Karen71 said:

No they did right by doing "Love Me..." because they did in fact "love in a special way". Luckily, some of them inherited their mother and fathers' talents.

scriptgirl said:

Well, I hope the guy makes lots of money, uses some of it to check into a residential drug facility , and leads a happy, prosperous life. He does seem like he's probably a nice person. He and his children deserve it.

NOW, if we could get that El a lucrative deal somewhere.

Timmy84 said:

LOL

It's great that they have those talents, but personally, I'd be pushing my children towards a college education if I were them-especially after all the crying and railing they've been doing against the music industry.

Maybe deep down they realize the problems were self-inflicted.

Karen71 said:

I think personally that once El gets out of the pen that he should go to Europe somewhere and then free himself from the drug life. And then focus his attention on rebuilding his career. He still has the talent. That's the saddest thing about it.

Karen71 said:

I hope they do realize that, lol. Ain't nothing sadder than 40, 45, 50-year-old adults not realizing that they're at fault by some of the decisions they make.

El has a deal with a good company and his manager is pretty reputable, but from what I can glean, El just became a recluse and drugs got the better of him. Chico, no matter his demons, never let his work suffer. And he seems like a stronger person than his big bro. Then again, Chico hasn't taken the blows from the industry that El has and he hasn't had to live up to some saintly pre fab image. Then again, El looks angelic. Chico looks like he will beat THAT ass if you cross the line with him. So the ex convict thing didn't hurt his career.

Chico when he was young, yes, but he also had a wild look in his eye that would have scared me off. And honestly, that whole family has really good genes. Up until a few years ago, El was still viable.

As far as being a dad, I don't doubt that Chico loves his kids and wants to do right by them, but for whatever reason, can't and after hearing that interview, maybe they are better off without him until he handles his business.

scriptgirl said:

Maybe I was missing something, cause I didn't see a wild look in Chico's eyes at all. Then again, I was like 14/15 when he came out and didn't pay attention to such things. And my horny old azz definitely didn't see anything wild in that Soul Train footage. In fact, I thought he was somewhat timid and shy when being interviewed by Don Cornelius. That fit perfectly into my perception of them as clean cut and angelic.

I was VERY surprised to hear that they were actually wild and ghetto. They just looked prim and proper. I guess they were too pretty to seem wild. Perhaps that's why they acted out so-a need to counter the pretty boy steretype. OR, they were just the street urchins their mama allowed them to be.

And, yes, they ALL have great genes. I mean, Mama's face could pass for a 40 year old's! And El is still viable if you ask me. Based on looks alone, he could still get it. He even looked good in his recent mug shot. NOT the one with the gorged-eyes-deer-in-the-headlights look. The OTHER one. For a man pushing 50??? Oh, he and his pretty hair still look good. Not a wrinkle in sight.

And yeah, if Chico's got that monkey on his back, he does need to take care of that first.

They make me wanna slap them! PERFECT LOOKS AND YOU CAN SING! What I wouldn't do with just HALF of what they got.

Timmy,

I agree with everything you wrote.

It is past time for them to move past what mama and daddy did or didn't do for them 40 years ago. I hope El gets out and goes to rehab.

See, when I see that footage of a young chico, I see someone wild and looking for trouble. That soft spoken thing was an act. All them Debarges have that. Chico's actual voice, when he talks onstage is much different and not so soft spoken. I like that version better.

A reporter talked about interviewing Chico when his first album came out in 88 and said that while Chico was nice, he had a LOT of rough edges.

El still looks good, true.

chico interview-it is a few minutes in. it's from 2 years ago.
[youtube] http://www.youtube.com/wa...[/youtube}
Notice Chico's body language around that girl

scriptgirl said:

It's not coming up.

What's the title? Perhaps I can type it in.

I'll go back and rewatch that Soultrain episode with a new set of eyes. (I never tire of looking at 20 year old Chico.) You're probably right. I just didn't pay attention.

Karen71 said:

Their roots are in Detroit like I said plus they had to deal with insults about their looks from an early age so of course they developed some tough skin.

try it now

scriptgirl said:

Oh yeah, do you have a link to that interview? Is it the one from the Michigan newspaper that tries to get you to pay for a subscription before reading the entire article? I said "No, thank ya!"

Here you go:
Chico DeBarge is back, but with a major difference
Article from: Michigan Chronicle Article date: April 1, 2003 Author: Holsey, Steve More results for: chico debarge and michigan chronicle

Michigan Chronicle

04-01-2003

Chico DeBarge has been interviewed by this newspaper on three occasions,
and each time it was a completely different experience.

In 1986, DeBarge, recently signed to Motown, was a wild young man. It was
obvious that the days of Motown grooming its artists was over. I say that
not as a put-down but to simply tell the truth. He was just being who he
was, a kid from the streets. Nice but with plenty of rough edges. He was
sporting a mile-high hairstyle that defies description, and today he laughs
at the memory.

In 1998, there was apprehension in DeBarge as he responded to questions. He
also projected a kind of sadness, and a reluctance to just to "let go," so
to speak. Every so often, there was a hint of a smile. All things
considered, it was understandable. Chico had been through a lot in the
previous six years (no need to go into detail).

At the time, DeBarge, who is from Grand Rapids but at one time attended a
Detroit high school, was being reintroduced to the music industry with an
album titled "Long Time, No See." Sparked by a catchy introductory single,
"No Guarantee," it was an instant success, flying up the charts like a
rocket.

Suddenly, handsome Chico DeBarge was everywhere -- television, magazine
covers, videos, etc. He was touted as one of the new sex symbols. The
screaming young girls didn't care about his past, or if they did, it didn't
show.

The third interview took place two weeks ago, and this time it was pure
fun. This was clearly a new and improved Chico DeBarge. He was talkative,
laughed a lot, gave thoughtful answers, and seemed to be thoroughly
enjoying himself.

It had been a while since DeBarge's last album, "The Game," and he was no
longer a Motown artist, which he never wanted to be in the first place.
(More on that later.) Chico had called from his cell phone while driving in
Grand Rapids. He would have called a little earlier, but, as he put it, "I
didn't want to pull over in a bad neighborhood." (He now calls both Grand
Rapids and New York home.)

BY THE TIME this story reaches print, the new Chico DeBarge album, titled
"Free," should be released. The difference is that this time he is both
artist and promoter of his own company, Alove Entertainment ("Alove" is
pronounced "olive," because of the healing properties of the fruit and its
spiritual connotations.)

"Doing the independent thing, there are so many hats to wear," said
DeBarge. "That's why it took me so long to get the album out. Doing the
executive thing, the entrepreneurship thing, sometimes you rob yourself as
an artist."

The first problem was getting record companies to understand that he was
only interested in affiliating himself with them for distribution of his
label.

"Everybody kept trying to sign me as an artist," he recalled. "I told them
the only thing I wanted was distribution. They kept coming back with,
`Well, we will offer you an artist contract.' I don't think they looked at
me seriously in that way. It was all artist deals, and I had just gotten
out of one."

DeBarge (whose first name is actually Jonathan) says his desire to start
his own company was not just a matter of wanting to do his own thing,
although that was a key factor.

"I wanted to contribute to the legacy of my brothers, on a different level.
So I stepped out and formed my own company, also so I could leave something
to people that come behind me. I know it's a strange step. If it works out,
then I can feel that I contributed something."

He appeared in two touring plays, largely to raise funds to launch his
company.

REGARDING his never having wanted to be on Motown, Chico says he had signed
with Kedar Entertainment, but that company ended up going under the Motown
umbrella.

"I was like, `Oh no!," he said. "But I figured, OK, let's give it a chance
and see what happens, and it didn't work." Among other things, he received
little or no personal attention after "Long Time, No See" made its way down
the charts. This played a key role in the disappointing performance of "The
Game," the second album, even though it was as good as "Long Time, No See."

Why the misgivings about Motown? Chico had witnessed some problems his
brothers (and sister) had there, despite the earlier good times. Bobby and
Tommy had been members of Switch, while El, Mark, James, Randy and Bunny
sang in the group DeBarge. (El later became a solo artist.)

By the way, at the time of the interview, El was on an overseas concert
tour, with James, Mark and Randy providing back-up vocals. Bunny is writing
a book. Bobby died in 1995. Chico did not mentioned what Tommy was doing.

When asked to explain his reaction to the massive reception he received
when "Long Time, No See" caught on, Chico said, "It felt good. Coming from
where I came from, I needed to feel that I could do it. There was that dark
cloud over my head that said `you can't do it.' So being accepted was the
best thing in the world to me. It was wonderful."

The songs Chico DeBarge wrote for "Free" show maturity and growth, and are
by design more introspective. No sex songs either.

"I could have made it a little more commercial, but I wanted to leave it
raw," he said. "It's a little more moody and soulful. And I didn't want to
over-produce it."

Although there were ample laughs during the half-hour chat, the biggest one
came when the interviewer said, "Chico, how old are you now? It can be off
the record if you want it to be."

He paused a few seconds, then responded, "Off the record, in my thirties! I
can't believe that though! Damn! I hate that! I want (some of) those years
back! You know what I'm sayin'?"

In any event, Chico DeBarge is "free."


and here is the one about the hummer

E Entertainment
HD Finding home -- again ; Chico DeBarge releases new CD, celebrating artistic freedom
BY John D. Gonzalez / Press Entertainment Editor
WC 1016 words
PD 24 March 2003
SN The Grand Rapids Press
SC GRPR
ED All Editions
PG B1
LA English
CY © 2003 Grand Rapids Press. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights reserved.
LP

Sitting in Jamaican Dave's restaurant off Wealthy Street, Chico DeBarge is at home.

"I eat here every day," he says from the restaurant's parking lot while standing next to his black, 2003 H2 Hummer.

TD

Looking back into the restaurant, he sees owner Dave Bewley waving and making fun of him.

"He's like that. But I love this place."

DeBarge, indeed, loves the island food prepared by Bewley. But he also loves the island of Grand Rapids, his hometown. It's where his older siblings, Bobby and Tommy DeBarge, first hit musical success in the '70s with the R&B group Switch, and later El DeBarge and the family group DeBarge scored major radio hits in the '80s.

The youngest of 10 DeBarge children, Chico -- now in his mid-30s - - is getting ready to release a new album on Tuesday, "Free." It signifies his freedom from his former record label and freedom from his mistakes.

Working on the album at his home studio and at Fast Traxx in Jenison, DeBarge found peace in his hometown after the tragic events of 9-11 left him searching for meaning in his life.

"I was living in Grand Rapids and New York, and I had an office in the World Trade Center," he says.

But after 9-11, he moved back home and started to develop a plan.

"I knew it was time for me to be the entrepreneur of the family and build a legacy of the DeBarge family here in Grand Rapids," he says.

He parted ways with his former label and started the Grand Rapids- based Alove Entertainment -- his own record label. DeBarge is now a CEO, as well as a recording artist, producer and talent scout.

"I want to be part of this community as an entrepreneur," he adds. "I grew up in this area, I attended Sigsbee Elementary and Iroquois Middle School. ... Now I want to establish a label .... There is so much talent here, and I hope to sign some local acts."

The first major release for Alove Entertainment, which is being distributed by Koch Entertainment, is DeBarge's "Free," a 12-song CD that is sensual, soothing and a change of direction for the singer and songwriter, known for his adult brand of R&B.

"This CD is a little more personal; the other CDs were me about me on the run, me in New York and trying to establish myself in that community," he says. "Here, I was coming back home and setting my feet on a different place. This album reflects the musical influences of my brothers ... and it also deals with a lot of personal issues."

The title track, written by DeBarge, is what he calls "a special song."

"It represents a certain freedom of letting go. I'm at that point of letting go of the things I've held on to so long. Sometimes, you can want something so bad that you stop it from being.

"When you learn to let go, you open yourself up to those things coming to you. I've learned to let go."

One of the most compelling songs is "Smile," a song about a person's smile, which DeBarge calls "more precious than gold."

"To me a smile is so underestimated; it's a warm gesture, it's an expression that sometimes expresses more than words, and I don't think we do that often enough," he says. "When I'm looking at a woman, that's the most attractive thing to me, a beautiful smile. That's gold."

One of the more politically and socially conscious songs is "Page From the Journal," which addresses everything from war to reparations. It's a song that might surprise longtime admirers.

"One day (in the studio), I was just sporadically writing down my thoughts, like I was writing in a journal; it was me scribbling," he says. "While I was recording, I turned to the page in my notebook, and I wrote a song from the words.

"I think priorities for America are misplaced often," he says, a few days before the start of the current war against Iraq. "There's a war that's being on in America for quite a while that's been neglected. They put billions of dollars into the space program that could be used to better the world and offer better opportunities for the citizens of America."

He's not trying to be controversial, but controversy is nothing new to DeBarge. In 1988, he was convicted of conspiracy-to-deliver cocaine and spent several years in prison. In fact, he finished his high school classes in the Milan Federal Correctional Facility through a program with Milan High School.

Although he released a solo album before his arrest, it wasn't until his second album in 1997, "Long Time No See," which went gold - - selling more than 500,000 copies. That was followed by 1999's "The Game," which also went gold.

In the middle of those albums, he maintained his Grand Rapids residence and even made a couple of public appearances. At 1998's African-American Festival, he performed one song, and received a key to the city. At 2001's scheduled appearance at the Soul of the City Festival, the rains washed out his full show.

"I'd like to perform in Grand Rapids," he says. "I was so disappointed when it rained that year."

Today, DeBarge is excited about starting a new venture. It's a different place from where he was five years ago -- at that time, he was getting out of prison and just hoping to get back into the business.

"Five years ago, I was facing new-found freedom," he says, "and just hoping I could have a second chance to make music. My expectations were low, and I was just happy to get a chance to make music. I just wanted another shot to gain back what I lost."


NS
GCAT : Political/General News | GENT : Arts/Entertainment | GMUSIC : Music

RE



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LMAO @ that video!

Chico's body language was cool. He was just being a typical smooth, laid back cat. Ms. Masters in Clinical Psychology is the one who needed to be hosed down. No, she did NOT tell that man "You're just right for me!" Could she be anymore obvious and LAME.

I'm sorry, but what educated woman wants a...Nevermind. He might be reading this. There are about 300 DeBarges. Half of them have nothing to do but google themselves.

Chico seemed fine. That chick seemed outta line to me.

Caramel or chocolate? Even he could see through that one.

300 might be low balling it.
Oh, so you think that is Chico's normal body language or what. What were you going to say, ex convict?

Note also him saying he preferred seeing a movie about a love story over a horror movie and how at the end, he asked that woman if she thought he was crazy. Seemed a bit insecure there
And don't forget, Chico's mom comes from a family of 12, so there are relatives on that side of the family, too!

Karen check out the other chico thread
[Edited 12/3/08 18:59pm]

Thanks for the interviews.

Chico seems to have a good head on his shoulders and great aspirations.

scriptgirl said:

Nooooo, I'm saying that he looked like a typical, laid back cat. Ex-con or not, most men are just laid back. His body language looked no different from most men who are in relaxed "chill" mode.

I KNEW he was going to say love story. And yes, I also thought that question wreaked of insecurity and sensitivity. He knows he's a case.

You are welcome. Read your pms

How'd you know he was going to say love story?
In terms of body language, he was turned toward that girl, meaning he was open to her. He was sitting up straight or away from her.
[Edited 12/3/08 19:05pm]

scriptgirl said:

WHOA! I'm starting to think you're Chico. Who else would care so much about why I said/typed what I did, analyze his body language?

If it's you, Chico, I was JUST PLAYING about everything I said. Really, I was! Ask my mama. I play all the time like that! Really, I do!

In terms of his body language, of course he was turned towards her. She was interviewing him. Would've been in poor form for him to have his back to her. At a table, no less!

When I'm with people in chill mode, we lean towards or on each other--even girlfriends and I still do this. Nothing more or less than simply being relaxed. They were in a relaxed setting. He so should NOT have been sitting up, shoulders straight, eyes straight ahead, with hands clasped on the table.

Honey, I have seen some interviews where stars hav done just that, sit up straight and look straight ahead. I analyze everything

If not Chico, surely a close relative.

No relation. My genes are not as good as the debarges

scriptgirl said:

Chances are, the interviewer was sitting IN FRONT of the interviewee--not beside him/her--and definitely not in a cozy restaurant.
[Edited 12/3/08 19:32pm]

Not in the one I saw. I think it was Nicole Kidman

Anyway, I hope Chico and that whole family get it together.

Karen, you will enjoy this

Another old school Chico article

Listen to the interview on NPR here:
http://www.npr.org/templa...d=97696227