Robert Louis "Bobby" DeBarge II

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LWY5-QS1

Known as Bobby from the Motown produced group DeBarge.
Singer. He was the lead singer of the 1970s Motown R&B, Soul, Funk, and Pop music group called Switch. They recorded the hits "There'll Never Be," "I Call Your Name," "I Want To Be Closer," "Love Over and Over," and "My Friend in the Sky." He was first in the group called White Heat, which released a self-titled album on RCA in 1975, but the band's producer dropped the group and it disbanded. DeBarge was known for his impressive falsetto vocals. He left Switch in 1981 for a solo career that did not prosper. He did successfully produce albums for the group, DeBarge; he joined the group in 1987 as a vocalist. As the oldest of ten children, he took charge to help his talented siblings to overcome the challenges they faced in their careers. His siblings composed the group DeBarge, and two were in Switch. His career came to a halt in 1988, as he was convicted of drug trafficking and was incarcerated for five years. By then, the group was declining and had moved from Motown to a couple other recording companies before disbanding in 1989. In an attempt to make a comeback in August 1995 on A&E Records, he finished an album that was entitled “It's Not Over”, but he died before the album was released.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: May 13 2022, 3:40:54 UTC