Kristinia DeBarge

Biography

When a 12-year-old Kristinia DeBarge told her father, James DeBarge (the youngest member of DeBarge), that she wanted to become a singer, the two wrote and recorded a song that had Kristinia in a studio until early morning — a test to see if she had the determination to follow through on her wish. Unfazed by the long hours and hard work, Kristinia soon gained some national exposure on the American Idol spinoff American Juniors, but she failed to make it to the Top Ten round. Performances with her father were a hit with crowds, and several years later she caught the attention of Babyface, who helped her get a deal with Def Jam. Her debut album (Exposed), recorded with plenty of input from Babyface, was released in 2009, prefaced with "Goodbye," a playful pop-R&B single that was in the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 by the third week of May.