Robert Louis "Bobby" DeBarge

 Robert Louis "Bobby" DeBarge, Jr. (March 5, 1956 – August 16, 1995)

DeBarge was the lead singer of the Motown R&B/soul vocal group Switch and was noted for his impressive falsetto vocals. Later on, he served as both mentor and a co-producer of his siblings' band, DeBarge, eventually joining them to fill in for departing members El and Bunny. As the oldest of ten children, he took charge to help his talented siblings to overcome the challenges they faced in their careers. Bobby co-produced their debut album, and co-wrote with younger brother El the song, "Queen of My Heart", in which he performed falsetto ad-libs near the end of the recording. The track would later re-appear on DeBarge's third album, In A Special Way, on which El himself produced, creating a more polished version. His career came to a halt in 1988, as he was convicted of drug trafficking and was incarcerated for five years. By then, the group was declining and had moved from Motown to a couple other recording companies before disbanding in 1989. Following his release, he returned to performing and recording, all the while struggling with AIDS, which he contracted sometime in the late 1980s prior to his prison sentence. He finished his last musical work, It's Not Over, but was not alive when the album was distributed independently. When he became gravely ill, his family sent him to a hospice in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He died of AIDS complications there on August 16, 1995 at age 39. He is buried iat Garfield Park Cemetery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.