“DeBarge” Documentary Shows How the Once Famous James and Randy DeBarge Went from Sold Out Shows to Living on the Streets of L.A.
The Sunday before last ushered in a handful of film debuts at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival, but one documentary stood out in particular. Directed by Matthew Siretta, “DeBarge” follows James and Randy, the youngest brothers of the eponymous family music group, and tracks their rise and fall from grace in the music industry and how they ultimately found themselves living out of an RV on the streets of LA.
“The DeBarges” a Family Music Group
The DeBarges were a family music group from Grand Rapids, Michigan who were popular in the 80s and frequently likened to the Jackson 5 (James and Janet Jackson were even briefly married in ‘84), the two families were often compared to one another for their similar styles and group dynamics. The DeBarges were discovered by Motown in 1979, and found success with hit singles like “I Like It” and “All This Love.” Many of the songs in their discography have been sampled and covered by other popular recording artists over the years, further solidifying their musical legacy and status of greatness in the industry.
Short Lived Success
Their success, however, was fairly short lived and various members of the family band began grappling with hardships and battles with addiction and legal issues as a result of their sudden and unprecedented rise to fame. With all their unique and differing troubles, the group ended up parting ways and disbanding in 1989, just ten years after it was formed. Most of the surviving members of DeBarge have remained away from the spotlight and are now living private lives, though ‘Bunny’ DeBarge did release a memoir in 2008 called “The Kept Ones,” where she opened up about the abuse she and her siblings faced at the hands of their father, as well as the addiction issues she wrestled with during her years in the spotlight and in her later life. Bunny is still actively releasing music, as is Chico DeBarge, and some of the DeBarge children have chosen to shoulder the family music mantle, contributing their own chapters to the DeBarge legacy.
Finding Joy Not Living in Luxury With Daily “Jam Session”
Siretta’s documentary was shot over a period of several years and wrapped back in 2021, shortly after the DeBarges’ brother, Tommy, passed away. For the few years that “DeBarge” was being filmed, Siretta followed James and Randy closely and documented their RV lifestyle, providing a firsthand look into the reality of their lives outside of and away from the spotlight. Some may see the brothers’ living conditions or hear about the tolls of their addictions and feel sorry for them, but I don’t necessarily think that’s what the film is trying to get at. Judging from the trailer alone, though Randy and James are certainly not living in luxury, they seem happy in each other’s company and in finding joy in their daily “jam sessions,” and in revisiting the songs cherished by so many people around the world.
