El DeBarge Net Worth, Relationships, Age/Birthdate & Birthday Facts

El DeBarge Net Worth, Relationships, Age/Birthdate & Birthday

El DeBarge is an American R&B singer-songwriter known for his soaring falsetto voice and contributions to 1980s soul and pop music.

Introduction

Eldra “El” Patrick DeBarge was born on June 4, 1961, and his birthday is celebrated each year on June 4. Best known as the lead voice of the family group DeBarge and later as a solo artist, he crafted a musical legacy built on his distinct tenor/falsetto and emotional delivery. His estimated net worth is around $400,000, according to multiple outlets.  In his personal journey, El DeBarge has navigated professional highs and personal setbacks—including family, relationships and recovery—and his relationships and personal life remain a significant part of that story.

Quick Facts

A Voice Born from Family Roots and Motown Dreams

From the neighborhoods of Detroit and later Grand Rapids, Michigan, El DeBarge’s trajectory began in church choirs and family gatherings. He was the sixth child of Etterlene DeBarge and Robert Louis DeBarge Sr..  Early on he demonstrated musical promise—singing, playing piano, and eventually joining his siblings in what would become DeBarge.

Defining moments in El DeBarge’s journey include:

• Signing with Motown as part of The DeBarges and later DeBarge, releasing gold-certified albums such as All This Love and In a Special Way. 

• Departing the group in the mid-1980s to launch a solo career, yielding hits like “Who’s Johnny” and the ballad “Love Always”. 

• A comeback solo album titled Second Chance in 2010 after years away from the limelight, earning Grammy nominations. 

This story reads like two arcs: early family success followed by solo ambition, paused by struggles, and then redemption through artistry and resilience.

The Core Pillars of El DeBarge’s Wealth

The core pillars of El DeBarge’s wealth include:

• Royalties & catalog income: Income from his time with DeBarge and his solo recordings continues to generate streaming and licensing revenue.

• Solo recordings and collaborations: His solo work, including notable collaborations with artists like Quincy Jones and DJ Quik, has added ancillary income streams. 

• Performance and touring: Though less active in major tours in recent years, his legacy status opens performance and appearance opportunities.

• Intellectual property & brand equity: His name, voice, and musical contributions function as long-term assets.

While precise breakdowns are elusive, the publicly-reported net worth implies that while he commands a respected legacy, financial ups and downs—including legal and personal challenges—have influenced the current valuation.

Relationships & Family Life

El DeBarge’s personal life has been complex and storied. He is the father of 12 children by multiple women—11 biological and one whom he has embraced as his own.  In a 2018 interview he shared how decades of struggle with addiction and absence shaped his relationship with his children, and how he has worked to reconnect. 

Key insights into El DeBarge’s relationships and personal life:

• He has been married and separated more than once, though specific, widely-verified details of all relationships are private or inconsistent across sources. 

• His role as a father has been central to his personal narrative—reflecting both the challenges of his past and his efforts toward healing and presence.

• He has acknowledged his past substance-abuse issues and their impact on his family, viewing sobriety and fatherhood as intertwined goals.

Lifestyle, Assets & Interests

Beyond career success, El DeBarge leads a lifestyle that reflects both passion and purpose, including:

• A continued engagement with music and performance—even after years of personal challenges, he returned to the studio and stage, demonstrating his enduring commitment to craft.

• Involvement in family dynamics and, publicly, the process of harmonizing past mistakes with present intentions, especially in fatherhood.

• A quieter public profile in recent years, which suggests a shift toward legacy building and stabilization rather than flashier assets or headline-making purchases.

Net Worth Breakdown & Analysis

Evaluating El DeBarge’s net worth involves navigating estimates, legacy earnings, and the impact of career fluctuations:

Note: Given the modest publicly-reported figure of ~$400K for net worth, the majority of value appears tied to his music catalog and legacy rather than large diversified investment holdings.

Public Image, Legacy & Influence

In the world of R&B and soul, El DeBarge occupies a distinctive place. Critics and historians note his voice as a standout—lean, elastic, capable of shifting into falsetto with elegance. His contributions via DeBarge and his solo recordings have influenced countless artists within R&B, neo-soul and beyond.

Publicly, his journey has also been one of redemption—moving from commercial success through personal decline, and then working to re-establish artistic identity. His legacy is not just the hits, but the story of resilience and ongoing relevance. While his net worth may not rank among the richest in his genre, his creative influence and authenticity remain significant.

Conclusion

From his birth on June 4 (his birthday) in 1961, El DeBarge’s journey has traversed the heights of Motown-era fame, the solitude of struggle, and the hope of reclamation. With an estimated net worth of approximately $400,000, his story illustrates how talent, legacy and personal growth intertwine. His relationships and role as father—to his children and to his craft—are integral parts of his personal life. El DeBarge’s age/birthdate marks the beginning of a voice that has resonated across generations, and while his financial headline may not mirror blockbuster earnings, his musical imprint and personal truth endure long after the applause fades.