what happened to bobby debarge

Bobby DeBarge, born Robert Louis DeBarge Jr., was a talented American musician known as the lead singer of the Motown R&B/soul group Switch and later a member of his siblings' band DeBarge. Despite his musical success, his life was marred by personal struggles, including substance abuse that began in his youth and escalated to heroin addiction. In 1988, he was convicted on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to five years in prison. During his incarceration, he was diagnosed with HIV, which led to AIDS-related complications. After his release, he returned to music but his health declined rapidly. Bobby DeBarge died on August 16, 1995, at the age of 39 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, two weeks after the release of his final album, "It's Not Over"