SWITCH band member Tommy DeBarge is dead at 64 after his secret battle with kidney failure. The musician's passing comes after his brother Bobby's tragic AIDS-related death in 1995.
YouTube/UMGTommy died at 64 after his secret battle with kidney failure '/caption ' 
His passing comes years after his brother Bobby's AIDS-related death in 1995 TMZ confirmed the sad news on Thursday. One of Tommy's family members told the outlet that he suffered from liver and kidney failure over the years, though his health recently started to decline. The outlet learned that Tommy was hospitalized a few weeks ago, while he died in the hospital Thursday. Tommy rose to fame for his involvement in the funk band Switch, which was formed in the late 1970s. Switch was originally made up of Tommy, his brother Bobby, Gregory Williams, Phillip Ingram, Eddie Fluellen and Jody Sims. The band was known for their hits such as There'll Never Be, I Call Your Name, Love Over & Over Again, I Wanna Be Closer, We Like to Party and Best Beat in Town. Most read in Entertainment TRAGIC Alec Baldwin accidentally shoots crew member dead on set as director left 'critical' 'WORST BOYFRIEND' Scott slammed for calling Kourtney 'delusional' when she wanted romance OH MY, KY Pregnant Kylie shares glimpse at huge nursery she's building for second child LOOKING HER BREAST Teen Mom Jade shows off her 'boob job' in tiny pink dress 'BABY BLUES' Kylie Jenner hints at baby's gender in pic as fans think she's having a boy NOT CAMERA CHEY Teen Mom Cheyenne wows in tight dress for her 29th birthday FORMING DEBARGE Following years of success, Tommy and Bobby left Switch in the 1980s to mentor their younger siblings in the group DeBarge. The family band released six albums over the years, including The DeBarges (1981), All This Love (1982), In a Special Way (1983), and Rhythm of the Night (1985). Some of their popular songs include I Like It, All This Love, Love Me in a Special Way and Time Will Reveal. Bobby sadly died of complications related to AIDS in 1995. Tommy's brother contracted HIV in the 1980s and battled AIDS until his death at the age 39. FANS REACT Shortly after news of Tommy's passing broke, fans rushed to Twitter to express their sadness. Alongside a video of Tommy performing on stage, one person wrote: ...Awweee man!! This sucks!!... Another added: ...Rest easy, Tommy DeBarge.. prayers to the DeBarge family.... A third chimed in: ...May he rest in peace with his brother Bobby. The Debarge family has been through a lot.... An additional Twitter user wrote: ...R.I.P Singer/Musician Tommy Debarge of the legendary group #Switch and #Debarge family. He will be missed!... ...Just lost an important part of my teenage years. RIP Tommy Debarge,... one grieving fan said. 
Gordy RecordsTommy was a founding member of Switch '/caption ' 
YouTube/UMGbobby and Tommy left Switch to mention their siblings in DeBarge '/caption ' 
YouTube/UMGFans rushed to Twitter to express their sadness over Tommy's passing '/caption ' Source: Fashion Mag
