Robert Louis "Bobby" DeBarge Jr. was an American singer and musician. He was the lead singer of the Motown R&B/soul vocal group Switch. He was noted for his impressive falsetto vocals. He served as both mentor and a co-producer of his sibling's band. He eventually joining them to fill in for departing members El and Bunny. He contracted HIV in the 1980s and died of AIDS complications in 1995, at age 39.
Bobby DeBarge was a singer and musician. He started playing local bands along with his younger brother Tommy. He teaming up with fellow Grand Rapids musician Gregory Williams in 1975. The group released their debut album, White Heat in 1975. Due to tax issues, white dropped all but one musician from the band. In 1976, they recorded an album under the name Hot Ice, entitled Pall Mall Groove, which included DeBarge's incredible singing and piano performance on his composition "Please Don't Let Me Go" released in 1977 on Polydor/Germany, in 1979 in USA/Canada and 2005 on Burndsman Records worldwide. He returned to the group vowing to get clean from his addiction. The group was calling themselves Switch because of their ability to switch instruments. In 1978, Switch released their debut album Switch. In 1979, they released switch II. In 1980, they released their third gold-selling album, This Is My Dream. They released their fifth album Switch V and suddenly left the group in 1981. DeBarge and his siblings had formed a group. DeBarge co-produced their debut album, The DeBarges. Later, El DeBarge and Bunny DeBarge left the group. He revamped the group and released the album Bad Boys in 1987. He worked on his final project, It's Not Over. The project was released in 1995 just before his death.
Bobby DeBarge was born on March 5, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan. He was born to Etterlene and Robert DeBarge Sr. His father was an Army soldier. He blamed an unhappy childhood on his father's abusiveness. At the age of 15, he was introduced to heroin which would become his lifelong addiction. The early 1970s, his parents separated and divorced. He and his family relocated to Grand Rapids. He began playing in local bands along with his younger brother Tommy. He holds American nationality and belongs to mixed ethnicity. His birth sign is Pisces and religion is Christian.
Bobby DeBarge died at the age of 39. He confided to his family that he had contracted HIV while in prison. When he became gravely ill, his family sent him to a hospice in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is buried in Garfield Park Cemetery in Grand Rapids.
Bobby DeBarge dated La Toya Jackson of the Jackson family. The couple split by 1984 and later married Teri. The couple has two children named Christian and Bobby III.