Gospel singer and matriarch of the DeBarge family, Etterlene DeBarge, has died, reports indicate.
Bunny, as she was often called, passed away in her sleep at Berkley Post-Acute in Woodland Hills, in California, on Friday morning.
Although it was noted that the mother of 10 was ill and suffered from dementia, a cause of death hasn’t been released.
In 1952, Etterlene met her then-husband, Robert DeBarge. Seven of their 10 children played in the Motown super group DeBarge. The Grammy-nominated group was active from 1979 to 1989 prior to Bunny and El DeBarge going solo and the group splitting up.
Etterlene discussed her marriage and her children being stars in her book, “Other Side of Pain.” After divorcing in 1974, Etterlene married again in 1980 to George Rodriguez whom she was still married to up until her death.
Etterlene was 88 years old.
