Happy Birthday, El DeBarge!

Happy 65th birthday to El DeBarge!

You probably know him as the lead singer of the family group DeBarge. They brought us favorite ’80s songs like “Rhythm of the Night,” “Who’s Holding Donna Now,” and “All This Love.”

You may not know he’s still performing… so, in honor of his 65th birthday, here’s 6 Things You Might Not Know About El DeBarge!

1. His real name is Eldra Patrick DeBarge. He formed the group DeBarge with his older brothers, Mark and Randy, and the group was signed to Motown Records in 1980.
2. He is known for his unmistakable falsetto voice. Rolling Stone once described his voice as “lean and elastic, zooming into falsetto with apparent breath-taking ease. The ribbons of notes he lets loose during the finish of the group’s ‘All This Love’ are like caramel.”
3. He appeared on the TV show “Facts of Life” in 1985 and performed his song, “You Wear It Well,” with Natalie, Tootie, Jo, and Blair singing backup!
4. He has 12 children – the first was born when he was 16!
5. He stepped away from the spotlight in the 1990s and went through a troubled period. He served prison time for drug-related convictions and spent time in rehab.
6. He returned to music in 2010 with his album Second Chance and received three Grammy nominations.

El DeBarge is still singing – his website has a list of tour dates so check him out! In the meantime, here are 3 of our El DeBarge favorites!