Jackson 5 member Jermaine Jackson discovered the DeBarges, and they signed with Motown in 1978. While DeBarge prepared its debut LP, Switch, another Motown group composed of DeBarge family members--older brothers Bobby and Tommy DeBarge--had hits with songs such as "There'll Never Be" and "I Call Your Name".
DeBarge finally released their self-titled debut album in 1981, which was a commercial disappointment. The next year saw the release of All This Love, which was a success, reaching gold-selling status. "I Like It" and "All This Love" were the major hits from this album, with the former single reaching #1 on the US R&B charts. El DeBarge's verse from the chorus ("I like the way you comb your hair/and I like the stylish clothes you wear") became an oft-repeated line in hip hop and R&B songs during the following two decades.
1983 Saw the release of In a Special Way, another gold album for DeBarge, featuring the hits "Be My Baby", "In A Special Way" (another US #1 R&B hit), "Time Will Reveal", "Stay With Me" and "A Dream".
The final section of "Stay With Me" later became one of the most famous samples in hip-hop and R&B, with The Notorious B.I.G. ("One More Chance [Remix]"), Mary J. Blige ("Don't Go"), and Ashanti ("Foolish") all making use of the sample for their own hit singles.
DeBarge opened for R&B singer-songwriter Luther Vandross on his 1984 tour. The same year, James DeBarge married Jermaine Jackson's 18-year-old sister Janet Jackson; the marriage was annulled shortly afterward.
In 1985, DeBarge had its biggest hit with the Diane Warren-penned "Rhythm of the Night", the main single from both the gold Rhythm of the Night album and the Motown/Tri-Star Pictures motion picture The Last Dragon. Other hit singles from Rhythm of the Night included "Who's Holding Donna Now?" and "You Wear it Well", which he performed with the cast of The Facts of Life during a guest appearance on the show as himself.
After the release of a 1986 greatest hits LP, El DeBarge left the group for a solo career. The final DeBarge album, 1987's Back on Track, featured Bobby and Tommy added to the lineup, but Bunny left the group the same year. DeBarge finally disbanded in 1989, though the members would continue to perform together on occasion until Bobby's death from complications resulting from AIDS in 1995. Bobby DeBarge also released his final solo album entitled It's Not Over in 1995 before his death. Younger brother Chico DeBarge, although never a member of DeBarge, became an R&B solo star during the latter half of the 1990s. By 2000, all of the DeBarges had moved from R&B to gospel music.
