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b'EPISODE 100 WITH JERRY ROYCE LIVE!

KEPT ONES: VOLUME ONE

The Kept Ones: Volume I
by Bunny DeBarge

\\u201cGod followed me, until I could follow him.\\u201d
\\u2014Bunny DeBarge

Welcome and thank you for joining us on Jerry Royce Live! My 100th episode

This is an exclusive interview with the beautiful and multi-talented female vocalists of the Debarge, now an Author and motivational speaker Bunny DeBarge.

In this intimate revelation from singer/writer/producer Bunny DeBarge, an amazingly resilient journey emerges of the incredibly talented family and charming 80\\u2019s Motown super group DeBarge. The depth of Bunny\\u2019s soul is revealed through her eyes, while growing up with her brothers as biracial children during the turbulent times of racial inequality in the late 50\\u2019s and 60\\u2019s. Being the eldest child, Bunny candidly recounts their inability to find acceptance during their childhood from the black or white race, a French white father who \\u201csegregated them from segregation\\u201d by partially denying them from their identity, her traumatic endurance of sexual abuse at the hands of her father, her brothers suffering the wrath of his mental and physical abuse, a spiritually strong devote black mother who constantly prayed for her family\\u2019s deliverance from a perceived curse, and ongoing years of battling drug abuse on their way to musical stardom to hide their years of pain.

Raised under the strict guidelines of a church upbringing, the DeBarge\'s found an outlet from their home environment through the spiritual gift of their music. They spent years singing and performing as a local church group and traveling with their uncle\'s church to \\u201csing for the Lord\\u201d at several different functions, even radio shows. It was obvious from early on that their natural musical talents came quite supernaturally, since they never had any music lessons. With the exception of the eldest brother Bobby, their original plans were to become superstars in gospel music. However, when brothers Bobby and Tommy signed onto Motown with Jermaine Jackson, becoming stars in the hit group Switch; Bobby influenced Jermaine to audition his talented siblings for Motown. As the saying goes, the rest is music history. DeBarge would go on to sing beautiful love ballads that topped the music charts and are still in rotation today like: Share My World, I Like It, Time Will Reveal, In A Special Way, All This Love, A Dream,and many more hits that Bunny wrote and co-wrote with her brothers and were produced and co-produced with brother El DeBarge. As Bunny confides, \\u201cWe were singing songs we wrote for the Lord, and turned them into love songs for the world. I believe we were cursed because of that. The drugs helped to cover our pain, and we hid behind it.\\u201d Their beloved music, which was the very unifying force that banded them together, would later send them spiraling out of control down different roads where they endured yet more pain with Motown\\u2019s decision to now divide them.

The first five DeBarge children\\u2014Bunny, Bobby, Tommy, Randy, and Mark would remember the turbulence that permeated the home environment they grew up in. Whereas the second set of 5 children\\u2014El, James, Chico, and twins Darryl and Carol, would have a completely different home environment they grew up in. Yet, there was no avoiding the forces of the perceived curse that cast its dark cloud over the DeBarge family, each would wrestle with their own individual demons. Many have speculated on what has happened with the family, but Bunny unselfishly gives the details and explains the roller coaster ride and price of fame. As she so vividly recounts, her highest point of fame would be her participation as a member of DeBarge in Motown 25, where they performed their biggest smash hit Rhythm of the Night. She takes us backstage sharing little known stories of how they met Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, and many more. In stark contrast, one of the lowest points in her career would be losing the Motown contract and she and her brothers going to see El perform with backup singers performing their parts, while sitting with the audience in the \\u201cnose bleed\\u201d section with no money and no one even recognizing them.
This is the definitive story of the DeBarge family captured in 2 volumes, from their spectacular rise to the top of R & B music royalty, their fall from grace, to their reemerging careers. Always one to "mother her brothers" and be their protector, she confesses that the same "motherly behavior" that she\\u2019d inherited from her mother caused deeper pain when they were all forced to go their separate ways. As she unveils her journey, those who really know Bunny will testify that she radiates a beautiful spirit, selflessly sharing her life story to help encourage someone else. Somewhat surprising to her, some of their classic songs like Stay With Me\\u2014which she co-wrote and was produced by El DeBarge; and A Dream\\u2014which she wrote, sang lead vocals on, and produced, would go on to be sampled by many other great musical artists such as Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Ashanti, and Blackstreet. At the end of the day, Bunny cherishes the close relationships she has with all of her brothers and misses the bond she always shared with El, but a series of unforeseen events tore them apart. The Kept Ones masterfully weaves a full-scale portrait of a beautiful, enormously gifted musical family\\u2019s spiritual hope to break free from the long shadow of pain that has haunted them for so many years. Through it all, God is still there, and has kept DeBarge even when they went astray.'