German music maestro Frank Farian's legacy: From Boney M to the Milli Vanilli scandal

Farian was initially born as Franz Reuther in Kirn, West Germany. He moved to Posarje at the age of 14 and trained to become a cook. He recorded his first album with the group Die Schatten in 1963. His passion for music prompted a move to Rosbach near Frankfurt, where he began his quest to conquer the music world in the United States.

Farian has been producing globally recognized pop hits since the 70s. His songs have earned a place among the pop music classics and are held dear by several generations.

He also established successful music groups like Boney M, where most of the vocal parts, with a few exceptions, were sung by Farian, not the traditional frontman, Bobby Farrell. His vocal contribution was evident in major hits such as "Daddy Cool" and "Rasputin".

In 1988, Farian unveiled Milli Vanilli, an inventive yet controversial project that ranks as one of the greatest deceits in pop music history. The group comprised two dancers, Fabrice "Fab" Morvan and Robert "Rob" Pilatus, who acted as the singers while other artists were the actual vocalists, played back at concerts.

Milli Vanilli's debut offering sold 30 million copies, with their track "Girl You Know It's True" topping charts from Billboard to local stations in Africa.

The band received a Grammy award in 1990, but it was later rescinded when Farian admitted that "Fab" and "Rob" never actually sang the songs, but instead mimed the voices of session musicians.

After the disbanding of Milli Vanilli, Frank Farian continued his work as a producer with an array of Eurodance groups. He fathered three daughters with his ex-wife, longtime partner, Chinyą Onyewenjo, and one son. His daughter Yanina performed a cover of "Cherish" by Kool & the Gang with him in 2021.