El was born in Detroit, Michigan, the sixth of Robert Louis DeBarge Sr(1932-2009) .’s and Etterlene (née Abney) DeBarge’s children.
DeBarge used to play the piano and sing in his neighborhood church choir. He and the rest of his family later started singing at their uncle’s Pentecostal church after moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
El’s parents separated when he was 13 years old after a challenging and tumultuous marriage. El is of French and African American ancestry. He was most like his older brother Bobby as a child and started to imitate his speech technique.
El studied privately with Ricky Callier, a music educator, for a number of years. El started expressing his desire to become a performer in 1975. At the age of 16, he had his first child; over the years, he had 11 more.
Who is El DeBarge wife Tracey Ferguson?
He married Tracey Ferguson on 18 July 1992 and got divorced on 30 May 1996. Not much is known about Tracey, where she lives, and what she does is also not known.
