TV Movie About GR’s DeBarge Family Gets Huge Ratings [Video]
TV One's 'The Bobby DeBarge Story', about the oldest member of the musical DeBarge Family, earned an encore showing following its June debut.
Directed by long time radio personality Russ Parr, 'The Bobby DeBarge Story' starred Roshon Fegan as Bobby, who began his musical career in the group Switch.
...explores the tumultuous life of Bobby DeBarge, the former lead singer of 70's R&B/Funk Band Switch, also the eldest sibling of the world-famous pop group DeBarge. Despite his success in music, the iconic falsetto found his life in peril as he struggled with fame and fortune while coping with the memories of his dysfunctional childhood.
DeBarge grew up in Grand Rapids and was one of 10 children from the bi-racial family, several of which went on to successful musical careers. Bobby and Tommy in Switch, and Bunny, El, Randy, James and Mark in DeBarge.
El DeBarge also had several solo hits, as did younger brother Chico.
Most of the children are on the record as having said their father Robert abused them when they were little. Robert denied it. Robert and his wife, Etterlene, who sang gospel at several GR churches, married in Detroit and moved to Grand Rapids several years later, where the children were raised. Later, the children moved to California to start their careers.
The DeBarge parents divorced in 1974.
Bobby and several of the family members suffered from drug addiction issues that sharply curtailed their careers.
The show originally aired on June 30 and garnered the highest audience ever for TV One original programming with 1.8 million viewers, the encore will air on TV One on Sunday July 21.
Here's a trailer from the film and a look at the depressing story of the DeBarge clan.