R&B crooner El DeBarge is pretty open about how thankful he is for life’s “second chances.” After a long battle with drug addiction derailed his music career and landed him in jail in 2008, the beloved singer made a comeback last year with a new album, appropriately titled Second Chance
, and gained a new generation of fans. But DeBarge remembers the hard lessons he had to learn as an artist in the music industry. Here, he offers advice for anyone who’s considering a career in the entertainment business–or any business.