Bobby DeBarge
| Bobby DeBarge | |
|---|---|
DeBarge circa 1979.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Louis DeBarge Jr. |
| Also known as | Bobby DeBarge |
| Born | March 5, 1956 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 16, 1995 (aged 39) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1975–95 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
Robert Louis "Bobby" DeBarge, Jr. (March 5, 1956 – August 16, 1995) was an American singer and musician. DeBarge was the lead singer of the Motown R&B/Soul vocal group Switch and was noted for his impressive falsetto vocals. Later on, he served as both mentor and a co-producer of his siblings' band, DeBarge, later joining them to fill in for departing members El and Bunny. A five-year conviction on drug trafficking charges derailed his career for several years. Due to years of drug use, DeBarge contracted HIV and died of AIDS complications in August 1995 at age 39.
Robert Louis DeBarge, Jr. was born in Detroit to Etterlene (née Abney) and Robert DeBarge, Sr. Growing up in Detroit, DeBarge had an unhappy childhood owing to an abusive father. At 15, DeBarge was introduced to heroin, which would become his lifelong addiction. After his parents separated and divorced in the early 1970s, Bobby DeBarge and his family relocated to Grand Rapids, where DeBarge, a talented instrumentalist and vocalist, began playing in local bands along with his younger brother Tommy.
In 1975, after teaming up with fellow Grand Rapids musician Gregory Williams, the duo began a group with several other Midwestern musicians and successfully auditioned for Barry White's background group, White Heat, helping to produce and release their debut album that year. The following year, White dropped all but one musician from the band due to tax issues. The group — which consisted of DeBarge, Williams, Phillip Ingram, Tommy DeBarge, TC Brown, Stanley Brown, Jody Sims, Arnett Hayes, Darnell Wyrick, MC Clark and Stanley Hood — then recorded an album in 1976 under the name Hot Ice entitled Pall Mall Groove, which included DeBarge's incredible singing, piano performance and writing of "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.
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