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Celebrity Justice
El Debarge in El Slammer!

Posted Aug 29th 2007 5:20PM by TMZ Staff

El DebargeTMZ has learned R&B sensation El Debarge is currently cooling his dancing shoes in an L.A. County Jail, arrested on Sunday for domestic violence!

Rhymes With Snitch first broke the news of Debarge's arrest. El, whose real name is Eldra, scored major success in 1985 with the hit "Rhythm of the Night." His brother James was briefly married to Janet Jackson, but that marriage was annulled.

Debarge currently sits in a cell, without bail. Wear it well!

UPDATE: TMZ has learned that Debarge is being held on several outstanding warrants ranging from vandalism to drugs to driving with a suspended license. On these particular warrants, bail is not an option -- which means El Debarge will stay behind bars until he sees the judge.

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46. hey Kiki, it's not that we are old. It's that you have serious geek issues if you still listen to this guy.

Posted at 10:25PM on Aug 29th 2007 by still looks like a kid.

47. I've always wondered what ever became of this guy,for I hope he goes back to his music career and makes a comeback album(with his family)instead of popping up in the headlines to compete with Britney,K-Fed,Lindsay,Paris,Nicole,and all of those other major league LaHooZaHers !!

Posted at 10:27PM on Aug 29th 2007 by Steven Millan

48. Talk about a blast from the past-WOW!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 10:35PM on Aug 29th 2007 by Atlanta

49. That's a shame-he had more talent than a ton of folks out there now!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 10:37PM on Aug 29th 2007 by Atlanta

50. this guy legal?

Posted at 10:57PM on Aug 29th 2007 by steve

51. Many of the DeBarges have had legal troubles over the years, including El. Sadly with the multitude of hits they released (enough for a slamming greatest hits album) with two successful groups and a solo act, Chico is the only one that even tours a little bit.

Get your facts straight.
1. El was not married to Janet, his brother James was.
2. El was not in Switch. His older brothers were. Switch was popular in the 70s and DeBarge was popular in the 80s.
3. El is not Mexican. He is biracial

I understand us TMZ readers love to rip the celebs to shreds, but at least get your facts straight.

Posted at 11:59PM on Aug 29th 2007 by Bird

52. L.A. County seemed to have enough room for this guy. He must have blown all his excess cash and he's of no use to the D.A. No early release for the trolls of hollywood.

Posted at 12:29AM on Aug 30th 2007 by Democrats are evil

53. He must really smell right about now, b/c I know his little pretty ass is scared to shower. Poor thing

Posted at 8:01AM on Aug 30th 2007 by ohnoudient

54. Thank you KiKi .... But what can you really expect. It's sadly what dominates the landscape of American society these days. Ignoramuses need to also be informed of how much El DeBarge's music is sampled by the people they consider to be musicians and artistes these days. We understand it though, the newbies in the biz don't know it themselves .... so if material was being pirated and their behinds were on the line for a lawsuit they wouldn't even know the difference. (With the exception of a tiny few, like Ne-yo.) Know what that is? NON-READERS!!

Posted at 2:17PM on Sep 4th 2007 by Sandjar

55. Hal R Hosfeld:
There's a place for bigots and it's not on the face of the earth. I hope you live to see the day when someone talks about you like that and there's nothing you can do about it no matter how much you want to. By the way, I know it's all the same to (SOME) people who lack pigment and personality, but he's not from Tijuana.

Posted at 2:16PM on Sep 4th 2007 by Sandjar

56. Be careful BIRD,
Mexicans can be biracial. There's a difference between one's nationality and one's race.

Posted at 2:15PM on Sep 4th 2007 by Sandjar

57. El Debarge is Black Creole you morons!

Posted at 11:12AM on Aug 30th 2007 by HIt and Run

58. Regarding his music- His music has been kept low key, but he has worked on several projects after Rhythem of the Night came out. Any R&B fan out there knows this. Probably one of the few artist from the 80's, 90's that could put together a really good soulful R&B album together and have it sell. Put it this way....El was singing that high pitched stuff before Robin Thicke was even born...lol. (no diss to Robin, the man is talented)

Regarding this Domestic Violence arrest- I think El is really lucky his wife didn't pick up a frying pan and smacked the crap out of him...the man don't weigh nothing but a buck, buck O five!!!

Posted at 1:13PM on Aug 30th 2007 by ghostnyc

59. Who?

Posted at 5:27PM on Nov 11th 2007 by jumijumijumi

60. El Needs some rehab. I hope some of the other singers in the entertainment business come to his rescue and help a brother get his life together. El is a part of our music history. I had no idea he was in this kind of shape.

Posted at 1:35PM on Aug 30th 2007 by Patt

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