Janet Jackson’s producer, Jimmy Jam (of the hit-making production duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) revealed in a recent interview with BBC, that Janet Jackson’s 1986 jam, “What Have You Done for me Lately” was actually written about an old School celeb’ back in the day. If you’re from the Old School you know this brotha very well. He is the one and only…[drumroll please!]…

James DeBarge of the 80’s R&B group, DeBarge, also known as Janet’s ex-husband! Janet was married to him at the time if “What Have You Done For Me Lately’s” production. Like we said earlier, Jimmy Jam let the cat out of the bag on this one. When he and Terry Lewis were working on Janet’s album, “Control,” this song was created to document the turmoil Janet’s and James’ marriage.

Here’s what Jimmy Jam said:
“The lyric came up because of a relationship Janet had gotten out of [her marriage to soul singer James DeBarge, which was annulled a year earlier]. The concept was basically, ‘he used to do nice things for you, but what has he done for you lately?'”

Who would’ve thunk it?!! Now that we know this, it all makes sense – Janet has repeatedly talked about the fact that she is an “emotional eater” who tends to eat a lot of junk food when she’s stressed about something going on in her life, resulting in weight gain (although she still looked great in my humble opinion).

 

 

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A post shared by Janet Jackson (@janetjackson)

Not only did we see her experience a little weight gain during the era of her “Control” album, during which she had just gone through the divorce with James, we also saw this same weight pattern for her role on Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too, which was filmed shortly after the death of her big brother, Michael Jackson. In both instances, she did a phenomenal job using her craft and creating powerful performances.

These days – at 56 years young – Janet Jackson can be thick, slim, or curvy, and she is and will always be sexy as hell! Keep showing these youngins how it’s done Ms. Jackson.

The post Many Never Knew Janet Jackson Wrote “What Have U Done For Me Lately” About Another Celebrity appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We all know that James Debarge -of the legendary group, Debarge- has some deep history with the Jackson family. He was married to Janet in the ‘80s and still to this day, believes he has a child out there somewhere that Janet never told him about. But this article is not about the never ending saga of the mysterious kid James has made headlines for in recent years. It’s about Janet’s beloved brother, Michael Jackson, and the heroic actions he took when James tried to kill himself…on multiple occasions… *Scroll down to watch James’ explain this*

Back in the day, most of never knew just how cool MJ was with James, but it turns out, they were pretty close. So close that Michael was the only person who James trusted enough to help him when he felt like his life and the tumultuous events that stem from his childhood and beyond were just too much to bear.

“He seemed to be familiar with my pain” – James Debarge on MJ

If y’all missed their episode on Dr. Drew a few years ago, then you missed several of the Debarge siblings- James, Randy and Bunny- discussing their long-standing drug addictions. James, who was still on drugs at that time, (as were his siblings as well, but Bunny is now sober) revealed that MJ saved his life when everyone else around him was panicking, including his mother, Etterlene Debarge, Janet and she and MJ’s sister, Latoya.

James described how he was standing on the edge of a roof about to jump, when the family spotted him and he says the only one who remained calm throughout the hysterical ordeal, was MJ. James also said that Michael Jackson always had a way of remaining level headed under moments of intense, chaotic drama and that’s something he needed and will forever miss about his ex-brother-in-law. Check out the video clip below to see the heroic details James broke down about that terrifying moment and how MJ eventually got him off of the roof and to safety.

You just never know what a person is made of until they’re placed in situations like the one MJ was placed in. Thank goodness MJ was there for James that day, because we could have very well have been writing this article about the day James Debarge jumped and killed himself…something we would have dreaded having to report.

Debarge Family’s Trauma

Sadly, James and several of his ten siblings have been to hell and back throughout their lives, and it all stemmed from their days as biracial children growing up in a a rough section of Detroit, MI, in a home where several of them abused by their White father. That’s a whole ‘nother topic for another day, with many layers to unpack within it.

Debarge Classic: “Time Will Reveal”

The post James DeBarge Grateful To Michael Jackson For Heroic Act That Saved His Life, Literally appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Janet Jackson’s producer, Jimmy Jam (of the hit-making production duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) revealed in a recent interview with BBC, that Janet Jackson’s 1986 jam, “What Have You Done for me Lately” was actually written about an old School celeb’ back in the day. If you’re from the Old School you know this brotha very well. He is the one and only…[drumroll please!]…

James DeBarge of the 80’s R&B group, DeBarge, also known as Janet’s ex-husband! Janet was married to him at the time if “What Have You Done For Me Lately’s” production. Like we said earlier, Jimmy Jam let the cat out of the bag on this one. When he and Terry Lewis were working on Janet’s album, “Control,” this song was created to document the turmoil Janet’s and James’ marriage.

Here’s what Jimmy Jam said:
“The lyric came up because of a relationship Janet had gotten out of [her marriage to soul singer James DeBarge, which was annulled a year earlier]. The concept was basically, ‘he used to do nice things for you, but what has he done for you lately?'”

Who would’ve thunk it?!! Now that we know this, it all makes sense – Janet has repeatedly talked about the fact that she is an “emotional eater” who tends to eat a lot of junk food when she’s stressed about something going on in her life, resulting in weight gain (although she still looked great in my humble opinion).

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Janet Jackson (@janetjackson)

Not only did we see her experience a little weight gain during the era of her “Control” album, during which she had just gone through the divorce with James, we also saw this same weight pattern for her role on Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too, which was filmed shortly after the death of her big brother, Michael Jackson. In both instances, she did a phenomenal job using her craft and creating powerful performances.

These days, at 55 years old, Janet Jackson could be thick, slim, or curvy and she is and will always be sexy as hell! Keep showing these youngins how it’s done Ms. Jackson.

The post Janet Jackson’s “What Have U Done For Me Lately” Song Was Shade Toward Another Music Legend? appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We all know that James Debarge -of the legendary group, Debarge- has some deep history with the Jackson family. He was married to Janet in the ‘80s and still to this day, believes he has a child out there somewhere that Janet never told him about. But this article is not about the never ending saga of the mysterious kid James has made headlines for in recent years. It’s about Janet’s beloved brother, Michael Jackson, and the heroic actions he took when James tried to kill himself…on multiple occasions… *Scroll down to watch James’ explain this*

Back in the day, most of never knew just how cool MJ was with James, but it turns out, they were pretty close. So close that Michael was the only person who James trusted enough to help him when he felt like his life and the tumultuous events that stem from his childhood and beyond were just too much to bear.

“He seemed to be familiar with my pain” – James Debarge on MJ

If y’all missed their episode on Dr. Drew a few years ago, then you missed several of the Debarge siblings- James, Randy and Bunny- discussing their long-standing drug addictions. James, who was still on drugs at that time, (as were his siblings as well, but Bunny is now sober) revealed that MJ saved his life when everyone else around him was panicking, including his mother, Etterlene Debarge, Janet and she and MJ’s sister, Latoya.

James described how he was standing on the edge of a roof about to jump, when the family spotted him and he says the only one who remained calm throughout the hysterical ordeal, was MJ. James also said that Michael Jackson always had a way of remaining level headed under moments of intense, chaotic drama and that’s something he needed and will forever miss about his ex-brother-in-law. Check out the video clip below to see the heroic details James broke down about that terrifying moment and how MJ eventually got him off of the roof and to safety.

You just never know what a person is made of until they’re placed in situations like the one MJ was placed in. Thank goodness MJ was there for James that day, because we could have very well have been writing this article about the day James Debarge jumped and killed himself…something we would have dreaded having to report.

Debarge Family’s Trauma

Sadly, James and several of his ten siblings have been to hell and back throughout their lives, and it all stemmed from their days as biracial children growing up in a a rough section of Detroit, MI, in a home where several of them abused by their White father. That’s a whole ‘nother topic for another day, with many layers to unpack within it.

Debarge Classic: “Time Will Reveal”

The post James DeBarge Grateful To Michael Jackson For Heroic Act That Saved His Life, Literally appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We all know that James Debarge -of the legendary group, Debarge- has some deep history with the Jackson family. He was married to Janet in the 80’s and still to this day, believes he has a child out there somewhere that Janet never told him about. But this article is not about the never ending saga of the mysterious kid James has made headlines for in recent years. It’s about Janet’s beloved brother, Michael Jackson, and the heroic actions he took when James tried to kill himself…on multiple occasions… *Scroll down to watch James’ explain this*

Back in the day, most of never knew just how cool MJ was with James, but it turns out, they were pretty close. So close that Michael was the only person who James trusted enough to help him when he felt like his life and the tumultuous events that stem from his childhood and beyond were just too much to bear.

“He seemed to be familiar with my pain” – James Debarge on MJ

If y’all missed their episode on Dr. Drew a few years ago, then you missed several of the Debarge siblings- James, Randy and Bunny- discussing their long-standing drug addictions. James, who was still on drugs at that time, (as were his siblings as well, but Bunny is now sober) revealed that MJ saved his life when everyone else around him was panicking, including his mother, Etterlene Debarge, Janet and she and MJ’s sister, Latoya.

James described how he was standing on the edge of a roof about to jump, when the family spotted him and he says the only one who remained calm throughout the hysterical ordeal, was MJ. James also said that MJ always had a way of remaining level headed under moments of intense, chaotic drama and that’s something he needed and will forever miss about his ex-brother-in-law. Check out the video clip below to see the heroic details James broke down about that terrifying moment and how MJ eventually got him off 0f the roof and to safety.

You just never know what a person is made of until they’re placed in situations like the one MJ was placed in. Thank goodness MJ was there for James that day, because we could have very well have been writing this article about the day James Debarge jumped and killed himself…something we would have dreaded having to report.

Debarge Family’s Trauma

Sadly, James and several of his ten siblings have been to hell and back throughout their lives, and it all stemmed from their days as biracial children growing up in a a rough section of Detroit, MI, in a home where several of them abused by their White father. That’s a whole ‘nother topic for another day, with many layers to unpack within it.

Debarge Classic: “Time Will Reveal”

The post James Debarge Very Grateful To Michael Jackson For Heroic, Bold Decision That Saved His Life appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We’re paying homage to Michael Jackson on the 10th anniversary of his June 25, 2009, passing. While at it, we’ll be sharing a few facts about him that flew under the radar during his lifetime. One interesting fact is what R&B legend, James Debarge, revealed about the time that Michael put his own life and sanity at risk to save him.

Most of us, Old Schoolers, know that James Debarge has deep history with the Jacksons. He was married to Janet in the 80’s and still to this day, believes he has a child out there somewhere that Janet never told him about. However, this article is about Janet’s beloved brother, Michael’s, heroic actions when James tried to kill himself…multiple times.

Embed from Getty Images

Back in the day, most of never knew just close Michael and James were. So close, that MJ was the only person who James trusted enough to help him when he felt like his life and the tumultuous events that stem from his childhood were just too much to bear.

“He seemed to be familiar with my pain” – James Debarge on MJ

In a prior interview on Dr. Drew, several of the Debarge siblings- James, Randy and Bunny- discussed their long-standing drug addictions. James, who was still on drugs at that time (as were his siblings, but Bunny is now sober), revealed that MJ saved his life when everyone else around him was panicking. That included the Debarges’ mother, Etterlene Debarge, as well as Janet and sister, La Toya Jackson.

James Tells Exactly What Michael Did To Save Him>>>

The post Michael Jackson Risked His Life To Save James Debarge Amid Suicide Attempt & He’s Forever Grateful appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Janet Jackson’s producer, Jimmy Jam (of the hit-making production duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) revealed in an interview with BBC, that Janet Jackson’s 1986 jam, “What Have You Done for me Lately” was actually written about an old School celeb’ back in the day. If you’re from the Old School you know this brotha very well. He is the one and only…[drumroll please!]…

Her Legendary First Husband

James DeBarge of the 80’s R&B group, DeBarge, also known as Janet’s ex-husband! Janet was married to him at the time if “What Have You Done For Me Lately’s” production. Like we said earlier, Jimmy Jam let the cat out of the bag on this one. When he and Terry Lewis were working on Janet’s album, “Control,” this song was created to document the turmoil Janet’s and James’ marriage.

Here’s what Jimmy Jam said:

“Originally, What Have You Done For Me Lately was going to be a track on an album Terry and I were working on – our own album. The rest of the Control album was totally done but [record label executive] John McClain said: ‘Hey guys, I just need one more song.’

The lyric came up because of a relationship Janet had gotten out of [her marriage to soul singer James DeBarge, which was annulled a year earlier]. The concept was basically, ‘he used to do nice things for you, but what has he done for you lately?’ “

Who would’ve thunk it?!! Now that we know this, it all makes sense – Janet has repeatedly talked about the fact that she is an “emotional eater,” who tends to eat a lot of junk food when she’s stressed about something going on in her life, resulting in weight gain (although she still looked great in my humble opinion). Not only did we see her experience a little weight gain during the era of her “Control” album, during which she had just gone through the divorce with James, we also saw this same weight pattern for her role on Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too, which was filmed shortly after the death of her big brother, Michael Jackson. In both instances, she did a phenomenal job using her craft and creating powerful performances.

She’s In “Control” Of Her Life Again…After Wissam

These days, Janet is out here living the single life like Cameo and enjoying raising her lil’ man, Eissa.

Apparently, she’s done with the days of letting men run her life, which is what many assumed was happening during her short-lived marriage to her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Wissam Al Mana. Why did people think that? Because of Janet’s wardrobe choices, which had suddenly become far more toned down after gettin’ with Wissam. It’s been suspected that was Janet’s way of respecting his Islamic religion.

On the flip side, not every women in her late 40’s, or early 50’s, wants to still dress like she’s 20 (*coughs* Madonna).’  So yeah, maybe Janet was respecting Wissam’s religion, but she also could have  simply been rockin’ her new grown woman style by choice. Either way, that woman is fine at 52 and she could be dressed in a potato sack for all I care…she will always be sexy Janet to me! Keep showing these youngins how it’s done Ms. Jackson and if they got something to say about it, just ask ’em: “What have you done for me lately?” Nuff said.

The post Many Never Knew Janet Wrote “What Have U Done For Me Lately” About A Known Celebrity appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

James must have been in a rush on April 24th (2017), because he caused a head-on collision with a woman who is still very pissed off with him. Thankfully the impact of the crash wasn’t as hard, so no one was seriously hurt, but the victim’s car was damaged.

As we all know, whenever a car accident occurs, the typical thing to do is for the occupants to step outside of their vehicles to assess the damage, etc.. Welp, our main man, Mr. Debarge, had other plans that day. After his Mercedes station wagon collided with the woman’s Chevy Volt, James then stuck his head out of the car and gestured to her that he was going to pull across the street to the side of the road. Turns out, he was running game on her the whole time, because what actually ended up happening was that James sped off and never looked back.

Watch James Debarge’s Hit N’ Run Footage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W48N3hXJ-qA

Probably unbeknownst to James, the woman had her dash cam recording the entire incident and that’s how she was able to find out who he is. She now has her attorney, Michael Parker, on the case to try to find James to pay for her $6K in damages. However, Atty. Parker told TMZ he has not been able to find James yet and that he learned the he doesn’t seem to have insurance. So like my Momma used to say, it’s probably “gon’ be a cold day in hell” before the woman gets James to foot the bill for that $6,000 tab.

As for James Debarge and his car insurance finally being tracked down: maybe things will *in my El Debarge singing voice* “all reveal in time.”

The post James Debarge’s Hit & Run Caught On Camera, Victim Now Searching For Him appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Back in the day, most of never knew just how cool MJ was with James, but it turns out, they were pretty close. So close that Michael was the only person who James trusted enough to help him when he felt like his life and the tumultuous events that stem from his childhood and beyond were just too much to bear.

“He seemed to be familiar with my pain” – James Debarge on MJ

If y’all missed their episode on Dr. Drew a few years ago, then you missed several of the Debarge siblings- James, Randy and Bunny- discussing their long-standing drug addictions. James, who was still on drugs at that time, (as were his siblings as well, but Bunny is now sober) revealed that MJ saved his life when everyone else around him was panicking, including his mother, Etterlene Debarge, Janet and she and MJ’s sister, Latoya.

James described how he was standing on the edge of a roof about to jump, when the family spotted him and he says the only one who remained calm throughout the hysterical ordeal, was MJ. James also said that MJ always had a way of remaining level headed under moments of intense, chaotic drama and that’s something he needed and will forever miss about his ex-brother-in-law. Check out the video clip below to see the heroic details James broke down about that terrifying moment and how MJ eventually got him off 0f the roof and to safety.

You just never know what a person is made of until they’re placed in situations like the one MJ was placed in. Thank goodness MJ was there for James that day, because we could have very well have been writing this article about the day James Debarge jumped and killed himself…something we would have dreaded having to report.

Debarge Biopic In The Works

Unfortunately James and several of his ten siblings have been to hell and back throughout their lives, and it all stemmed from their days as biracial children growing up in a a rough section of Detroit, MI, in a home where several of them abused by their White father. That’s a whole ‘nother topic for another day, with many layers to unpack within it. So for now, we’ll simply leave you with the details about TV One’s upcoming Debarge biopic. Given the backgrounds of the Debarge siblings, this biopic will probably be a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows, cheers and tears. See the network’s statement below:

Premiere: Fall 2018
This original film focuses on the story of the DeBarge family, one of the most popular family groups in American music history, as told by the family matriarch, Etterlene Abney. After her marriage and family with Robert DeBarge, a handsome white soldier, goes through a turbulent unraveling, she relocates her children to Illinois. The children begin singing in her brother’s church. Two of the brothers record a demo tape that, with the help of Jermaine Jackson, falls into the hands of Motown founder Berry Gordy – and the rest is history. DeBarge is a story whose tale is woven with music, fame and success, romance, drugs, sibling rivalry – and bonded by the glue of Abney’s love that strains to keep them all together.

Debarge Classic: “Time Will Reveal”

The post Wow! James Debarge Revealed What MJ Bravely Did To Stop Him From Killing Himself appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

For years, Janet Jackson and James DeBarge have been at the center of a secret baby scandal. A number of women claiming to be the famed ex-couple’s secret daughter have come forward. In fact, one woman made headlines last month when she claimed to be their long lost daughter.

By now, most ILOSM fans have probably heard all about Tiffany Whyte, the woman who adamantly insists she’s their daughter.

As we reported a few weeks ago, Tiffany revealed she grew up in foster care and it wasn’t until seven years ago that she discovered she’s the daughter of Janet Jackson and James Debarge. However, that’s not all she knows. She even claims she has proof that her allegations aren’t just rumors for publicity.

James Debarge’s mother Etterlene even believes Tiffany, but fans are giving her the side-eye. Although she supposedly took a DNA test, fans still aren’t buying it.

Now, they’ve had an official paternity test and the results are in!

DNA Don’t Lie:

With all of the speculative reports about whether Tiffany Whyte was the lost child of James and Janet, the “I Like It” singer agreed to take a paternity test saying, “”I don’t like speculating.” According to RadarOnline, the test results are exactly what fans speculated – negative. It has been reported that James DeBarge is not the father of Tiffany Whyte.

Despite the negative test result, James DeBarge did share what he would have done if the test did confirm he was her father. He revealed he would have welcomed her into the family with open arms but did admit he fears the difficulty that may come with being “a father to a stranger.”

“I’m not going to push it on her,” James said. “I still don’t know what to do. I’m still kind of feeling this thing out, how to be a father to a stranger.”

https://twitter.com/PinkCottonMom/status/841803758929612800

Still Hopeful?:

Despite the seemingly disappointing news for Tiffany, the DeBarge family is still hopeful. Etterlene DeBarge adamantly insists she has a long lost grandchild out there somewhere. “I saw Janet before she left, and from what I could see, she was definitely pregnant,” Etterlene said. “She wasn’t fooling anyone.”

James has also spoke out about the speculation. He previously made headlines when he penned an open letter to Janet about the child. “I don’t care how no good I was. I feel like you should have gotten in contact with me about the baby. I don’t want to live the rest of my life not knowing the truth. I just want my child to know I’m her father.”

So, of course, the latest DNA test  probably won’t stop the speculation but it does put the Tiffany Whyte rumors to rest. In the meantime, folks on Twitter will not be stopped! And remember to comment on ILOSM’s Facebook page and let us know what you think about these DNA results!

https://twitter.com/kstyles119/status/842325972657422338

#nasty #TiffanyWhyte girl ! #getyourlife N #respect #JanetJackson #truebeauty #unbreakable pic.twitter.com/ARqRvfzOte

— Janet (@jajdj89) March 22, 2017

Not to be insanely shady but anyone else realize that #TiffanyWhyte looks like #Khia ? #JanetJackson .

— Bazaar Daily News (@bazaardailyuk) March 21, 2017

The post DNA Don’t Lie! The Results Are In For Janet Jackson & James DeBarge’s Alleged ‘Love Child’ appeared first on I Love Old School Music.