Chico DeBarge
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Arthur "Chico" DeBarge (born June 23, 1966, Detroit, Michigan
) is an American
R&B singer and a younger brother of the members of the Motown family act
DeBarge
. Unlike the rest of his DeBarge siblings, Chico is the only male DeBarge that does not sing in the falsetto
range that is well known in his family; he sings tenor
.
, but was imprisoned for drug
charges not long after and served time in prison
for drug trafficking. After his release in the mid-1990s, DeBarge returned to Motown to continue his musical career under the auspices of Kedar Massenberg
and his neo-soul pioneering label imprint Kedar Entertainment.
He later moved to the independent record label
, Koch Records
, where he released 2003's Free. DeBarge also contributed a song to the Beauty Shop
movie soundtrack courtesy of Alove Entertainment. His most recent album Addiction was released July 14, 2009 under Kedar Entertainment Group.
On October 2, 2010, DeBarge performed with Glenn Jones
, Lenny Williams
and Regina Belle
at the Performing Arts Center in Tampa, Florida
.
.
In 2008, Chico DeBarge appeared in the video
for Joe's single, "We're Family" off the Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins soundtrack.
In the fall of 2003, Chico DeBarge was stabbed outside a Philadelphia nightclub, by the South Philadelphia Italian mafioso named John "Johnny Gongs" Casasanto, after the two engaged in an argument, in which Casasanto called DeBarge a "titsune", the Italian equivalent to the word "coon."
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B singer and a younger brother of the members of the Motown family act
DeBarge family
The DeBarge family is a family of rhythm and blues artists from Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan.-Family members:Robert Louis DeBarge, Sr. was a soldier who served for the United States Armed forces and was of French Canadian descent. He met Etterlene Abney, who is African American, in Detroit,...
DeBarge
DeBarge
DeBarge was a sibling music group of American origin whose repertoire included R&B, soul, funk, and later gospel. Active as a professional recording group from 1979 and 1989, the group was one of the few recording acts to bring success to the Motown label during the 1980s.-Background:Hailing from...
. Unlike the rest of his DeBarge siblings, Chico is the only male DeBarge that does not sing in the falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
range that is well known in his family; he sings tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
.
Recording career
He began a musical career of his own with Motown in the mid-1980s. His debut self-titled album featured the hit single "Talk To Me." He released a second album with Motown, Kiss SeriousKiss Serious
Kiss Serious is the second album from singer Chico DeBarge. It was the last album released before his drug arrest with oldest brother Bobby DeBarge of Switch fame.-Track listing:#I've Been Watching You 4:19#Don't Move So Fast 3:52...
, but was imprisoned for drug
Psychoactive drug
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that crosses the blood–brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior...
charges not long after and served time in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
for drug trafficking. After his release in the mid-1990s, DeBarge returned to Motown to continue his musical career under the auspices of Kedar Massenberg
Kedar Massenberg
Kedar Massenburg is an American record producer and record label executive, who was the president of Motown Records from 1997 to 2004. Massenburg is the current president and CEO of Kedar Entertainment...
and his neo-soul pioneering label imprint Kedar Entertainment.
He later moved to the independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, Koch Records
Koch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
, where he released 2003's Free. DeBarge also contributed a song to the Beauty Shop
Beauty Shop
Beauty Shop is a 2005 American comedy film, directed by Bille Woodruff. The film is a spin-off of the Barbershop film franchise, and stars Queen Latifah as Gina, a character which was first introduced in the 2004 film Barbershop 2: Back in Business...
movie soundtrack courtesy of Alove Entertainment. His most recent album Addiction was released July 14, 2009 under Kedar Entertainment Group.
On October 2, 2010, DeBarge performed with Glenn Jones
Glenn Jones
Glenn Jones, , is an American R&B/soul singer.-Career:He started his career as a gospel singer and has since, managed a successful move into the R&B field. He got his start in R&B in 1980 when Norman Connors featured Jones on a track on his album, Take It To The Limit...
, Lenny Williams
Lenny Williams
Leonard Charles "Lenny" Williams is an American singer known for his work in the R&B and soul music genres. During the 1970s, he was the lead vocalist for Tower of Power...
and Regina Belle
Regina Belle
Regina Belle is a singer-songwriter who first surfaced in the late 1980s. She is notable for her Grammy award winning duet with Peabo Bryson, "A Whole New World".-Biography:Regina Belle was born in Englewood, New Jersey...
at the Performing Arts Center in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
.
Personal life
He has five children (Cheyanne DeBarge, Chicoco DeBarge, Manny DeBarge, Abrielle DeBarge, Dontae DeBarge) and is in the process of divorcing Andrea Bordenave, who filed for divorce from him in mid 2009. He is also the ex-beau of singer/actress Nona GayeNona Gaye
Nona Marvisa Gaye is an American singer, former fashion model, and screen actress. The daughter of soul music legend Marvin Gaye and granddaughter of jazz great Slim Gaillard, she began her career as a vocalist in the early 1990s...
.
In 2008, Chico DeBarge appeared in the video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for Joe's single, "We're Family" off the Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins soundtrack.
In the fall of 2003, Chico DeBarge was stabbed outside a Philadelphia nightclub, by the South Philadelphia Italian mafioso named John "Johnny Gongs" Casasanto, after the two engaged in an argument, in which Casasanto called DeBarge a "titsune", the Italian equivalent to the word "coon."
Albums
- 1986: Chico DeBargeChico DeBarge (album)Chico DeBarge is the eponymous debut album from R&B/soul singer Chico DeBarge. It includes the hit single "Talk To Me", and it peaked at number 90 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
- 1988: Kiss SeriousKiss SeriousKiss Serious is the second album from singer Chico DeBarge. It was the last album released before his drug arrest with oldest brother Bobby DeBarge of Switch fame.-Track listing:#I've Been Watching You 4:19#Don't Move So Fast 3:52...
- 1997: Long Time No SeeLong Time No See (album)Long Time No See is a 1997 album from singer Chico DeBarge. It peaked at number 86 on the Billboard 200 album chart.-Track listing:#Intro 1:23#Love Still Good 4:53#Iggin' Me 5:03...
- 1999: The GameThe Game (Chico DeBarge album)The Game is a 1999 album from singer Chico DeBarge. It peaked at 41 on the Billboard 200.-Track listing:# The Game# Give You What You Want # Listen to Your Man # Sorry# Everybody Knew But Me...
- 2003: FreeFree (Chico DeBarge album)Free is a 2003 album from singer Chico DeBarge. It peaked at number 43 on the Top Independent Albums chart.-Track listing:#It's Cool#Free#Smile #Smile#The Unloved#Style#Home Alone#Virtuous#Page from the Journal#Questions#Availability...
- 2009: AddictionAddiction (Chico DeBarge album)Addiction is the latest album from R&B singer Chico DeBarge. It was released on July 14, 2009.- Track listing :# Addiction Meeting# Nefertiti/Center Of The Universe# Oh No# Tell Ur Man# Math # Do My Bad Alone...
Singles
- 1986: "Talk to Me" (US #21, R&B #7, UK #88)
- 1987: "The Girl Next Door"
- 1987: "Rainy Night" (R&B #18)
- 1997: "Iggin' Me" (UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#50) - 1997: "Love Still Good"
- 1998: "No Guarantee" (featuring JoeJoe (singer)Joseph Lewis Thomas , usually credited simply as Joe, is an American R&B singer and record producer.-Early life:Joe is a native of Cuthbert, Georgia and later moved to Opelika, Alabama. The son of two preachers, Joe spent much time in church singing, playing guitar, and even directing the choir...
) - 1998: "Virgin" (R&B #97)
- 1999: "Soopaman Lover" (R&B #55)
- 1999: "Give You What You Want (Fa Sure)" (US #71, R&B #11)
- 1999: "Give You What You Want (South Central Remix)" (featuring Trina)
- 2000: "Listen to Your Man" (featuring JoeJoe (singer)Joseph Lewis Thomas , usually credited simply as Joe, is an American R&B singer and record producer.-Early life:Joe is a native of Cuthbert, Georgia and later moved to Opelika, Alabama. The son of two preachers, Joe spent much time in church singing, playing guitar, and even directing the choir...
) (R&B #41) - 2000: "Playa Hater"
- 2003: "Home Alone"
- 2009: "Oh No" (R&B #76)