El DeBarge Caught Up in Drug Bust—Again!

Singer arrested in a Los Angeles suburb for possession for sale of narcotics, adding yet another notch to his long history of run-ins with the law

By Alexis L. Loinaz Mar 21, 2012 12:24 PMTags
 El DeBargeLarry Busacca/Getty Images for City of Hope

El DeBarge is racking up a bevy of greatest hits—on his sprawling rap sheet.

E! News has confirmed that the "Rhythm of the Night" singer (real name: Eldra DeBarge) was arrested in the Los Angeles area on Monday for possession for sale of narcotics, adding yet another notch to his long history of run-ins with the law.

Police confirm that DeBarge was arrested at 2 p.m. in Encino. No other details were available.

He was booked and released on a $30,000 bail and is due in court on April 9.

The singer, who was most recently spotted having an emotional reunion with old friend Whitney Houston at a Hollywood club just days before her death, has a troubled history with the law, and with drugs.

Since 2001, he's been popped three times for drug possession, and his rap sheet goes as far back as the mid-'80s including arrests for domestic violence and vandalism. In 2008, he was sentenced to two years in prison for a drug bust.

Last year, DeBarge checked into rehab just days before a scheduled tour, forcing him to cancel it.

The singer, together with his four brothers, formed the group DeBarge in 1978 and had a successful run of R&B hits such as "Rhythm of the Night" and "Love Me in a Special Way" before he embarked on a solo career that eventually fizzled.

The embattled crooner, whose brother James was once married to Janet Jackson, had been trying to stage a comeback recently and seemed to be on the right track.

In 2010, he released a well-reviewed album, his first in 16 years. Its title track, "Second Chances," was nominated for two Grammys, for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.

"I want the world to know that everybody deserves a second chance," the singer wrote on his website in 2010 to promote his comeback album. Given his turbulent drug past and, now, this latest bust-up, he's going to need more than that.