Tommy DeBarge

About

Bassist and founding member of Switch, an R&B funk band that would heavily influence R&B and hip-hop over the following decades. They were known for their songs "I Call Your Name", "Love Over & Over Again", and "There'll Never Be". Eventually Tommy departed the band and started another group with his siblings, known as DeBarge. Their popularity peaked in 1985 when their song "Rhythm of the Night" hit number 3 on the Billboard charts. 

Before Fame

He and his siblings sang in church as children. 

Trivia

He was slated to appear in an episode of Unsung in 2017, but was too ill to play on camera. He visited the set. 

Family Life

He was one of six children born in Detroit, Michigan, to Etterlene and Robert DeBarge. His brother Bobby was also a founding member of Switch, and one of his brothers would become El DeBarge. Bobby died in 1995 at the age of 39 due to complications of the AIDs virus. Tommy's daughter Marina announced his death, which was caused by liver and kidney failure. 

Associated With

He and his siblings were mentored by Berry Gordy Jr..