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317:, another Jermaine Jackson-produced album, which included another DeBarge-penned hit, "I Call Your Name." Switch became a recording and performing attraction, not only due to the band's overall musicianship but also due to DeBarge's multi-octave vocal range. In 1980, the group had their third gold-selling album,
236:(nÊe Abney) and Army soldier Robert DeBarge Sr. in Detroit, Michigan. He had an unhappy childhood because of his father's abuse. At 15, DeBarge was introduced to heroin, which became his lifelong addiction. After his parents separated and divorced in the early 1970s, Bobby DeBarge and his family relocated to
395:" in the Switch ballad "You & I", a song he wrote in response to Jackson's single. By 1984, DeBarge had split from Jackson and later married Teri, with whom he had two children, Christian and Bobby III. DeBarge's heroin addiction started in the early 1970s and, later, he developed addictions to
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By 1987, perhaps taking their cue from Bobby splitting from his own group, El and their sister Bunny had left DeBarge to pursue solo careers, with El finding the most success. Bobby had troubles producing his solo debut, and his solo career failed to pick up, so he curtailed his aspirations and
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split vocal leads on the project. However, Bobby's career halted in 1988 after he was convicted on drug trafficking charges in Grand Rapids and was sentenced to five years in prison. Following his release, he returned to performing and recording, all the while struggling with AIDS, which he
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album years earlier, as well as signing a management agreement as partnership with Ed Wright in 1985), who guided him during 1994 to record songs he wrote in prison. The resulting album, released in August 1995 on A&E Records just before his death, was entitled
224:. Personal problems, including substance abuse which eventually led to drug trafficking charges in 1988, plagued DeBarge in later years, taking focus away from his musical career. He contracted HIV in the 1980s, and died of AIDS complications in 1995 at age 39.
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280:, which included DeBarge's incredible singing and piano performance on his composition "Please Don't Let Me Go", released in 1977 on Polydor/Germany, in 1979 in the USA/Canada as SMASH on Source Records/MCA, and in 2005 on Burndsman Records worldwide.
295:, because of their ability to "switch" instruments. At Williams' invitation, DeBarge, seeking a chance to find musical stardom, vowed to get clean from his heroin addiction. Motown soon signed the act, which now included Bobby's brother Tommy.
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thanks to "There'll Never Be," which was solely written by DeBarge, and also featured a favorite ballad of theirs, "I Want to Be Closer", on which
Phillip Ingram and DeBarge shared lead. The following year, the group hit gold again with
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That year, DeBarge returned to Grand Rapids, despondent that his career hadn't progressed; he ventured deeper into a heroin addiction. After the break up of White Heat, Gregory
Williams remained in
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prison for drug trafficking charges. Following his release in 1993, he vowed to stay clean, signing a management agreement with Bernd
Lichters (for whom DeBarge, with Hot Ice, recorded the
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676:"The Roots of Switch and DeBarge: Home | Burndsman.com | All about The DeBarges and how it started with El, Randy, Chico, Bobby, James, Mark and Tommy"
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the song "Queen of My Heart", in which he performed falsetto ad-libs near the end of the recording. The track later re-appeared on DeBarge's third album,
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that year. The following year, White dropped all but one musician from the band due to tax issues. The group â which consisted of DeBarge, Williams,
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in Grand Rapids. He died of AIDS complications there on August 16, 1995, at the age of 39. He is buried in
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While in prison, DeBarge confided to his family that he had contracted HIV. When he became gravely ill, his family sent him to a
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In 1975, after teaming up with fellow Grand Rapids musician
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Bunny DeBarge and former Switch bandmate
Gregory Williams discussed Bobby's bisexuality in Switch's episode of the
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contracted sometime in the late 1980s prior to his prison sentence. He finished his last musical work,
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200:(March 5, 1956 â August 16, 1995) was an American musician. He was the lead singer of the Motown
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series, the network released a biopic about Bobby DeBarge. He was portrayed by Disney alum
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Things came to a head in 1981 when, following the release of Switch's fifth album
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Episode 4: "The DeBarge Family". Aired
December 3, 2008.
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joined his siblings' group, forming a revamped DeBarge
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A year after their signing, the band released their
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472:In 1988, he was sentenced to five years in a
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622:. Johnson Publishing Company. March 3, 2008.
702:Motown: Hot Wax, City Cool & Solid Gold
652:Gonzales, Michael A. (September 10, 2017).
1296:American people convicted of drug offenses
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820:Kimberly C. Roberts (February 27, 2019).
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847:"Now Playing: The Bobby DeBarge Story"
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822:"Bobby DeBarge story comes to TV One"
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383:For several years, he pursued
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735:. Johnson Publishing Company.
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198:Robert Louis DeBarge Jr.
53:Robert Louis DeBarge Jr.
1132:Who's Holding Donna Now
1291:American male pianists
208:and was noted for his
88:Grand Rapids, Michigan
43:Background information
1286:American funk singers
562:Reaching for Tomorrow
1341:Singers from Detroit
1090:Stop! Don't Tease Me
664:on October 17, 2007.
232:DeBarge was born to
1125:Rhythm of the Night
1054:Ultimate Collection
1024:Rhythm of the Night
769:Motown Encyclopedia
518:DeBarge discography
431:improve the article
1039:Compilation albums
751:has generic name (
496:In popular culture
204:/soul vocal group
37:DeBarge circa 1979
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1187:Kristinia DeBarge
1182:Etterlene DeBarge
779:978-1-311-44154-6
772:. AC Publishing.
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854:. Retrieved
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829:. Retrieved
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163:Years active
83:(1995-08-16)
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1241:1995 deaths
1236:1956 births
1197:Discography
1064:Soundtracks
856:December 8,
749:|last=
685:November 2,
523:with Switch
512:Discography
342:debut album
308:gold status
300:debut album
264:debut album
260:Barry White
172:Formerly of
139:Instruments
116:Occupations
1230:Categories
971:El DeBarge
604:References
530:White Heat
460:series on
423:unbalanced
306:, reached
256:Midwestern
228:Early life
154:percussion
125:songwriter
64:1956-03-05
49:Birth name
1097:I Like It
741:cite book
706:Doubleday
635:Billboard
554:Switch II
474:Wisconsin
435:talk page
314:Switch II
274:entitled
234:Etterlene
167:1975â1995
148:keyboards
1215:Category
1160:You Babe
1030:Bad Boys
584:Bad Boys
364:Bad Boys
333:Switch V
272:Hot Ice,
210:falsetto
131:musician
128:composer
1082:Singles
931:DeBarge
490:hospice
429:Please
421:may be
397:cocaine
387:of the
360:quartet
325:cocaine
214:DeBarge
202:R&B
184:DeBarge
102:R&B
1192:Switch
808:Unsung
796:Unsung
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599:(1995)
586:(1987)
573:(1980)
565:(1980)
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549:(1978)
546:Switch
541:(1977)
533:(1975)
502:Unsung
462:TV One
457:Unsung
293:Switch
244:Career
206:Switch
179:Switch
145:Vocals
122:Singer
95:Genres
90:, U.S.
73:, U.S.
401:crack
368:James
285:Akron
222:Bunny
151:piano
858:2023
833:2021
774:ISBN
753:help
710:ISBN
687:2019
591:Solo
399:and
220:and
107:soul
78:Died
58:Born
893:at
732:Jet
619:Jet
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