1977

The Jackson  Connection

In 1977, elder siblings Tommy DeBarge and Bobby DeBarge formed a group called Switch along with Jody Sims, Greg Williams, Phillip Ingram and Eddie Fluellen. They were discovered by Motown artist Jermaine Jackson, and signed to the Motown label that same year. Their name Switch was due to their ability to ‘switch’ to different instruments during a song, the group got the attention of Jermaine Jackson, heard the group’s demo tape and within days the group was promply signed to the Motown Records subsidiary label, Gordy. There, they recorded and released their self titled debut album in 1978. Switch recorded several hits for Motown’s Gordy label, including “There’ll Never Be” and “I Call Your Name”.

The managers of Switch also became aware of Bobby and Tommy’s younger brothers including Randy, Marty and El, whose vocal talent was often compared to Bobby’s, as was that of eldest sister, Bunny.

After an impromptu audition in front of Jermaine Jackson, Switch’s producer, the group was signed to Motown’s Gordy imprint in 1979 as a quartet of Bunny, Randy, Marty and El (younger brother James would join in 1982). As “The DeBarges”, they released their self-titled debut in 1981 featuring the first single, “What’s Your Name.” Neither the album nor the single charted, and the group was later determined to produce themselves on the next record.

I Wanna Be Closer written by Jermaine Jackson for Switch. From the “Switch” album in 1979

Tagged as: 1977, Age 12 to 21 1970 -1979, Celebs Motown, El Debarge, Jackson Jermaine, James Debarge

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