In 1972, a gospel singer from Detroit named Etterlene DeBarge moved her 10 children to Grand Rapids. She left an abusive marriage to seek out a new life for her eight sons (Bobby, Tommy, Randy, Mark [“Marty’], Eldra [“El”], James, Jonathan [“Chico”], and Darrell [“Young]) and two daughters (Etterlene [“Bunny”] and Carol [“Peaches]). Barely a decade later, people around the world knew the name DeBarge. El, Bunny, Marty, Randy, and James had become a Jackson 5 for the 1980s, the darlings of Motown Records who sang smooth, soulful R&B with the kind of close harmonies that seem possible only among siblings. The last forty years have included profound triumph and tragedy for the entire DeBarge family.
One thing is certain of DeBarge, both the eponymous group and the larger family that is broadly blessed with musical talent. Their meticulously arranged, infectious pop songs serve as a soundtrack to the recent past. DeBarge scored nine top 40 hits on the R&B charts, five singles on the pop charts, and earned three gold records. The likes of Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Mariah Carey, and Ashanti have sampled DeBarge’s music in their work. Rolling Stone ranked El as one of the 200 Greatest Vocalists of All Time in 2023, citing his unique falsetto and smooth tenor voice.
It all started with Etterlene, “Mama D,” the matriarch of the family. At age 16, Etterlene’s father, James Abney, one of Detroit’s best known choir leaders, died unexpectedly. A year later, Etterlene, an African American, married Robert DeBarge, a white soldier who was stationed at a nearby military base. According to the accounts of several DeBarge family members, Robert subjected his family to frequent physical abuse.
Grand Rapids offered Etterlene and her children a new, welcoming home. Her brother, Bishop William Charles Abney Jr., served as pastor at Bethel Pentecostal Church in southeast Grand Rapids. Her brother James was the church’s choir director. Etterlene and her children became engrossed in the life of the church, singing in the choir and learning to play instruments to accompany the service.
Initially, the family lived in public housing on Fuller Avenue before finding a home at 606 Giddings Avenue in southeast Grand Rapids, roughly a mile from their church. Etterlene bought a used upright piano the family called “Old Bessie,” which augmented the children’s musical education.
The DeBarge kids attended Ottawa Hills, Creston, and Kenowa High School, where they made quite the musical impression. Bunny, Tommy, and Bobby performed in the “Sounds of Soul Choir” at Ottawa Hills, wowing with their vocal talents and ability to play multiple instruments. El was a standout singer and multi-instrumentalist in the Creston Jazz band in the mid-1970s.
The first DeBarges to make waves in the music business were Bobby and Tommy, who joined Barry White’s backup band in 1975. A year later, White’s group dissolved, and the brothers joined Switch, a group formed by Ottawa Hills classmate Gregory Williams. Switch signed with Motown and scored several hits on the R&B charts.
Initially, several of the other DeBarge kids formed a gospel group before shifting to popular music. Switch helped Randy, Marty, El, and Bunny, who had formed a singing group, get Motown’s attention. El scored an audition with Motown founder Berry Gordy, singing and playing his siblings into a recording contract.
James would soon join the group, which was known initially as “the DeBarges.” Bobby and Tommy left Switch in part to mentor their siblings. Adding further input at Motown were mentors such as Jermaine Jackson and his wife Hazel Gordy (Berry’s daughter) as well as Iris Gordy (Berry’s niece).
The group’s 1981 debut album got little notice but their second record, All This Love (1982), became a major hit, buoyed by the title track and “I Like It,” which reached #1 and #2 respectively on the R&B charts. DeBarge’s presence on the radio was matched by their ubiquity on television. The group performed on Solid Gold, Soul Train, American Bandstand, the Merv Griffin Show, and on Motown’s 25th Anniversary special.
Their third album, In a Special Way (1983), went gold and earned them a Grammy nomination. They opened for Luther Vandross on an extensive national tour. In their early years, DeBarge cultivated a squeaky-clean image, which was built around the religious devotion of the family. In interviews and public appearances, they gave praise to God continuously and held hands in prayer before performances. The DeBarge kids gave thanks to their mother by purchasing her a beautiful home on Alger Street.
Cracks in the armor soon became evident. Tensions over creative control mounted in the group while multiple members started dealing with substance abuse problems.
Berry Gordy himself contributed to the group’s fracturing. He perceived El and Bunny as the stars of the group. This was a common pattern at Motown, as Gordy had previously distinguished Smokey Robinson from the Miracles, Diana Ross from the Supremes, and Michael Jackson from the Jackson 5.
Nevertheless, DeBarge scored their biggest hits in 1985. The Rhythm of the Night album went platinum, and the infectious title track became the group’s biggest hit, reaching number 3 on the pop charts. Another ballad “Who’s Holding Donna Now?” reached number 6.
The following year, Motown signed Bunny and El to solo deals and dropped the other siblings. It didn’t go as planned. Bunny’s debut flopped and Motown dropped her. El enjoyed a couple of solo hits but never hit as big as DeBarge. Chico earned a Motown deal but never scored a big hit.
A reformulated DeBarge featuring Bobby released one album on an independent label. The album and its singles made little headway on the charts and the group disbanded in 1989. The end of DeBarge was a product in large part of the brothers’ legal troubles.
Tommy, Bobby, and Chico were all convinced of drug-related offenses in the late 1980s. While in prison, Bobby told his family that he had contracted HIV. After his 1994 release from prison, Bobby spent his final days in hospice in Grand Rapids. Bobby died in August 1995 at the age of 39.
The last 30 years have been filled with both triumph and tragedy for the DeBarge family, shaped in large part by the continuing substance abuse problems faced by several family members. For example, El’s 2010 comeback album, Second Chance, netted three Grammy nominations but drug and legal problems derailed his return. Chico has released several successful solo albums while James’ daughter, Kristina DeBarge, was signed to Island Def Jam Records.
DeBarges have performed around Grand Rapids occasionally in the last two decades, often at charitable events organized by Etterlene. She worked for years with Child Haven, teaching children carols at Christmastime.
After years of poor health, Tommy DeBarge died of kidney failure in 2021. Etterlene died in Woodland Hills on February 16, 2024 at age 88.
A new documentary on the DeBarge family, which focuses on the experiences of James and Randy, is making its way around the film festival circuit. I Like It was directed by Matthew Siretta and debuted at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival in Los Angeles.
