Remembering R&B Bassists Deon Estus and Tommy DeBarge

Community News, Entertainment, News — By Buddy Sampson on December 13, 2021 at 3:58 am

An Evening of Music and Celebration by R&B Group Switch at the Canyon Club in California

By Buddy Sampson

December, Agoura Hills, California 2021-The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California was the locale of a superb evening of music, featuring legendary R&B group Switch, who performed in tribute to two of its former members, bassists Deon Estus and Tommy DeBarge, who tragically passed away within weeks of each other.

The moving musical tribute started with three-to-five-minute speeches, with guests telling hilarious stories about the two talented bass players. Tommy DeBarge, Switch’s original bass player, died October 21, 2021 from complications resulting from liver and kidney failure. A memorial video for Tommy DeBarge was presented, with various memories of Tommy DeBarge including a moving rehearsal in which the group Switch were rehearsing the vocal parts of their hit song, “There’ll Never Be.”

Later, a memorial video also was presented, showcasing the accomplishments of one of their later bassists Deon Estus, who also performed with mega pop group “Wham!” and collaborated with many artists, including Annie Lennox, Aaron Neville and Elton John, among others. Deon passed away, unfortunately due to complications from heart surgery on October 11, 2021.  He had a single, “Heaven Help Me,” which reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1989.

“I had the honor of meeting him at NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants),” said Sandra Pehrsson, a singer/songwriter/keyboardist who knew the bassist and attended the tribute, in addition to performing at the jam session, which immediately followed the show.  “He was a kind soul with so much talent that I was amazed. He was very humble and had a great heart. He was a loving person.”

However, the true highlight of the evening was the magnificent performance of Gregory Williams and Switch. Led by superb vocalist Akili P. Nickson, the groups vocals sounded as crisp as they did in the 70s and 80s. They performed a variety of their hits, including “There’ll Never Be,” “I Call Your Name” among others.  They had some long-time members of the group on stage, including guitarist Michael McGloiry, singer Philip Ingram (brother of James Ingram) who had some very moving words on stage, as well as Gregory Williams, who was sensational on keyboards. Also taking the stage was Eddie Fluellen, James Strong, Tefere Hazy and Chris Hawkins. Joining the ensemble was percussionist/drummer artist Victor Orlando, who is always sensational on stage.   With their signature vocal harmonies completely on point, Switch captivated the audience, a private affair with several industry professionals, family members and musicians lending their support.

Switch was formed in December 1976 by singer/songwriter/keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Gregory Williams. The friendly, but extremely humble musician and musical legend remembered the original concept of the R&B group, a group that had multi-instrumentalists and vocalists that possessed the uncanny ability of switching to other instruments, thus the moniker “Switch.” “When I was picking guys, I wanted guys that did everything I did,” said Gregory Williams. “I played trumpet; I played every instrument but guitars. And so I wanted guys that did all of that, but they had to be able to sing. I wanted guys that even if you weren’t a lead vocalist, you were so close, you could do it.” Gregory remembers seeing the magic grow in front of his eyes.

“It was something that I envisioned and something that I asked, I believe the right guys to help me make this thing happen and they did,” said Gregory Williams. “Overall, I’m just happy and proud. It exceeded my expectations. What I saw from the very beginning and what I wound with- I wound up with people they are calling legends now. I’m humbled by it, every time I hear it- ‘you’re a legend.’ I didn’t set out to do that. I set out to make quality music and make some dreams come true and make life a little more special for me and the guys that traveled with me. I did that and a whole bunch more.”

Indeed, after forming the group, Gregory set out to Los Angeles, where he met The Jacksons’ Jermaine Jackson, who managed the group along with his wife Hazel and got them signed to Motown Records, where they garnered two platinum albums, “Switch” and “Switch II.” They had a string of hits, including “There’ll Never Be,” “I Wanna Be Closer,” “I Call Your Name,” and “Love Me Over and Over Again.” After leaving Motown, the group signed with Total Experience/RCA Records, and recorded an album, “Am I Still Your Boyfriend.”

The album included a single, “Keeping Secrets,” which became a Top 10 single in the UK. But in 1985, the group disbanded, and Gregory Williams began pursuing other musical opportunities, including writing, arranging and producing hit records and remixes on top recording acts such as Boyz II Men, Ne-Yo, El DeBarge and TLC among others. He also had a hit with rap artist “Rich Boy.” Ne-Yo and Rich Boy (‘Throw Some Dees’ with hit remixes by Kanye West, TI and Nelly, Andre 3000 and OutKast among others) both have hit songs sampled from Switch’s hit “I Call Your Name,” originally co-written and co-produced by Williams and Bobby Debarge.

Williams, the founding member of Switch, wrote a book “Switch, DeBarge, Motown & Me.”  He was candid about losing two vital members of the dynamic ensemble. “Even more than that, they were my brothers,” said Gregory Williams. “They were phenomenal at what they did and I was happy to welcome both of them into Switch and then happy to play with them because they were both special. But above and beyond that, they were my brothers. We wept together, we laughed together, we worked together and we put in a lot of time, a lot of energy and a whole lot of love because I was the big brother to both of them.”

Since 2019, Switch has enjoyed a resurgence with a new single “I Love You More.” Recently Switch was featured on TVOne’s “Unsung,” as well as the made for TV biopic “The Bobby DeBarge Story,” which received rave reviews.  Switch’s 1981 hit “Love Over & Over Again” can be heard in the opening and closing credits in the 2019 movie “Shaft” starring Samuel L. Jackson.

If you’d like to follow the exploits of Switch, an amazing R&B legendary ensemble, visit https://switchentertainmentworld.com.

Tags: Canyon Club, Deon Estus, Gregory Williams, Switch, Tommy DeBarge