One sister, Bunny DeBarge, and four brothers, Mark, James, Randy and El DeBarge, combined to form this family group in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1978. Coming from a talented clan of 10, the DeBarge members grew up singing and playing musical instruments in church under the direction of their mom, gospel vocalist Etterlene DeBarge and their uncles Pastor Williams Abney and choir director James Abney, before taking it to the professional level. Older brothers Bobby and Tommy were members of Motown's hit act Switch along with Gregory Williams (still active as a producer, writer, musician) who currently serves as business partner and representative to DeBarge.
When DeBarge signed to Motown Records in 1979, they were viewed and marketed as successors to the young Jackson Five. After serious grooming by Motown's Artist Development department, the group (then known as "The DeBarges") was launched with their self-titled album "The DeBarges" in March 1981 which gained initial R&B success some 18 months later. During the '80s, their trademark sound spawned numerous singles off of three back-to-back platinum albums, "All This Love" (1982), "In a Special Way" (1983) and "Rhythm Of The Night" (1985), which created instant classics. The single release of "I Like It" kicked-off their success and crossed over into the pop charts, while two 1983 hits, "All This Love" and "Time Will Reveal", established DeBarge as one of America's most popular acts in the teenage market and soon gave them another chart topping single for Motown, "Love Me In A Special Way". A support slot on Luther Vandross's 1984 US tour brought them to a wilder audience, and in 1985 they scored their biggest hit with the seductive "Rhythm Of The Night", taken from the soundtrack to Motown's film "The Last Dragon", in which the group also appeared. This single reached number 3 in the US charts, a success that the follow-up release "Who's Holding Donna Now" came close to repeating. Another DeBarge soundtrack single was "Who's Johnny" for the film "Short Circuit". Lead vocalist El DeBarge, who had become synonymous with the group's name, made his decision to go solo in February 1986.
Reuniting for the first time since their split in 1986, the group consisting of El, James, Mark and Randy re-emerges (first on the concert scene and soon on recording) as DeBarge featuring El DeBarge: with future plans that will frequently include sister Bunny. Currently enjoying the success of Motown's CD releases "DeBarge Greatest Hits" and "The Ultimate Collection" (to date each having sold upward of Five Hundred Thousand units) … DeBarge is Back!! This group's track record for hits, exciting live performances along with their determination to continue building their "legacy of excellence" are sure to give their loyal audience and new audiences the integrity, substance and quality DeBarge is so well known for. So step back and watch this rocket take off … BACK TO THE TOP!!!~the official DeBarge Bio
