Etterlene DeBarge (1935–2024), gospel singer and musical matriarch
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2 min readEtterlene DeBarge was a gospel singer and the matriarch of the musical DeBarge family.
- Died: February 16, 2024 (Who else died on February 16?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Woodland Hills, California, in her sleep at the age of 88.
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Etterlene DeBarge’s legacy
Married at 17, DeBarge had her first child at 21 and eventually had nine more children. Six of those children went on to make chart-topping music as the Motown group DeBarge, and several also maintained solo musical careers. Affectionately called “Mama DeBarge” or “Mama D,” DeBarge supported their careers and sang herself – in 1991, she released the gospel album “Back on Track.” A second album, “A City Called Heaven,” followed in 2005.
DeBarge and some of her children spoke out about the abuse they endured at the hands of her first husband. DeBarge and her first husband later divorced, and she remarried. In 2007, she published her memoir, “Other Side of the Pain,” telling the story of her abusive marriage and her family’s rise to fame.
DeBarge on her large family
“I did have a full plate, a very full plate… my plate was running over. And my cup too.” —from a 2011 interview with Denise Williams
Tributes to Etterlene DeBarge
Full obituary: People
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