Tommy DeBarge — a member of the R&B/funk band Switch — and part of the music industry’s famed DeBarge family has died.
A family member tells us Tommy has suffered from liver and kidney failure over the years, but recently took a turn for the worse. We’re told he was hospitalized a couple weeks ago, and died in the hospital Thursday.
DeBarge rose to fame in Switch in the mid to late ’70s — the group recorded hits like “There’ll Never Be,” “I Call Your Name” and “Love Over & Over Again.”
Tommy and his brother, Bobby, were founding members of the group, which had a huge influence on future bands in the genre, including DeBarge … the group composed of their siblings.
Bobby and Tommy left Switch to mentor their younger brothers and sister in DeBarge, but Bobby died of AIDS-related complications in 1995.
Tommy was 64.
RIP
