DeBarge

Groomed to be the heirs to The Jackson 5 throne in the early '80s, Debarge mirrored The Jacksons early success with a string of hits, but were unable to sustain their winning streak. Originally formed in 1978 and hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, the quintet was comprised of four brothers (Eldra, Mark, James, and Randy) and one sister (Bunny). The band signed on with the same label that The Jacksons started with, Motown, courtesy of their two older brothers, Tommy and Bobby (both of whom were members of another Motown act at the time, Switch). Led by the soft-and-sweet vocals of Eldra (or El, for short), Debarge issued a debut album in 1981, The Debarges, which showed that the group had yet to hone their hit-making style. But the quintet soon found the formula, as their sophomore effort, 1982's All This Love, would go on to become Debarge's first gold-certified success, and spawn such hit singles as "I Like It," "Time Will Reveal," and the title track.

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