Frank Farian was a German singer, songwriter, and record producer who created the hit pop acts Milli Vanilli and Boney M.
- Died: January 23, 2024 (Who else died on January 23?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Miami at the age of 82.
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Frank Farian’s legacy
Farian had his first pop success at home in Germany in 1976. He released the single “Rocky,” a German-language cover of Dickey Lee’s U.S. No. 1 country music hit. Farian’s version shot to No. 1 in Germany and dominated the charts for four weeks. But while he was enjoying success as a solo artist, Farian was also experimenting with a formula that would define his career: masterminding the creation of hip dance groups.
The first such group Farian created was Boney M., who became an international Europop sensation in the 1970s. Their first single, 1974’s “Baby Do Ya Wanna Bump,” featured Farian as songwriter and on vocals – both deep lead vocals and the falsetto backing track – but for live performances and videos, Farrell recruited a group of dancers and singers to be the face of Boney M. Their second single, 1976’s “Daddy Cool,” topped charts across Europe, and they continued to have international success with songs like “Rivers of Babylon,” “Rasputin,” and “Mary’s Boy Child.” After Boney M.’s first single, Farrell turned over the high vocals to two of the group’s female members, but he continued to sing male vocals on their studio tracks, with frontman Bobby Farrell only singing in live performances.
When Farian riffed on this successful formula again in the 1980s, the deception led to a music-world scandal. He recruited dancers Fab Moran and Rob Pilatus (1965–1998) to be the faces of Milli Vanilli, dancing and lip-syncing to music recorded by a group of session musicians. In the late ‘80s, they had chart-topping hits in the U.S. and internationally with “Girl You Know It’s True,” “Baby Don’t Forget My Number,” “Blame It on the Rain,” and “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You.” Farian produced and, in some cases, wrote Milli Vanilli’s hits. But when the truth about Milli Vanilli was revealed, it became an industry scandal and the subject of public mockery, and the group went down in flames.
Undeterred, Farian went on to create more dance groups, including La Bouche and Le Click. He also produced an album for Meat Loaf (1947–2022). In 2006, his musical “Daddy Cool” debuted. Based on the songs of Boney M. and Farian’s other groups, “Daddy Cool” premiered on London’s West End and toured in Europe.
Notable quote
“Here in Europe, everything is positive. Stars play a greater role in America. They’re taken so much more seriously. And they love the scandal. This music – it’s just for dancing!” —from a 1990 interview for the Los Angeles Times
Tributes to Frank Farian
Full obituary: The New York Times
