Frank Farian

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Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

Franz Reuther (18 July 1941 – 23 January 2024), known professionally as Frank Farian, was a German record producer and singer who founded the 1970s disco-pop group Boney M., and the pop bands No Mercy and Milli Vanilli. He frequently created vocal groups in which the publicised members merely lip-synced to songs sung by session performers. Farian owned the record label MCI and several subsidiaries.

Early life

Farian was born in Kirn, Germany, on 18 July 1941.<ref name=DW>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="AMG">Template:Cite web</ref> He and two siblings were raised by his mother, because his father was killed in World War II before his birth.<ref name=Hit>Template:Cite news</ref> He trained as a cook before discovering rock and roll, renaming himself Frank Farian, and forming a band called Frankie Boys Schatten.<ref name=DW/> In 1964, they released their first single, "Shouting Ghost", which was a failure.<ref name=Stadl>Template:Cite news</ref>

Career

In April 1967, Farian released a cover of Otis Redding's "Mr. Pitiful" under the name 'Frankie Farian'. After signing a recording contract as a solo performer, he moved into pop and appeared on the TV programme Hitparade.<ref name=DW/> In 1976, Farian's German-language cover of Dickey Lee's "Rocky" stayed at No. 1 in the German charts for four weeks. His 1973 single "Was kann schöner sein?", a German language cover of the Lynsey de Paul/Ron Roker song "When You've Gotta Go", was listed as one of the Top 100 all time "Schlagerlieder" by German magazine Popkultur.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Working with composers Hans-Ulrich Weigel, Stefan Klinkhammer, and Roland Kaiser, he co-wrote and produced the song "Skateboard" for Copains which was released in 1977. It was a hit in both Germany and Sweden where it peaked at no. 38 and no. 17 respectively.<ref>Schweizer Hitparade - Copains – Skateboard</ref> It was also a hit for German singer Benny who got the song to no. 40 in the German charts.<ref>Schweizer Hitparade - Benny – Skateboard</ref> It was covered by Norwegian band Kjell Vidars.<ref>Discogs - Kjell Vidars – Skateboard</ref><ref>Music Metason - ArtistInfo, Kjell Vidars</ref><ref>Oppland Arbeiderblad (OA), 15.01.15 - Ny musikk, KJELL VIDARS 45 år- 45 låter - Av Frode Hermanrud</ref> Years later it would be covered by German skate-punk band, Disaster Area.<ref>Burn Your Ears, Donnerstag, 30 Juni 2005 - Disaster Area - Forever Review, Punk Rock - Geschrieben von Robert</ref><ref>Underdog, Sommer 2009 #28 - Page 34 UNDERDOG: Skate und Punk war im Pott (Mühlheim, Marl) schwer angesagt.</ref>

Boney M.

In late 1974, he recorded "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (a remake of Prince Buster's song "Al Capone" from 1967), first released in 1975 as a single and on the 1976 album Take the Heat off Me under the pseudonym Boney M. He recruited a line-up which included vocalists Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett along with a front-man, Bobby Farrell, and a female dancer, Maizie Williams. Under the name Boney M., he achieved his biggest success in Europe as well as world-wide with songs including "Daddy Cool", "Rivers of Babylon", "Rasputin" and a remake of "Mary's Boy Child".<ref name=DW/> As later with Milli Vanilli, Farrell did not actually sing; he lip-synced to Farian's own vocals.<ref name=DW/><ref name=hoax>Template:Cite news</ref>

Far Corporation

Farian also started the supergroup Far Corporation (named after the first syllable of his last name), which featured Steve Lukather, David Paich, Bobby Kimball, Simon Phillips (all from Toto fame), and Robin McAuley. Far Corporation were the first act to chart with a cover version of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven"; their cover was a top 10 hit in the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 8 in October 1985.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref>

Meat Loaf

In 1986, Farian produced and mixed the Meat Loaf album Blind Before I Stop. He also sang backing vocals on the album's lead single, "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries", which was credited to Meat Loaf featuring John Parr.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums 2">Template:Cite book</ref>

Milli Vanilli

Template:Main In 1988, Farian began producing Milli Vanilli. He assembled a group of session musicians and fronted it with physically attractive dancers Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan. During a 1989 performance a backing track error first revealed the singers had been lip-syncing. On 14 November 1990, Farian confirmed that others had sung on the albums.<ref name=hoax/><ref name="NME Rock ">Template:Cite book</ref> Milli Vanilli's 1990 Grammy Award for Best New Artist was revoked, and at least 26 lawsuits were filed in the United States under U.S. consumer fraud protection laws.<ref name="nyt">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ohio">Template:Cite news</ref>

La Bouche, Le Click, Eruption, No Mercy

Following the Milli Vanilli controversy, Farian developed similar Eurodance groups La Bouche and Le Click. He also produced the 1997 version of "Tic, Tic Tac" by Chilli Feat. Carrapicho.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Some other groups and solo acts Farian was involved with are Eruption (whom he managed in 1977), singer Precious Wilson, and Latin pop band No Mercy, which was based in Germany.Template:Citation needed

Daddy Cool musical

On 15 August 2006, the musical Daddy Cool opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End, featuring Michelle Collins, Michael Harvey, Javine Hylton, and singer/songwriter Darvina Plante. The £3 million show was produced by Farian and Robert Mackintosh. The story, written by Stephen Plaice with Amani Naphtali, is predominantly based on the songs of Boney M., but also has songs by Milli Vanilli, Eruption, La Bouche, and No Mercy. A second show opened on 23 April 2007 in Berlin, Germany, and toured in the Netherlands<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> from August 2011 to February 2012, Spain (Palma de Mallorca) in July 2012, Switzerland from November 2015 to January 2016,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Germany in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other activities

In 2006, Farian was credited as co-writing the song "Doin' Fine" with British producers Nathan Thomas and Carl M. Cox. (Other writers involved in the song were Chris Rudall, Baz Qureshi, Peter Wilson, Chris Richards, and George Reyam). Described as paying tribute to the sound of Boney M., the song was essentially a new composition featuring the string arrangement from Boney M.'s 1976 number one hit "Daddy Cool". It was recorded by Australian pop singer Peter Wilson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was initially released in the UK on 16 April 2007 in its extended format, entitled "Daddy's Cool 12" Mix", and reached number one on the EuroDanceHits EuroNRG Top 40 in May 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The original version of "Doin' Fine" was featured on Peter Wilson's debut album, Follow Me,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> released in the UK on 8 October 2007. It was also recorded in 2008 by Amanda Lear.

Personal life

Later in life, Farian resided in Miami, Florida, United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He had three daughters and a son with his former common-law wife, Chinya Onyewenjo.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His daughter Yanina sang with him in 2021 on a cover of "Cherish" by Kool & the Gang.<ref name=Stadl/> In 2022, he announced that his life had been saved by a surgery to replace an ailing heart valve with tissue from a pig's organ.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although the surgery was successful, Farian's health declined and he used a wheelchair and a breathing apparatus due to pulmonary issues. He had also lost a lot of weight.<ref>https://www.ilmessaggero.it/en/farewell_to_frank_farian_founder_of_boney_m-7889766.html</ref>

Farian died in Miami on 23 January 2024 at the age of 82.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In films

In 2023, Farian was portrayed by Matthias Schweighöfer in the film Girl You Know It's True.

On 3 September 2024, it was announced that there is a documentary series covering the life and career of Farian in pre-production by Australian film producer Kaine Harling and Kelly Hauge, titled Behind the Curtain: The Frank Farian Story.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Discography

Studio albums

  • So ein Tag (1971)
  • So muß Liebe sein (1973)
  • Rocky (1976)
  • Division One (1985)
  • Solitude (1994)

Compilation albums

  • Star Discothek (1978)
  • The Hit Man – The Best of 25 Years (1994)
  • The Hit Collection – The Best of 25 Years (1994)
  • The Hit Man II (2000)
  • Summer Hits (2001)
  • Dieter Thomas Heck präsentiert: 40 Jahre ZDF Hitparade (2009)
  • Produced by Frank Farian (2009)

Singles

Albums produced (selection)

Boney M.

Template:See also

Gilla
  • Help! Help! (1977)
Meat Loaf
Milli Vanilli

Template:See also

La Bouche
  • Sweet Dreams (1995) (No. 2 Finland, No. 2 Switzerland, No. 10 Australia)
No Mercy
  • My Promise (1996) (No. 4 Australia, No. 3 Netherlands)
Eruption
  • Eruption, also released as I Can't Stand the Rain (1977)
  • Leave a Light (1979)
Precious Wilson
  • On the Race Track (1980)
  • All Coloured in Love (1982)
  • Funky Fingers (1983)

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Boney M. Template:Milli Vanilli Template:La Bouche Template:No Mercy (pop band) Template:Authority control

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