If you were around in the 1970s and 1980s, you already know that the DeBarge family dominated R&B music along with The Sylvers and The Jacksons. The siblings, who grew up in Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan, found music as a way to cope with the physical abuse they suffered at the hands of their father, a white Army veteran and the bullying they experienced as biracial children in the 1960s and 70s.
When their talent caught the attention of Berry Gordy and got them signed to Motown Records, they left their hometown and made hit songs that have been sampled by the likes of Mary J. Blige and The Notorious B.I.G. But the siblings were never really able to escape the pain of their childhood, and their battles with addiction eventually led to a series of tragedies and the group’s split.
This is the story of the DeBarge family.
An Unlikely Pair
The DeBarge family story begins in Detroit, Michigan with their parents Robert Louis DeBarge Sr and Etterlene Abney. Robert, a white Army veteran and Etterlene, a Black homemaker and gospel singer, met when Etterlene was just 17 years old.
The pair, who married in 1953, would go on to have ten children together – Bunny, Bobby, Tommy, Randy, Marty, El, James, Chico, Carol and Darrell. But Etterlene would soon find out that her husband had a dark side.
“He was insanely jealous,” she said in a 2011 interview. “He told me, ‘If any man ever talks to you, let me know.’ He didn’t want me wearing jewelry or wigs or makeup, because he didn’t want me to look pretty.”
A Broken Home
Things were difficult for the interracial family in the 1960s, and as their father struggled to maintain steady work, he took his frustrations out on his wife and children, in the form of mental and physical abuse. Etterlene eventually moved the children from Detroit to Grand Rapids to be closer to her family.
“I can remember coming home from school and the back door [was] on the floor where my dad had just bust the door in because my mom wouldn’t let him in,” Bunny said in an interview for Unsung. ”My mom with a black eye holding ice over her eye where he had fought her.”
Music as Healing
While the DeBarge siblings endured their fair share of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of their father, they found strength in their faith and their music. Although their parents didn’t have money to pay for music lessons, the kids learned to play instruments by ear, wrote songs and practiced harmonizing regularly. All of that work would eventually catapult them to stardom.
It Started With Switch
Bobby and Tommy DeBarge were the first in the family to find success in the music industry in the late 1970s as members of the R&B and funk band Switch.
The DeBarges and their bandmates, Gregory Williams, Phillip Ingram, Eddie Fluellen, and Jody Sims signed a deal with Motown Records in 1977, and would go on to release timeless hits like “I Call Your Name” and “There’ll Never Be.”
While all of the band members were talented singers and musicians, Bobby DeBarge’s amazing falsetto voice became part of their signature sound.
DeBarge
Not long after the older brothers blew up, younger siblings Randy, Mark, Bunny and El DeBarge got their own deal with Motown in 1981, performing as The DeBarges. James DeBarge would join the group later.
Their first album didn’t make much of a splash, but Motown didn’t give up on them, and their talent and good looks were about to pay off.
“All This Love”
In 1982, the group released their second album, “All This Love,” and scored a major hit with the beautiful ballad of the same name, which peaked at number five on the R&B charts and number one on the adult contemporary charts.
In a 2022 interview, El DeBarge says he originally wrote the song with Marvin Gaye in mind. But when you hear El’s vocals, it’s hard to imagine anyone else singing it.
“I Like It”
The group found another hit with the single “I Like It.” The song, written by El, Bunny and Randy DeBarge, peaked at number two on the R&B charts.
Commercial Success
With chart-topping hits and Hollywood good looks, the 1980s were all about DeBarge. One of the biggest examples of their mainstream appeal is this McDonald’s ad from 1984 that uses their hit, “I Like It.”
Commerical Success
Practically every teen in the 1980s had a collection of DeBarge’s magazine covers!
“Rhythm of The Night”
In 1985, DeBarge followed up on the success of their previous hits with “Rhythm of the Night,” which was used in the film “The Last Dragon.” The song exploded on the charts, reaching number one on the R&B charts and number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The group made a cameo in the film and a music video for the single. Unfortunately, it would be the last video the siblings would make together.
“Stay With Me”
Without question, the music of DeBarge has left a lasting impact on the industry. Artists like Mary J. Blige and Ashanti have sampled their magical melodies. But one of the most iconic uses has to be “Stay With Me,” which was famously sampled by The Notorious B.I.G on his hit song “One More Chance.”
A Musical Merger
In the mid-1980s, James DeBarge found love with Janet Jackson. In an interview for her A&E docuseries, Janet says they found common ground in their musical families and teenage stardom. The pair surprised everyone in 1984 when James DeBarge married Janet Jackson in a secret ceremony. But it wouldn’t be long before James’ issues with drugs would cause problems in their relationship. The marriage was annulled less than a year after they tied the knot.
Rising Star
DeBarge’s road to success was often derailed by the member’s issues with heroin addiction. The siblings often turned to drugs to mask the pain they endured as children in a broken home.
“My family is in need of healing, and I feel that it has caused a lot of hurt and pain and has been part of our drug problems, things that have happened in our childhood,” Bunny DeBarge said in a 2008 interview with NPR.
In 1989, the group officially broke up, and Motown began to put their energy behind making El DeBarge a solo star.
“Who’s Johnny?”
In 1986, El DeBarge released the solo single, “Who’s Johnny” which was used in the film “Short Circuit.” But just as quickly as his star began to rise, it would soon fall, due to his ongoing battle with drug addiction and a series of arrests on drug-related charges. Most recently, in 2023, he was arrested by the Burbank police and charged with illegal possession of a baton, unlawful use of tear gas, illegal possession of a controlled substance and illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.
One Wrong Move
The late 1980s saw DeBarge siblings Bobby and Chico take a tragic fall when they were arrested in 1988 on drug trafficking charges after being caught trying to smuggle over two pounds of cocaine from Michigan to Los Angeles.
The brothers were each sentenced to six years in federal prison.
Chico’s Return
Chico was never a member of DeBarge and instead wanted to make a name for himself in the industry as a solo artist. After his release from prison, he came back with a vengeance with new music. In 1997, he released the album “Long Time No See,” which included the hit R&B single “Iggin’ Me.”
Check out Nia Long, who plays his love interest in the music video.
Loss of a Legend
While serving his prison sentence, Bobby DeBarge contracted HIV. As his health declined, his family placed him in hospice care. In 1995, he died of AIDS-related complications at age 39.
There’ll Never Be Another Like Tommy
The DeBarge family suffered another tragic loss when Tommy DeBarge, who battled liver and kidney disease for several years, passed away in 2021 at age 64.
“His legacy will live on in the hearts of all those who love him so much and in the beautiful music he created with our brother Bobby, as well as that of his musical peers in the famous R&B group Switch!” his brother El wrote in a touching tribute on Instagram announcing his passing.
“The Kept Ones”
In 2014, Bunny released the first in a series of memoirs. “The Kept Ones,” details the ups and downs she and her siblings experienced on their road to stardom.
Missing Their Matriarch
In February 2024, the DeBarge family matriarch passed away at 88 years old.
“I LOVE YOU MAMA” I AM SO BLESSED AND SO GRATEFUL TO BE YOUR SON! YOU DID YOUR WORK DOWN HERE FAITHFULLY NOW REST MY QUEEN IN GODS LOVING ARMS. SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE. I WILL CARRY ON THE LEGACY AND CONTINUE TO BE THE MAN THAT YOU RAISED ME TO BE,” El wrote in an Instagram tribute announcing her passing.
A New Generation
Musical talent runs deep in the DeBarge family, and many of the original group members’ children are following in their parents’ footsteps and creating a sound of their own, like Tommy’s son, Andrew DeBarge.
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