El DeBarge

Drug addiction and prison have kept El DeBarge, the former Motown star once pegged as the next Michael Jackson, sidelined for what seems like a lot longer than a decade and a half. DeBarge never attained the solo stardom anticipated for him when he left brothers Randy, James and Mark and sister Bunny following 1985’s Rhythm of the Night. Unable to replicate even the modest success of his self-titled 1986 solo debut, he eventually succumbed to the same pattern of drug abuse that derailed the careers of nearly all his siblings. This intense backstory, combined with El’s frozen-in-time vocal timbre and a diverse lineup of collaborators (Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, 50 Cent) should make his forthcoming full-length, Second Chance, one of the year’s more intriguing R&B albums. A night off from Mary J. Blige’s Music Saved My Life Tour, which visits Radio City next week, offers an opportunity to preview the new material in the intimate confines of S.O.B.’s.