Bunny DeBarge facts for kids

Etterlene "Bunny" DeBarge (born March 10, 1955) is an American soul singer and songwriter. She is the only girl in the famous Motown family group DeBarge. Bunny sang lead on the R&B song "A Dream". This song was from the group's album In a Special Way. She also helped write two big hits: "I Like It" in 1982 and the number-one song "Time Will Reveal".

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Etterlene "Bunny" DeBarge is the oldest of 10 children. Her parents were Etterlene (née Abney) and Robert DeBarge, Sr. She spent her early childhood in Detroit, Michigan. When she was 16, her family moved to Grand Rapids.

Bunny found comfort in music from a young age. She sang in her uncle's church. She and her brothers often sang together in different groups. In 1972, Bunny left school. She married her first husband and had two children. They later divorced. Bunny taught herself how to write songs and create melodies. This skill became very important as she grew older.

Bunny DeBarge's Music Career

Joining the DeBarge Group

In 1979, Bunny's brothers Bobby and Tommy were already famous in the band Switch. Bunny then joined three of her other brothers: Randy, Mark, and El. Together, they formed the group DeBarge. They signed with Motown. This happened after Switch's Gregory Williams shared their demo tape with Motown CEO Berry Gordy. He was very impressed by their talent.

Early Albums and Hit Songs

From 1979 to 1981, Bunny and her brothers worked behind the scenes. They helped with songs for Switch. Bunny worked with her brother Bobby on songs like "Hold On to My Love." In 1981, Bunny helped produce the DeBarges' first album, The DeBarges. She sang lead vocals with her brother El on the song "Share My World," which they wrote.

A year later, in 1982, their younger brother James joined the group. They shortened their name to just DeBarge. That year, they released their second album, All This Love. The group became very successful with the song "I Like It." Bunny helped write some of the lyrics for this song with her brothers Randy and El.

Continued Success and Popularity

The group continued their success with their third album, In A Special Way, in 1983. This album had another hit song that Bunny helped write, "Time Will Reveal." This song had a gospel music feel. The album also featured two more songs written by Bunny: "Stay with Me" and "A Dream." "A Dream" was the last song where Bunny sang lead vocals.

Like All This Love, In a Special Way sold very well. This prepared the way for the group's biggest success in 1985. Their album Rhythm of the Night included the title track. This song became a top five hit across different music charts.

Bunny DeBarge's Life and Activities

Bunny DeBarge has been married two times. On some of DeBarge's albums, she is listed as Etterlene Jordan. She is also sometimes called Etterlene Jordan-Knight or Etterlene DeBarge Knight. Bunny is a mother of four children and a grandmother of fifteen. She still lives in Michigan, having moved back to Grand Rapids after living in California for many years.

In 2008, Bunny shared her life story in her autobiography, The Kept Ones. That same year, she appeared on the first episode of the TV One series, Unsung. On the show, she talked about her childhood and her time with DeBarge. Her brothers Randy and James also appeared. The three of them appeared on TV again in September 2011. This was on the show Lifechangers with Bunny's daughter Janae. Bunny completed a rehabilitation program in West Hollywood, California. Since then, she has been touring and working on new music.

Discography

with DeBarge

• The DeBarges (1981)
• All This Love (1982)
• In a Special Way (1983)
• Rhythm of the Night (1985)
• Back on Track (1991)

Solo

• In Love (1987)