hollywood, California. James entered the rehabilitation program but left few hours later. Randy left few days later.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B/soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer and bass guitarist, best known for being one of the original members of the popular Motown
Motown 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...
singing family group
DeBarge family
The DeBarge family is a family of rhythm and blues artists from Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan.-Family members:Robert Louis DeBarge, Sr. was a soldier who served for the United States Armed forces and was of French Canadian descent. He met Etterlene Abney, who is African American, in Detroit,...
DeBarge
DeBarge
DeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from...
. Randy is also known for singing co-lead and penning lyrics with brother 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....
on the group's first hit, "I Like It
I 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:...
".
Early years
Born in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, 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...
growing up in 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...
, Randy was the fourth eldest of ten children born to Robert DeBarge, Sr. and Etterlene DeBarge. The DeBarge kids all sang in church and in high school, Randy joined the local band and learned how to play bass guitar from his elder brother Tommy. When Randy was seventeen, his older brothers Bobby
Bobby 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 formed the Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
-based funk/soul 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...
, later on signing with Motown
Motown 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 1977. Two years later, on the advice of Switch band mate Greg Williams, Motown signed Randy, El, Bunny and Mark DeBarge to Motown where they had formed the DeBarges shortening it to DeBarge following the release of their first album in 1981.
DeBarge
After their 1981 debut, The DeBarges tanked, the group decided to write and produce themselves with some help from Berry GordyBerry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
's niece Iris, the group released their sophomore release 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:...
. After the modest success of the group's funk single, "Stop! Don't Tease Me
Stop! Don't Tease Me
"Stop! Don't Tease Me" was a single recorded by DeBarge on the Gordy Records label. This song was recorded and released as the first single off their second album, All This Love....
", the second single, "I Like It
I 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:...
" became their first hit reaching number two on the R&B charts and crossing over to number 31. It was co-led by Randy and El, whose higher vocals carried the rest of the group's releases from then on. Within a year, DeBarge was one of the hottest-selling R&B groups in the world scoring hits such as "All This Love", "Love Me in a Special Way
Love Me In a Special Way
"Love Me in a Special Way" is a song written and produced by El DeBarge and recorded by R&B family group DeBarge, released on the Gordy label. It was the second single from their third studio album In a Special Way.-Overview:...
", and "Rhythm of the Night
Rhythm of the Night (song)
"Rhythm of the Night" is a 1985 hit single by the American R&B band DeBarge. The song is said to have been what jump started the career of songwriter Diane Warren and was the biggest hit recorded by the Motown family singing group.-History:...
". After both El and sister Bunny
Bunny Debarge
Etterlene "Bunny" DeBarge is an American soul singer-songwriter, best known as the lone female sibling of the Motown family group DeBarge...
left for solo careers in 1986, Randy and his brothers recruited oldest brother Bobby to record the group's fifth release, Bad Boys, but due to the record's limited production on the independent Striped Horse label, the record tanked. After a drug conviction befell Bobby and the group's younger brother Chico
Chico DeBarge
Jonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBarge is an American R&B singer and a younger brother of the members of the Motown family act DeBarge...
, the rest of DeBarge disbanded at the end of the eighties.
Later years
A father of five, Randy DeBarge reportedly suffered drug and alcohol addiction but was able to find partial sobriety in the mid-1990s. According to a recent JETJet (magazine)
Jet is an American weekly marketed toward African-American readers, founded in 1951 by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois...
article on the whereabouts of the singing DeBarge family, Randy's mother revealed that DeBarge suffers from an incurable disease that was not fatal. DeBarge currently resides in California.
On September 21, 2011, Bunny, Bunny's daughter, James and Randy appeared on Lifechangers
Lifechangers
Lifechangers is an half-hour daytime show hosted by Drew Pinsky. It premiered on September 19, 2011, as part of The CW Daytime.-Overview:...
, a half-hour daytime show hosted by Drew Pinsky
Drew Pinsky
David Drew Pinsky , best known as Dr. Drew, is an American board-certified internist, addiction medicine specialist, and radio and television personality. He has hosted the nationally syndicated radio talk show Loveline since the show's inception in 1984. On television, he hosts the talk show Dr...
on The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
. Bunny is currently in a rehabiliation program in West Hollywood, California. James entered the rehabilitation program but left few hours later. Randy left few days later.