The Dark Gable of R&B has return and he says he's 'bringing lightskin back!' B.C.M. favorite, El DeBarge handsomely graces the October issue of Ebony magazine. Just looking at the photos will make you fall in love with El all over again! In the article, El dishes on his infamous past that has led to his triumphant return to music (and if you watched his BET Awards performance, he sang as if he never left us!); a past that, we all know included hardcore drug abuse, prison time, growing up in a dysfunctional family and an 'out-of-sight-out-of-mind' mentality from folks when others randomly asked, 'Where's El?' However, in the interview El shared things about his life that some people, like myself, never knew. For example, although I knew that the DeBarge family come from gospel roots, I had no idea that Bishop William Abney, who penned the gospel classic I Won't Complain is actually El's uncle! Or that El originally wanted to be a gospel artist. Little brother Chico also joined in on the interview. Now that I think about it, El talked more about his personal life than his new album Second Chance, which according to Billboard.com, has been pushed back to late November. Just in time for the holidays!Oh, and remember when I made that comment suggesting someone give El (and/or his family) their own reality show? Well, it went from my mouth to God's ears because the currently single father of 12 (hey, that's the number he's claiming) has a reality show (network to be announced) in the works which will focus on how he's rebuilding his life, raising his kids and dealing with their mothers. Yall know I'mma watch!
Peep excerpts from his interview below:
EL ON HOW GOD PULLED HIM FROM FROM HIS DRUG ABUSE: 'I was in a drug coma. I went to sleep for about 22 years. I was crying to God, 'Lord, please help me get off this. I don't want to be like this.' I was never in denial about the fact that I had a problem. I just didn't know if I was going to ever get off of it, but I didn't give up. Drugs had me. When I came out of my addiction, when God saw fit to have me locked up in prison, that was really a rescue. He let me know right there in prison, 'I had you the whole time. I allowed you to go through this for such a season, for a reason. And you're in prison right now because I plucked you out of the situation. I'm the one who had you locked up for your own sake, But when you come out of here, watch what I do for you.'
EL ON WEANING HIMSELF OFF OF DRUGS: 'I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. It wasn't about my career anymore, it was about my life. [Going cold turkey] is worse than what you see on TV or in the movies. They really don't want to make it graphic. It's nastier than that. It's bad, bad. You hurt past your body. You hurt from the inside out. Your hair hurts.'
EL ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FATHER: 'I stayed out of my father's way growing up. My daddy had problems. I was so young when it all started. I was born into it. I didn't know the difference. My father gave all of us love. That was the disturbing thing about it. He was like Jekyll and Hyde. He would hug us and play games with us. The next thing you know, it was on and popping! Then he'd apologize. 'I love you. I'm sorry, and pray for your daddy.' He would always win our sympathy and our empathy. Always. You could tell he was dead serious. He would cry. He wasn't faking. That man had some issues.'
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