El DeBarge

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El DeBarge
Birth name Eldra Patrick DeBarge
Born June 4, 1961 (1961-06-04) (age 47)
Origin Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Genre(s) R&B, soul
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, record producer
Instrument(s) Vocals, piano/keyboards
Years active 1978 - present
Associated acts DeBarge, Switch, Chico DeBarge

Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge (born June 4, 1961) is an American R&B and soul countertenor singer, the focal point and lead singer of the DeBarge family group throughout the early to mid-1980s. As a solo artist, he's best known for the hits "Who's Johnny" and "Love Always" and for his collaborations with Tone Loc, Quincy Jones, Fourplay and DJ Quik.

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[edit] Career

Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eldra "El" DeBarge was born the fifth of eight brothers and sixth of ten DeBarge family members. Like his siblings, El participated in the local church choir and was labeled a child prodigy thanks to his skills as a vocalist and a keyboardist. After he, Mark, Randy and Bunny formed the DeBarges in 1978, the family was discovered by Greg Williams who helped them win an impromptu audition at El's brothers' Bobby and Tommy's group, Switch's Motown label for Jermaine Jackson, who eventually helped them get a deal in 1979. While Switch went on to some success during the late 1970s, in 1981 DeBarge released their album The DeBarges, which produced one single, "What's Your Name." The album was not considered a success and quickly fell into obscurity. El was a natural in the role of lead singer for the group.

In 1982, DeBarge finally found success with their acclaimed second album, All This Love, which gave DeBarge major chart success with singles "Stop! Don't Tease Me," the perennial "I Like It," and the "title track". In 1983, DeBarge's third album, In A Special Way garnered yet more success for the group. El wrote and sang most of the songs. The album produced the hit singles "Time Will Reveal" and "Love Me In A Special Way."

In 1985, the group released their fourth album, Rhythm of the Night which produced hits "The Heart Is Not So Smart," "Who's Holding Donna Now," "You Wear It Well," and the massively successful "title track", which was their second single to top the R&B charts, reached #3 in the U.S., and #4 in the U.K. Its music video was featured in the 1985 martial arts film, The Last Dragon. That year, El appeared as himself in an episode of the television series The Facts of Life and sang "You Wear it Well."

After the commercial pop success of "Rhythm of the Night," El left the group in 1986 to begin a solo career. The same year, El released his self-titled debut solo album. "Who's Johnny" was the first single released and was featured in the movie Short Circuit. The single was a major success, peaking at #3 in the U.S. The music video for the song reflected its use in the movie, depicting a mock trial for characters Stephanie Speck and Newton Crosby (Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg, respectively) for the theft of the movie's main character, the robot Johnny 5, with scenes from the movie being shown as evidence.

Other singles from this album were "Someone" and the laid-back, always lovely ballad "Love Always." A break in El's career kept him from the spotlight until 1989 when he returned with a second solo album, Gemini. This marked El's final Motown release. "Real Love" was a single, as well as "Broken Dreams." El signed with Warner Brothers and released his third solo album, In The Storm. "You Know What I Like," "My Heart Belongs To You," and a cover of Marvin Gaye's "After The Dance" (recorded with Fourplay and featuring Patti LaBelle) were singles. Two years later, in 1994, El collaborated with hit producer Babyface and released his fourth and most recent solo album Heart, Mind and Soul. "Can't Get Enough", "Slide," and a duet with Babyface, "Where Is My Love," were singles.

El teamed up with Quincy Jones to create the successful collaboration, "The Secret Garden," a single from 1990 which also featured Barry White, Al B. Sure!, and James Ingram on vocals. In 1998, El worked with DJ Quik for the single "Hand In Hand."

[edit] Legal troubles

El DeBarge was arrested in Los Angeles County, California on August 26, 2007 for violating his probation.[1]He has been released and has started work on a new album. "Rhythm of the Night" will be the theme song of Lowes Motor Speedway during the 2008 NASCAR season.

[edit] Personal life

According to his mother, Etterlene DeBarge, El is the father of 11 children, the eldest born when El was only fifteen. He is currently married to Monique DeBarge, however, the two have been separated.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

  • 1985: "You Wear It Well" (US pop #46; US R&B #7; US AC #18; US Dance #1)1
  • 1986: "Who's Johnny" (US pop #3; US R&B #1; US Dance #10)
  • 1986: "The Heart Is Not So Smart" (US pop #75; US R&B #29; US AC #17)1
  • 1986: "Someone" (US pop #70; US R&B #32; US AC #20)
  • 1986: "Love Always" (US pop #43; US R&B #7; US AC #8)
  • 1989: "Somebody Loves You" (US R&B #24)
  • 1989: "Real Love" (US R&B #8; US Dance #14)
  • 1991: "All Through the Night" (US R&B #18)
  • 1992: "You Know What I Like" (US R&B #14)
  • 1992: "My Heart Belongs To You" (US R&B #64)
  • 1992: "Another Chance" (US R&B #62)
  • 1994: "Where is My Love" (US R&B #19)
  • 1994: "Can't Get Enough" (US R&B #21)
  • 1995: "Where You Are" (US R&B #86)
  • 1994: "Slide" (US R&B #36)

1 - Released under the title "DeBarge featuring El DeBarge".

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • DeBarge's "Stay With Me" is sampled on The Notorious B.I.G.'s "One More Chance" remix (featuring Biggie's eventual wife Faith Evans), and Ashanti's song "Foolish" as well as Ne-Yo's "Stay".
  • "A Dream" was sampled by 2Pac in "I Ain't Mad At Ya" and in Blackstreet's "Don't Leave".
  • Mary J. Blige recorded a cover version of the DeBarge song, "A Dream" which up to that point had been covered only in sampled form by the artists mentioned above.
  • In the Ying Yang Twins' "Bedroom Boom" (which featured Avant), his song "All This Love" is referenced: All this love is waiting for you, like I'm El DeBarge.
  • The rapper AZ samples "All This Love" in his track "Problems" from the album 9 Lives.
  • Songstress Mariah Carey samples Debarge's "Stay With Me" in her song "I'll Be Lovin' You Long Time," off of her new album E=MC^2.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Access Hollywood

[edit] See also