James Curtis DeBarge (born August 22, 1963) is an American R&B/

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

singer. He was one of the members of the singing family vocal group

DeBarge DeBarge was an American musical recording group composed of several members of the DeBarge family. In addition to various solo projects completed by members of the family, DeBarge was active between 1979 and 1989. The group originally consisted ...

who became famous with their mid-1980s songs " All This Love", " Love Me in a Special Way", " Rhythm of the Night", and " Who's Holding Donna Now".

Early life and career

He is the seventh child born to Robert DeBarge Sr. and Etterlene Abney DeBarge. Like all of his siblings, he was born and raised on the East Side of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, Michigan. The family later relocated to

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is th ...

. As of 2000, DeBarge has worked with

DJ Quik David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and producer, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, ...

on such tracks as "Tha Divorce Song", as well as "Get Nekkid" by slain rapper Mausberg. Also, in 2004, DeBarge made a song with the "Haitian Sensation" Won-G for a remix called "Nothing's Wrong", using the instrumental for the Quik/DeBarge track "Tha Divorce Song". Debarge also made a small guest appearance in 2006 on the album ''818 Antics'', by rapper J-Ro, who is associated with the rap group

Tha Liks Tha Alkaholiks, also known as Tha Liks, is an American hip hop trio from Los Angeles, California, United States. Since the early 1990s they have produced party music with a hardcore hip hop edge, powered by the beats of DJ and producer E-Swift ...

DeBarge

James along with brothers Mark, Randy, nephew Andrew (bass player), and an unknown niece are performing on tour as DeBarge. They were featured in a "Flashback to the '80s" concert at San Manuel Casino in Highland, California along with

Atlantic Starr Atlantic Starr is an American band based in White Plains, New York. They are best known for the hits " Always", "Secret Lovers", "Send for Me", "Circles", "Silver Shadow" and "Masterpiece". History Atlantic Starr began in Greenburgh, New York w ...

, The SOS Band, and the

Mary Jane Girls The Mary Jane Girls were an American girl group formed in 1983, best known for their songs " In My House", " All Night Long", "Candy Man", and their cover version of " Walk Like a Man". They were protégées of musician Rick James and disbanded ...

. In El's absence, James handled lead vocals. DeBarge performed three encores despite not being the top billed act.

Personal life

DeBarge is also known for his 1984 marriage to

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

singer

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

. The marriage was

annulled Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost ...

in 1985 due to his addiction to pain killers and sleeping pills. During their marriage, they lived at the Jackson family home

Hayvenhurst Hayvenhurst is a compound in the Encino neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley in California, United States. It became the home of the Jackson family, including Michael Jackson, who perfected the Moonwalk and recorded demos for the albums ''O ...

. In 2016, DeBarge claimed on ''Growing Up Hip-Hop'' that he and Jackson have a daughter. Jackson had previously told ''Vibe'' magazine in 2001, "They say the kid's in Europe or that one of my brothers or sisters is raising it .... But no, I've never had a child." DeBarge has three children: daughter Kristinia (born March 8, 1990), son James, Jr. (born 1998), and his youngest, daughter Tori (born 2001). Kristinia appeared on 2003's ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...

'' spin-off '' American Juniors'', and later received a recording contract through Island Def Jam Records. DeBarge performed with brothers El and Mark during a gospel service in late 2007. DeBarge is a practicing Christian. In 2012 DeBarge was imprisoned after being arrested for

assault with a deadly weapon An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in cri ...

and drugs charges. He was released from prison three years later in 2015.

Discography

;with DeBarge * '' All This Love'' (1982) * ''

In a Special Way ''In a Special Way'' is the third studio album by American R&B group DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on September 24, 1983. It was recorded at Kendun Records in Burbank and Westlake Audio in West Hollywood; written and produced by lead voca ...

'' (1983) * '' Rhythm of the Night'' (1985) * '' Bad Boys'' (1987)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Debarge, James 1963 births Living people 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers African-American male singers American male singers American soul singers American tenors DeBarge family DeBarge members Musicians from Grand Rapids, Michigan Singers from Detroit American people convicted of assault