Etterlene DeBarge
Born
Etterlene Louise Abney

(1935-10-13) October 13, 1935
Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active1950–present
Spouses
Robert DeBarge
​
​
(m. 1953; div. 1974)​
    George Rodriguez
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1980)​
    Children10; including Bunny, Bobby, Randy, Mark, El, James and Chico
    FamilyDeBarge
    Musical career
    GenresGospel
    Instrument(s)
    • Vocals
    • piano

    Etterlene Louise Rodriguez (previously DeBarge, née Abney; born October 13, 1935) is an American gospel singer, songwriter, and matriarch of the American R&B/Soul vocal group DeBarge. She is also the author of Other Side of the Pain, which talked about her struggles in her marriage to her children's father and also documented her children's rise to fame as well as their struggles under the glare of the spotlight.

    Biography

    Early years

    Born Etterlene Abney on October 13, 1935, in Royal Oak, Michigan, she was one of twelve children and has a twin sister. When she was a child, her family moved to the Brewster-Douglass housing projects, located in the east side of Detroit. In 1952, she met an Army veteran named Robert DeBarge, a man of French and English descent from Cicero, Illinois.[1] The couple married in 1953 settling in a predominantly black section of Detroit, where they had ten children. In 1972, the DeBarges moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Etterlene's brother, Bishop William Charles Abney, Jr., pastored Bethel Pentecostal Church. Etterlene divorced Robert DeBarge sometime in 1974. She later married a second time, to George Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican, leading to the erroneous rumor that the DeBarge family was half-Hispanic. However, contrary to popular belief, they are not of Latino descent.

    Children and grandchildren

    Robert and Etterlene DeBarge had ten children during their 21-year marriage:

    Etterlene has dozens of grandchildren, several of whom are involved in the entertainment industry. They include Kristinia DeBarge, daughter of James, a singer who appeared on 2003's American Juniors followed up with a charting album (Exposed) and single ("Goodbye").

    Music career

    In 1991, with the help of her famous children, Etterlene, a religious woman, released a gospel album, Back on Track, under the DeBarge Family moniker. In 2005, she released a second gospel album, A City Called Heaven. She is affectionately known to her grandchildren as "Mama D". She currently enjoys her grandchildren and lives in California.

    References

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