Chico DeBarge: Singer Talks Drug Abuse, Troubles With The Law & Family Matters

Soul crooner Chico DeBarge is readying his return to music scene.

The youngest of the DeBarge family of singers, the 42-year-old vocalist (whose full name is Jonathan Arthur DeBarge) has inked a new deal with Kedar Entertainment and his forthcoming album, 'Addicted' is slated for release early next year.

In preparation for his sixth CD, DeBarge phoned me from Chicago, where he now resides, and we had an incredibly candid conversation about his family, his previous relationship with Nona Gaye, drug addiction and his troubles with the law.

So you're back in business with Kedar Entertainment, where you released your previous albums 'Long Time No See' and 'The Game.' How did that happen?

Actually, it was an attractive deal and it allowed me to not go backwards. It was more of a step up situation because going back would mean going back to the same predicament between the artist and the label. He offered me an attractive deal which meant that I could have my label and basically benefit me as a shareholder. It's a joint venture. Joe is with Kedar too. Just being back with the team was attractive, not just the monetary. It's something that I've been wanting to do for a long time and for it to happen like this is a blessing.

It has been five years since you released your independent CD, 'Free,' on Koch Entertainment. Why so long?

When you hear this album, you'll hear that I took my time. I could've released a single, but it seems like the radio kept changing so drastically. I wanted to see where I could be felt because I've already released an album that was a feel type of album that had a lot of sensuality to it and it was a sound. If I didn't stay on that and at least make something that I felt was a classic than I wouldn't be doing myself or the music industry any justice. I tried to dig deep and go back to the natural live sounds. The topic matter is very important because this is very edgy and very true to what I've been through in life. It's a storybook as well, but it's not beating you up with the story.

Were you recording continuously during your five year hiatus?

I recorded maybe four albums and I just got in the groove last year of knowing what I wanted this to be and what I was feeling and how to express it musically as well as vocally. It kind of just birthed and it happened naturally so I feel comfortable to release it at the top of the year on February 22, 2009. Spring will be coming and love will be in the air. I love people being in love so I'll be able to smile.

How do you balance being a parent in the music business ?

It's very hard and I used to feel bad because my relationship with my kids used to be telephonically. I realized that if you need to do that telephonically and the little times that you do have you need to spend that with your children. That's all I had to give because I was giving to them in another area. Sometimes you have to sacrifice. Hopefully, with me being a businessman I'll be able to sit back and take a break with just the kids and watch them sprout up and blossom.

And how many kids do you have now?

I have 6 kids and they range from ages 20, 14, 13, 11, 10 and 3.

You dated actress Nona Gaye for a while. Tell me about that.

I was with Nona, we had a relationship. It kind of ended about a year and a half ago. That wasn't a good thing, but it had to end for my health's sake. It wasn't good for either one of us. We weren't good for each other.

It was around the time you were with her that you battled with substance abuse, right?


Around 2003 I had gotten stabbed and laid low for a while because there was a lot of chaos surrounding that. I got addicted to the painkillers that I was prescribed. As a result of that, I went into a tailspin. I got addicted and then I got more addicted to street drugs like heroin and it was a hell of a battle. It was a rough battle. It's something that I want to talk about because I don't want to hide it. I want it to be a message. You can take your mess and make it a message. When I told you about the CD, I wanted to reveal everything that I've been through. I don't want to just come off as a celebrity. I'm a person that's normal and in the streets and deals with everyday life like everybody else. I deal with the demons in my life just like everybody else.

So much of your life you have shared in both your music and in interviews. Is it hard being that open with people and do you worry about what people's perception of your honesty will be?

I used to. I battled with that because I wasn't really confident with who I was. I needed people to validate, approve and affirm who I was at that point and I think that's what kept me on shaky ground. It kept me guessing and waking up each morning trying to hide from me, from the world and these are the feelings that I just didn't want to admit. I didn't want to embrace the realities that I had to face. Then I finally gave up on finding myself or allowing anyone's voice or opinion to define me. I didn't do it because I was mad or didn't like what they had to say. It was more-so because it was more true to embrace what I had to say about me and no one knows me better than me. I had to define myself and say that I'm okay and I'm alright. People have to say that because people tend to define themselves by what they do and not who they are. It's a real hard road when you're coming from addiction and an identity crisis or chaos because it's hard to pick yourself up and believe that you are gonna be alright. People put so many standards and stereotypes up to you and say, 'this is what you're supposed to be because you're from this family and you need to do this. Why would you have this problem? That's a bad choice.' It's a bad choice, but it goes deeper than just a bad choice. This CD talks a whole lot about me finding myself and my recovery.

Last year you made headlines for being arrested on your way to a gig in Los Angeles. What really happened?

I was on my way to a radio station in L.A. It was early in the morning and the limo came to pick me up from my hotel to take me to the radio station to promote my performance at B.B. Kings later. I didn't wake up so my manager called someone else to come pick me up. This person that came to pick me up had drugs around. I guess they were dealing drugs or whatever. It was a lady and when she gave me a ride she told me that she was tired and asked if I could drive. She pulled over to the side of the highway and the police observed us trading seats and me getting in the driver's seat. They pulled up right away because I guess we didn't pull all the way over. They asked for our licenses and I don't know if they had been watching her the whole time or what, but when they checked the car they saw that it was drugs and money in the car. Initially they were going to charge me with it, but because I hadn't driven yet and it was her car, they had to drop the case because it was not my car, drugs or cash. She took the case and that's that. They dropped the charges so it wasn't anything official.

Her troubles almost landed you back in prison. What did that experience teach you?

It shows me that I have to change and I have to take this seriously. I have to change everything about affiliation and association because it's so easy for somebody to come pick you up and have whatever on them. You wanna be like that's their stuff and I don't want to come off as a goody two shoes, but you really have to put that out there because since you're a celebrity, they'll try to blame you and put you into it because you have a name. If she wouldn't have been the kind of person that she was, she could have easily let them put that all on me. They surely wanted to because it would benefit them more. I actually realized that I have to make good choices and good decision making and not affiliate with anybody who's into that. It's not because I think I'm better, it's just that we're going two different places and we have two different lifestyles. If I'm not living that lifestyle then why do I have to be around it? They have to respect that because of who you are and what you have to do in life. It has nothing to do with you being famous, that's just in life. The person who works at the post office has to be the same way. You have to be assertive.

Having done time yourself, what do you think about singers like Akon and all of the rappers who use their experience in prison as a marketing tool to sell records?

As long as it's positive it's cool. I don't think we should glorify it. They should have a responsibility to themselves to tell themselves the truth about that experience. They didn't like it and they know it wasn't anything that was productive. They wished for the day that got out so they could do this. With that being said, now you're a singer, not a convict anymore so you have to scratch that life. It's no need to be around that type of lifestyle if you are doing this over here. It's not cool and it shouldn't be an image, your swagger or your style. It ain't no style to that. That style is blurred. It leads to prison or death. You lose your freedom, your life or your health.

Because you are a convicted felon, you lost your right to vote right?

It doesn't allow me to vote, but it doesn't mean that I can't vote through somebody else and just encourage them to vote and be active in this election. It's something that I really believe is gonna determine my kids future and their present. I want to pick the best man and I believe that Barack Obama is the best man period no matter what color he is. He's the best man for the job and I'm really proud of him and his family.

Do you miss performing with the rest of the Debarge family?

I do miss it. I've done some [shows] recently with my brother El and my brother James. Bunnie and Randy were there too. The only one absent was Marty, who is out here in Chicago . It was for the Budweiser Fest downtown. It was nice and very electric. It's a privilege to be around them. They still got it going on and sound good. I hope to do more dates with them in the future.

Your brother El Debarge was recently in trouble with the law again. Have you spoken to him?


I haven't talked to him since that Budweiser thing, but I'm sure that he's doing good. He's doing El and going through what he has to go through and he's gonna be alright. He's a soldier and very resilient.

already posted in a previous thread

I didn't know that. What's the title of the thread?