El DeBarge
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Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge (born June 4, 1961 in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is an American R&B and soul falsetto singer, the focal point and lead singer of the DeBarge family group throughout the early 1980s.
After founding the group in 1978, the family was discovered by Jermaine Jackson, who signed them and El's older brothers' group, Switch, to Motown. While Switch went on to some success during the late-1970s, it took DeBarge three years before their debut The DeBarges was released. El took more of a lead role vocally and also as a songwriter and producer with the release of DeBarge's breakthrough, All This Love, which featured the hit title track and "I Like It." On 1983's In a Special Way album, El wrote and sang most of the songs, including hits like the title track and "Time Will Reveal."
After the commercial pop success of their 1985 album, Rhythm of the Night, El left the group in 1986 to begin a solo career. He has had modest hits including his collaboration with Quincy Jones on the 1990 quiet storm R&B classic, "Secret Garden," and his cover of the classic 1976 Marvin Gaye ballad, "After the Dance," which he recorded with jazz group Fourplay in 1992. El has since withdrawn from public view following the 1995 death of his brother Bobby from an AIDS-related illness, although El has worked with artists such as DJ Quik since then.
[edit] Trivia
- DeBarge's "Stay With Me" is sampled on The Notorious B.I.G.'s One More Chance remix (feat. Biggie's eventual wife Faith Evans) and Ashanti's song Foolish.
- 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
- DeBarge had a hit with "Who's Johnny?", the main theme of the film Short Circuit. The music video for the song reflected its use in the movie, depicting a mock trial for Stephanie Speck and Newton Crosby for the theft of the movie's main character, Johnny 5, with scenes from the movie being shown as evidence.
