Motown Legends, The DeBarge Family: A Legacy of Music, Struggles, and Restoration

The Sound That Defined Generations

Even if you don’t recognize the name DeBarge, you’ve likely heard their influence across decades of popular music. Their songs have been sampled over 200 times in the ‘90s and 2000s, shaping the sound of countless R&B and hip-hop hits. Often compared to legendary family groups like The Jacksons and The Sylvers, DeBarge was mentored by Jermaine Jackson and signed under Motown’s Gordy Records, paving their way to stardom.

Humble Beginnings in Grand Rapids, Michigan

The DeBarge family hailed from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their parents, Robert Louis DeBarge Sr. (of French and English descent) and Etterlene Abney DeBarge (African American), married in 1953 and had ten children. Music ran deep in the family’s veins, but so did hardship.

The siblings included:

• Bunny DeBarge (b. 1955)

• Bobby DeBarge (1956–1995)

• Tommy DeBarge (1957–2021)

• Randy DeBarge (b. 1958)

• Marty DeBarge (b. 1959)

• El DeBarge (b. 1961)

• James DeBarge (b. 1963)

• Chico DeBarge (b. 1966)

• Peaches & Darrell DeBarge (b. 1969, twins)

Despite their musical gift, the DeBarge children endured a painful upbringing under their abusive father, Robert Sr. Their mother, Etterlene, later revealed in interviews that her husband was extremely jealous and controlling, resorting to physical and emotional abuse. The family also faced racial discrimination as a biracial household in the 1960s, compounding their struggles.

“He was insanely jealous,” she (Etterlene) 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.”

Their father struggle to upkeep steady work and income and would take his frustrations out on his wife and children through mental and physically. 

“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.”

While facing abuse, the DeBarge children found strength through their Christian faith and music. Without the money for music lesson, the siblings learned how to play instruments by ear and practiced harmonizing their voices often. 

The Rise of DeBarge and Motown Legends

In 1975, Bobby DeBarge left home to form the funk-soul band Switch, later joined by his brother Tommy. The group’s 1978 hit There’ll Never Be became a top ten R&B success, selling over a million copies and cementing the DeBarge name in music history.

Meanwhile, in 1979, Bunny, Marty, Randy, El, and James DeBarge signed with Motown as DeBarge. Their debut album in 1981 didn’t gain much traction, but their second album, All This Love (originally titled Have Faith in God), changed everything.

With its smooth harmonies and R&B melodies, the album went gold and produced chart-topping singles like Rhythm of the Night and Who’s Holding Donna Now. This made the DeBarge family Motown Legends.

Later in the Debarge’s musical career, hard drugs would enter into some of their lives as a coping mechanism to their CPTSD.  

“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 disbanded and El DeBarge went solo. He would find great solo success with his hit song “Who’s Johnny” from the 80s film “Short Circuit”. But the fame didn’t last long due to an ongoing battle of drug addiction and drug-related charges.

Controversy and Personal Struggles

Despite their success, personal turmoil followed the family. In 1984, James DeBarge made headlines when he eloped with 18-year-old Janet Jackson. Their marriage, filled with conflict and outside pressures, was annulled in 1985.

Tragically, many of the siblings turned to drugs as a coping mechanism for their childhood trauma. Bunny DeBarge later revealed in a 2008 NPR interview:

“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.”

The late ‘80s and ‘90s were especially tumultuous. In 1988, Bobby and Chico DeBarge were arrested for drug trafficking and sentenced to six years in federal prison. While in prison, Bobby’s heroin addiction led to an HIV diagnosis, and he passed away from AIDS-related complications in 1995 at just 39 years old.

In 2021, Tommy DeBarge succumbed to liver and kidney disease at 64. Meanwhile Bunny would release a series of memoirs about her siblings' experience to stardom called, The Kept Ones.

Faith and Redemption

Though their journey was marked by hardship, faith remained a guiding force for many of the DeBarge siblings. Bunny and El DeBarge have been vocal about their relationship with Christ, crediting God for their survival and healing. 

Bunny reveals on CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network), that her family grew up in the Pentecostal church not exposed much to the secular world. She is also very transparent about being sexual abuse by her father. In a fun fact, the DeBarges were originally wanting to be a gospel group, called God’s Children of Harmony. They tried to get signed at Light Records before finding Motown.

Bunny shared on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN):

“I got to a point where it was just me and God. I didn’t have my brothers. I had nobody but God. And I was alone. And I went to God and I said, ‘Lord, if you are who you say you are, you need to come and see about me because these drugs are my friend and I need you to be my best friend.’ I planted that seed, and God came to see about me.”

El, who struggled with addiction for years, also rededicated his life to God:

“I was praying, ‘God please get me off of this. Please find a way… do something; I don’t wanna be like this.’”

Despite their tragic past, the DeBarge legacy continues through their music. They have been sampled 233 times, with 61 covers keeping their influence alive in today’s industry. Bunny DeBarge views this as a divine blessing, stating in 2024:

“I am honored, and to God be the glory. I feel like God has allowed our songs to still be relevant today. And that’s for a reason—to use our platform to give Him the glory.”

Their Story Lives On

The story of the DeBarge family is one of talent, struggle, and faith. If you found their journey inspiring, you’ll love reading a similar story in The Archives of BFF. It is about a famous music group navigating childhood pain, drug addiction, romantic relationships, and sorrow while finding Christ on the way. Dive deeper into narratives of redemption and transformation. Available in paperback and e-book formats on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and other major online bookstores!