Teri DeBarge (born Teri Lee Gayle in 1970) is an American producer who is best known as the executive producer of The Bobby DeBarge Story (2019). She rose to fame as the widowed wife of the late Motown R&B singer Bobby DeBarge.
Bobby DeBarge, born Robert Louis DeBarge II on March 5, 1956, was the lead singer of the Motown R&B group Switch. He rose to fame with his falsetto vocals and achieved a measure of musical greatness before passing away on August 16, 1995 from complications related to HIV/AIDS. This paper focuses on Teri DeBarge, DeBarge’s widow, and what she has been up to since his death decades ago.
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Biography of Teri DeBarge
Teri Lee Gayle was born Teri Lee Gayle in 1970 before becoming Teri DeBarge. Teri rose to fame through her marriage to the late R&B singer Bobby DeBarge, but stayed out of the limelight after his death a few years ago. Because of this, little is known about her childhood and family history.
For starters, her exact date and month of birth are unknown, and aside from the well-established fact that she was born in the United States, her exact city of birth in the country is also unknown. Her birth status allows her to identify as an American citizen, while her ethnic identity is more ambiguous. Teri DeBarge, as previously stated, has not revealed much about her family history, which leads to the inevitable conclusion that information about her parents’ identity and what they did for a living is not available in any public domain. Furthermore, without a clear picture of Teri’s family life, it is impossible to determine whether she had other siblings or was an only child.
Teri DeBarge’s formal education is another aspect of her childhood that most people are unaware of. There is no documentation about the institutions where she received her basic formal education. On the other hand, Teri DeBarge dropped out of school after marrying Bobby DeBarge, according to several credible sources. There is a chance that she improved her academic qualifications after her husband died, but there is no way of knowing for sure at this time.
Teri DeBarge Married Life
Teri DeBarge and Robert Louis ‘Bobby’ DeBarge were married on December 10, 1990. Teri and Bobby met and began dating in 1985 and married five years later. She was reportedly 15 when she first met Bobby. Furthermore, Teri met her late husband through his ex-wife, Monique DeBarge, according to the dominant story.
Monique was Teri’s cousin, and she allegedly introduced Teri to Bobby in 1985. Bobby fell in love with Teri, who was 15 at the time, and soon hooked her up. His efforts at the beginning of his relationship with teenage girl Teri took some time, but he was rewarded in the end.
The finer details of the wedding, such as the venue and location, the guests and the couple’s attire, are not made public. Teri DeBarge and Bobby DeBarge were married less than five years before his death in August 1995 from complications from HIV/AIDS.
Death of Teri DeBarge’s husband
Teri DeBarge’s late husband died on August 16, 1995 in Grand Rapids, Michigan of complications from HIV/AIDS. He was then 39 years old. When a husband or wife contracts this deadly virus, he or she often infects their partner. Fortunately, Teri was not affected because she did not catch the virus from her late husband.
When the question arose as to how Teri’s late husband, Bobby, contracted the disease that eventually led to his untimely death, many theories emerged. One of these theories was that he was bisexual and contracted the virus through sexual relations with men. However, nothing to that effect has ever been proven.
The most widespread and most likely true theory revolves around his addiction to drugs and habits. Bobby DeBarge, despite his musical genius, never seems to have his personal life figured out. Many people close to him said he picked up his bad drug habit from his abusive father. He started with heroin and progressed to harder drugs like cocaine.
He struggled with addiction for years, only to return after a few positive steps. Bobby needed a syringe to inject himself with heroin, and the consensus is that one of those syringes was infected with a virus, and he used it without realizing the consequences.
Teri DeBarge and her son
Teri managed to have two sons for Bobby before his untimely death despite their relatively short marriage. The exact birth dates of both sons are currently unknown, but must have occurred between 1991 and 1995. Teri’s first son was named Christian DeBarge, and his younger son was named after his father, Robert Louis ‘Bobby’ DeBarge III. Teri DeBarge is an actress.
Christian DeBarge is an anime illustrator and the proud father of one daughter with an unidentified Asian woman. Teri’s youngest son took over not only his father’s name but also his musical legacy. Bobby III, in fact, has an extraordinary falsetto, the singing ability that made his father famous.
Teri DeBarge: Where is she now?
Teri DeBarge went off the grid after her husband died, presumably to rebuild her life and focus on raising her two sons. She briefly returned to play herself in Unsung (2008), a documentary series that focused on the lives of many forgotten but talented R&B, Soul, and Gospel singers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
That feature included and briefly explored the life of Teri’s late husband, Bobby. Teri probably reasoned that being on that show gave her the idea for an entire production about her late husband because who better to tell Bobby DeBarge’s story than the woman who was married to him for a while?
It took nine years, starting in 2008, for her idea to become a reality with the release of The Bobby DeBarge Story in 2019. Teri made her executive producer debut on the production that focused on the life of the iconic Bobby DeBarge, including his musical genius, struggle with drug addiction , HIV and death.
Tera’s first and so far only foray into production. Her net worth is estimated at around $5 million, a portion of which she earned by telling her husband’s story on tape.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn