DeBarge

In the early 1980s DeBarge was cast as the next generation meant to inherit the Jackson 5 legacy. The Grand Rapids, Michigan five-piece achieved similar initial chart traction with multiple successes yet could not extend that momentum past the middle of the decade.

Formed in 1978, the lineup featured siblings Eldra, Mark, James, Randy, and Bunny. Older brothers Tommy and Bobby, already active on the Gordy roster with Switch, helped the quintet land a deal with Motown’s Gordy subsidiary—the same company that had launched the Jacksons. Fronted by Eldra’s gentle, melodic leads (commonly shortened to El), the group released its first album, The DeBarges, in 1981, an effort that still lacked a fully developed commercial identity.

Their follow-up, 1982’s All This Love, supplied the missing formula: the set became DeBarge’s first gold-certified release and generated the hit singles “I Like It,” “Time Will Reveal,” and the title track. The 1983 album In a Special Way repeated the gold success, added the single “Love Me in a Special Way,” and earned the band an opening slot on Luther Vandross’s sold-out U.S. tour.

For 1985’s Rhythm of the Night the members enlisted songwriter Diane Warren together with producers David Foster, Richard Perry, Giorgio Moroder, and Glen Ballard, resulting in a third consecutive gold album. Its energetic title track became the group’s biggest hit, nearly reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and appearing in the film The Last Dragon; further singles “Who’s Holding Donna Now?” and “You Wear It Well” also charted, even as internal difficulties mounted.

The year 1986 brought both the first career overview, Greatest Hits, and El DeBarge’s departure from the group. His self-titled solo debut scored an immediate substantial hit, yet struggles with substance abuse produced an uneven though occasionally striking recording path. The remaining members issued only one more album, 1987’s Back on Track, before disbanding in 1989. During the same period another brother, Chico, began his own recording career.

Subsequent DeBarge anthologies followed, among them 1997’s Ultimate Collection, 2000’s 20th Masters: The Millennium Collection, and 2011’s comprehensive Time Will Reveal: The Complete Motown Albums.