R&B artist El DeBarge has entered a drug-rehabilitation program, BV Buzz reports.
"I hate to disappoint my fans, but it is necessary for me to take the time to work on me so that I may continue to share my music and my story with everyone. I thank everyone in advance for their prayers and well wishes and hope that you will respect my privacy during this time," DeBarge said.
Just last week, a Washington Post profile reported that he bristled at a reporter's question about whether he's sober and how he managed his sobriety. ("I've been sober for two years, and the way I manage my sobriety is I don't have to. I don't concentrate. When you concentrate on trying to stay sober, I think you're empowering the devil to say hey, I have a power. … I don't say, 'I'm a drug addict and I'm fighting every day to stay sober.' I don't buy into that philosophy. Once God makes you new, old things pass away.")
Hopefully, "old things" pass away permanently this time.
The singer was slated to appear on the R&B star Kem's "Intimacy Tour" with Ledisi, which kicks off on Feb. 17 in Houston.
Read more at BV Buzz.
In other news: New York Times Clarifies Oscar 'Whiteout' Numbers, but Whoopi's Still Mad.